# 2009 NAHBS photo thread



## Thylacine (Feb 29, 2004)

Dudes,
Here be a repository for any links you come across for NAHBS photos. Please try and avoid mass postings of racks, track bikes, or polished sh1t just in case it induces ipecac like mass vomiting.

First up - https://flickr.com/photos/stalelife/










I think this is by Naked. About time someone started thinking outside the box. (Yes I know it's very polished, but hey, I never said I was dogmatic)










I think this is a time-trial bike by Cherubim out of Japan. I say 'I think' because it seems to defy current TT designs in every possible way.










Dunno what this finish is on Nicks 'Cross machine, but it sure is slick.


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## smudge (Jan 12, 2004)

I hope people see that Crumpton for what it is...a beautifully executed custom carbon frame. Excellent work from him.

I had the misfortune of being directly across from the Naked booth last year and mostly saw the backs of heads for three days in a row. Sam is definitely a free thinker.

There are some cool racks there too by the way. I know it's not everyone's cup o tea, but some of those things are very complicated and a marvel to behold. There's a lot of thinking and top notch fabrication in some of those racks. One of my favorites is from Mitch at M.A.P. Cycles.


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## crux (Jan 10, 2004)

Is that a wooden bearing cap?


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## Thylacine (Feb 29, 2004)

Probably.


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## rockyuphill (Nov 28, 2004)

Dirt Rag has a good gallery already.

If the Naked FS bike would have gone for polished brass plate instead of polished nickel that would have been a fine bit of Steam Punk. Heck if the shock barrel and controls were brass it would have looked like an espresso machine. 

Anyone know if the wheels on that bike were the wood finish Velocity rims or real Ghisallo wood rims?


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## Live Wire (Aug 27, 2007)

Lot's of cool stuff, and quite a few "WTF's", a whole lotta show only things too.

Observations, this is the year of the segmented fork (cool) and the belt drive (reserving judgement).
Rody from Groovy has got to have the best paint, but best paint themes have got to be Eric's from Peacock Groove....a GnR bike and this critter killer : http://picasaweb.google.com/axiomseven/NAHBS2009Indianapolis#5308039419890577618

And the DR gallery is mercifully lacking in racks and fenders:thumbsup:


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## Thylacine (Feb 29, 2004)

More here:

http://flickr.com/photos/p3dals/
http://flickr.com/photos/troppmann/
http://flickr.com/photos/twotone666


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## Schmitty (Sep 7, 2008)

*What's going on with this Hunter?*

Can't make sense of the st junction.....


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## smudge (Jan 12, 2004)

Schmitty said:


> Can't make sense of the st junction.....


 edited...saw the rest of the bike...


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## Scimitar (Jul 14, 2006)

sweet Dean with trick handlebars









nice paint on this Cicli Polito









Peacock Groove had some wicked bikes on display

lots more pictures here - https://www.sicklines.com/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/852


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## Thylacine (Feb 29, 2004)

I really like the Peacock Groove stuff. It's always interesting and has a flair of it's own.

Best in Show for me so far are the Geekhouse bikes. Good colours, good graphics, nice balanced aesthetic with that BMX/Track urban thing going on, and these guys do the best example I've seen so far. I think they just manage to avoid being overly shanty hipster.

I actually want one.


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## smudge (Jan 12, 2004)

edited for being a jerk


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## Thylacine (Feb 29, 2004)

Haha!

Fortunately we're all too poor here for that degree of hipster indulgence, which is maybe why it still holds a degree of fascination for me. Like looking at fish in a fishtank.

FYI if the Geekhouse guys read your post above, expect a flamewar followed by some stern emails and maybe even a phonecall, just like I got from Sasha White when I described someone as a 'Rapha wearing, Vanilla riding Possenger'.


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## dbohemian (Mar 25, 2007)

Thylacine said:


> Haha!
> 
> Fortunately we're all too poor here for that degree of hipster indulgence, which is maybe why it still holds a degree of fascination for me. Like looking at fish in a fishtank.
> 
> FYI if the Geekhouse guys read your post above, expect a flamewar followed by some stern emails and maybe even a phonecall, just like I got from Sasha White when I described someone as a 'Rapha wearing, Vanilla riding Possenger'.


Well, you got a direct call Can't say he shirks away from giving his opinion. On to the hipster indulgence idea.

I have from the beginning felt that the urban fixed gear market does not really exist. Yes, it has lots of marketing, and seems like it would be big but the reality is that people must order these things and really I don't see it. The 30,40,50 somethings with the money might like to look at them but they don't actually buy them. I wish Geekhouse the best and maybe I am flat wrong but these bike really did not ever exist in the past and it is a fad with no substance now IMHO.

REAL track bikes. My favorite I think. Otherwise give me a bike like ANT makes with a sturmey archer ASC no massive luggage all over and slicks. That is my idea of urban.

Dave B
Bohemian


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## sammysmc (Feb 13, 2007)

any more information on that green geekhouse? thats really cool


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## dbohemian (Mar 25, 2007)

You can always check out his website. There are some comments about the bikes there and look like there will be more soon.

http://www.geekhousebikes.com/

Let me add, that really in the end, this is all about selling bikes

So many people are making the pilgrimage to NAHBS, looking at photos and such but that has to be backed up by orders and I know a lot of builders are wondering because for many that has not been the case.

Geekhouse. His prices are silly low. I would get in before he comes to his senses:thumbsup:

Dave B
Bohemian Bicycles


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## smudge (Jan 12, 2004)

edited for being judgmental


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## Schmitty (Sep 7, 2008)

*The natural progression for these bikes....*

.. smaller wheels... say 20", fatter tires..... maybe a freewheel....

Oh wait, that's a BMX bike.

100 years ago and all these stovepipe jeans kids would have been in the circus/carnival.

-Schmitty-


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## GMDesigns (Mar 2, 2009)

*Melms fork drop outs*



smudge said:


> Message number three: I'm super impressed from what I saw of Greg Melms street BMX bike. As far as I know, he created those fork ends and I hope he's part of the Geekhouse crew in some way. I have a ton of respect for him and his work and if someone is ripping off his design, they should have their knuckles rapped.


 First off, Hello everyone. Nice forum you have here!

Since I haven't had a chance to see Marty's bikes completed yet, I was searching the web and found this thread. 
No, he didn't steal the design. He called and asked nicely and I sent him 2 pair plus axles and hardware. He's a neat guy, I'm happy to help him out.
I wish Marty the best of luck.

Regarding Nahbs; so many really, really neat bikes. It's nice to see a few builders thinking outside the box.
I wish I could've gone.

Take care,
GM


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## Thylacine (Feb 29, 2004)

Hey Greg, welcome to the only progressive framebuilding forum on the web! Found your stuff a year or two ago while doing my constant 'research' and now it's in my archives of 'cool stuff'. Are your fork ends shall we say a '20mm quick release'? What axles are compatible with which hubs? Are you selling these to the rest of us schmoes?

Dave, on the whole 'hipster fixie' thing, I think there is a market, but I'm not sure _how many_ 20-30 something IT guys on 100k a year looking for their third bike there really are. I've only sold one down here and even that sat in a shop for the best part of a year with people drooling on it but nobody ponying up.

Still, if I was looking for a new bike to sit outside my local groovy cafe, that's what I'd be making myself.

And for the record I don't own any skinny jeans.


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## dbohemian (Mar 25, 2007)

They "geekhouse" are doing cool stuff.

My apprentice rehab'd an old frame into an urban fixie. Sweet paint job done by me, best of everything (white, phil wood etc) , custom stem, fork, stainless drops. Very vanillaesqe town fixie. At 1k he couldn't sell it. After many months, he parted it out.

Everyone thought it was beautiful though.


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## Francis Buxton (Apr 2, 2004)

I've had an urban fixed gear for 6+ years. When I actually lived in the urban setting and didn't have kids, I rode it to work a fair amount and did a lot of urban exploration. We had a good group that did pub crawls on bikes where we would ride 30+ miles and visit 10+ bars. The fixed gear was the best bike for all of that.

The key was that it was an old Trek touring frame and only had a front brake. I had more in the wheels and seat than the rest of the bike, so I didn't mind hanging from a street sign or having 10 other bikes piled on top of it. A couple of different times, I bought a 'nice' frame (like an old SLX Tommaso) and built it up with premium parts to have a chi-chi fixie to show off how cool it was. I hardly rode it b/c I didn't want to leave it places unlocked or with a cheap lock, and I didn't want it getting beat up on pub crawls, so I always ended up parting them out and selling them. 

I love to drool at the really nice urban fixies, but I have realized that a fixed gear or urban bike needs to be much more about function than fashion if you actually want to ride it, and you need to leave the girl jeans to your little sister.


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## themanmonkey (Nov 1, 2005)

Francis Buxton said:


> I love to drool at the really nice urban fixies, but I have realized that a fixed gear or urban bike needs to be much more about function than fashion if you actually want to ride it, and you need to leave the girl jeans to your little sister.


I've even gotten over the drool part, but I'm an old guy celebrating his 20th year riding fixed on the road. So far 440 miles since Jan. 1 fixed. I've got lights, fenders, wired computer, a front brake (HERESY!). When I lived in Vancouver I use to love to roll up to hipsters and watch them cringe. I'm looking to pic up a nice set of polished Velocity rims on Phil hubs for pennies on the dollar this summer to replace my Formula on Alex wheel and random old school road front when this fad passes.


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## SuspectDevice (Apr 12, 2004)

I'd consider Marty at Geekhouse a pretty good friend (I've known him since highschool). He builds the bikes he want's to build, mostly 26" street/park and street track stuff. He has fun, and people buy the bikes. That's all that matters, last time I checked.


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## Thylacine (Feb 29, 2004)

*sigh*


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## byknuts (Aug 9, 2008)

if that's all that matters then why can't i find those hot (hawt? haught?!) disc trackie forks on his site?
*sigh*

waiting for updated site with prices please n thenk you very mush.... my birthday's in may and my steamroller's old school roadie calipers are wholly inadequate so.. ahem... yes...  

For now I'll continue to lust after misfit's nummers fork and wonder why they don't make a 390mm long version for us urban gitches...


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## Francis Buxton (Apr 2, 2004)

Manmonkey, I'm with ya. I'm only at about 10 years fixed, but I've gotten over all the hype and bs and making sure everyone knew I was kool b/c I rode a fixie. I still enjoy it quite a bit, but get the desire to switch over to gears or ss coasting sometimes, and I'm unapologetic about it. 

I do still giggle a little bit to myself when somebody thinks I'm a hardass for riding fixed offroad b/c I know for myself that it's not that hard. I let a friend of mine borrow one of my offroad fixed wheels earlier this winter b/c I wanted to dabble in it. 3 months later he still has it and he's racked a bunch of mileage on it. I'm just happy to spread the infection.

And to stay on track with the thread, I like the Geekhouse stuff. Not what I'm personally into right now riding wise, but cool and fairly sensible nonetheless.


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## scant (Jan 5, 2004)

Hi All
yes 2009 event has only just finished, has there been talk of 2010 event dates & location yet? I'd really like to attend


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## D.F.L. (Jan 3, 2004)

Who had the mill set up at the show, and were they building frames right there? I just saw a picture and there's a guy mitering a tube in the background. What was the story?

From Montclairbobbyb's flikr account:


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## Feldybikes (Feb 17, 2004)

dbohemian said:


> I have from the beginning felt that the urban fixed gear market does not really exist. Yes, it has lots of marketing, and seems like it would be big but the reality is that people must order these things and really I don't see it. ....


I don't know for sure, but this might have something to do with you being in Tucson. Fixed gears are (were?) outta control in Denver/Boulder. Some fancy, but many old conversions. I suspect many of the people who buy/bought fancy ones are buying them as their seventh bike and don't ride them that much.


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## dbohemian (Mar 25, 2007)

Feldybikes said:


> I don't know for sure, but this might have something to do with you being in Tucson. Fixed gears are (were?) outta control in Denver/Boulder. Some fancy, but many old conversions. I suspect many of the people who buy/bought fancy ones are buying them as their seventh bike and don't ride them that much.


You are probably right. Tucson is a weird place that does not typically follow any national trends. I sold one bicycle to somebody from Tucson last year. We have three framebuilders and I guess total orders for all three are somewhere around 30 from local sources. Sad too, because it is such a nice place to ride most of the year and there is a vibrant cycling scene but "custom" is just not understood/in demand here.

Our niche being custom bikes, is so tiny it is hard to see a micro-niche like urban fixed gear making a go of it for the long haul but I hope it can.

Dave B
Bohemian


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## themanmonkey (Nov 1, 2005)

Feldybikes said:


> I don't know for sure, but this might have something to do with you being in Tucson. Fixed gears are (were?) outta control in Denver/Boulder. Some fancy, but many old conversions. I suspect many of the people who buy/bought fancy ones are buying them as their seventh bike and don't ride them that much.


Most of the customs are going to homes as you describe as far as I've seen. Most of the hip fixie kids seem more concerned about NJS than custom made. I'm still blown away with folks spending 2x as much on their wheelset than the F/F. I think a lot of the custom fixie builders are banking on those folks "upgrading" in the future. It's kinda weird when some of us who have been preaching the road-fixed thing for so long just get steamrolled by the new fashion of it all. Back in the day it was just the way you ran your bike in the winter, not as my wife describes it as "the new longboard."

Remember when longboards were just frickin huge 10 years ago? How often do you see them now? Sure you see some folks still riding them, but as the thing all folks under 30 must own has past. It's really cool to see folks building interesting things, but I see them the same way as the full-suspension URT design. What happened to all the small companies that had banked on the URT? I see the same future for the fixie builder crowd.

Sorry, I'm not trying to sound bitter or derail this thread, I'm just and industry lifer that has a pretty good eye for what's to come. Everybody who thinks I'm full of BS please fell free to contact me in 5 years.


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