3/6/07 – Waterford at NAHBS

I’m sitting at home, sick, watching UEFA soccer and reading cyclingnews.com’s report on the North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS). Not too bad except for the sick part…

Waterford_flames_seat_lug001

This show has been held the last 4 springs; most recently in San Jose, CA, and attracts the best artisan bicycle builders in the world. With the addition of Dario Pegoretti, the show is truely intercontinental. If you love unique bicycles that are a departure from the cookie cutter stuff that has become so prolific – this show is worth a look. I hope to attend it someday in person.
The report, while just a sampling of what was on display showed some amazing detail and great ideas from artists like Bilenky, Richard Sachs, Sasha White of Vanilla Cycles, Independent Fabrications, Bryan Baylis, and Peter Mooney. One of my personal favorites and great friends, Waterford Precision Cycles, was also in attendance.
These guys aren’t afraid to try anything – as evidenced by this lugged-steel frame, mating the venerable Reynolds 853 tubeset with the new 953 stainless steel tubing with hand-carved lugs for a truely amazing result.
I’d ask them to build me one, but I’m afraid of what it would cost. The last time I asked them how much a hand-carved lug frameset cost, at Interbike 3 years ago, their reply was “about $5000, depends on the artwork”. And that frame didn’t use any of the new 953 tubes, which cost more than 853 – and which get painstakingly polished; adding man-hours and extra cost to the equation. Needless to say, being married and having a 1-year-old son, I’ll have to find a different line of work before I spend that much on simply a frame. I’ll be happy to sell any of you one though…made-to-measure to perfection. Just call or write for an appointment. You think I’m kidding?
Anyway, here’s links to the rest of the pictures of this frame on cyclingnews’ website (yeah, I lifted the photo above from there too…thanks guys!)
Cyclingnews.com’s coverage of the show