Bespoked Handmade bike show 2014

[Jason]

For a couple of years now James and I have been seriously considering making the journey to Bristol to see the Bespoked Handmade bike show, but for various reasons the pilgrimage was never made. When the event came to London this year we were all out of excuses and went up to the velodrome in the Olympic Park near Stratford to test the metal. The Handmade show is a showcase for frame builders, largely British ones of what one might be called the new wave, there has been something of a renaissance of bike frame building in this country since the cycling revival started gathering pace around the turn of the century. Before then companies that brazed steel tubes into diamond frames had names like Chas Roberts, Mercian and Bob Yates who for the most part had been toiling away, a long way from the spotlight of urban fashion. The new generation of frame builders are called Donhou, Feather, Sword and the like, they build stylish, contemporary designs using traditional skills and tasteful colours. Reynolds steel tubing is still the material of choice but carbon fibre has become a small scale option as well as the latest fad, bamboo. You can now go on courses to learn frame building and come away with your own creation to take on the road, or you can go to the frame builder with the most style and order a tailor made machine that will set you apart from the guys on the Specialized and Giant bikes from Taiwan, well apart.

De Rosa

There is a strong retro vibe on this scene, these bikes are lightweight but include hand cut lugs, unusual features like bottle openers on the drop outs and the build ups include old school wide rims wheels, Mafac style cantilever brakes and even mudguards. The latter, naturally, are colour matched to the frame and therefore look a lot better than the plastic things you might recall from back in the day. Handmade is about style as much as performance, these people make bikes with character, they give their machines details that you’d never find on off the peg bikes. They are mostly but not exclusively made with steel tubing, there was a wooden bike from Ireland, the Woodelo Special Branch (yes, really) and custom made carbon fibre creations on display. The only material that’s unpopular in this world is aluminium, clearly it’s far too common.

Woodelo Special Branch

There were a few of the older builders at Handmade, Condor, Brian Rourke and Chas Roberts who showed just how light a steel frame bike can be with an all in bike weight of 4.7kg (10.34lbs). Chas had gone overboard with parts selection to achieve this however, both chainwheel and cassette were carbon fibre and the gear and brake cables were Kevlar. I bet the tubing was paper thin too, but he claims to ride it and that’s what counts.

Paulos Quiros from Wales

With a little bit of encouragement on my part James has been hankering after a handmade British frame for a some time now, so hopes were high that he would find something so beautiful that he couldn’t help but take the plunge. As it turned out, after a couple of hours wandering around looking at the superbly built and deliciously finished examples on show lightning had not struck, not a single bike had ignited his passion. I had seen so many gorgeous bikes that I was spoilt for choice, if I had any real use for a road bike – they are nearly all road bikes – it would have taken some serious effort to pin down just one. If pressed I would go for the Fosse 29er hardtail, an off road bike with big wheels and beautiful, seamless brazing and a great paint job. But the track bikes were the most appealing machines on display, Downland has a powder blue and tan creation that is sex on a stick but in truth it’s a bit expensive to stick on the wall, albeit cheaper than a lot of so called art.

Downland Cycles

It was only at the end of the visit that James found something that took his fancy, controversially it was not British but Japanese, albeit with a strong Italian influence, and made by Tokyo based Cherubim. The model that hit the bull’s eye was called Sticky (for its small diameter tubes), what sets it apart is the chrome embellishments, superb detailing and subtle labelling. The Cherubim is the complete opposite of modern carbon fibre road bikes with their garish graphics and massive tube sections, this is an elegant frame with classic styling and finishing touches that set it apart from the crowd. Look at the rear drop out next to the derailleur and the chrome flanges at either end of the head tube. It’s not hard to see the appeal, I just hope that the image stays with him! Next time you get in touch ask James out for a ride, that might do the trick!

Cherubim Sticky

[Tom Tom Audio]

It certainly was a fascinating day out Jason and a wonderful celebration of mainly British craftsmanship. What is becoming very apparent however is that I seem to be as single minded about bikes as I am about my hifi selection.

The Cherubim however seems to have found a special place in my heart (although that Donhou in Reynolds 953 keeps talking to me) and I can't wait to catch up with this beauty at Kinoko bikes in Soho before we pop along to the Naim do tomorrow.

Be still my beating heart...

James

[Dave Burke]

James on a bike... will the streets of St Albans ever be safe again!

[Tom Tom Audio]

Look mum no hands!!

[Stefan Kawecki]

James - surely a Brompton...?!

[Tom Tom Audio]

it has crossed my mind Stefan, particularly in this rather fetching shade...