Most people these days ride name-brand bikes that are mass-produced in factories. But the tradition of the handmade, small-batch bicycle is still very much alive and well. Proof: nearly 200 builders showed up to the recent North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) in Salt Lake City, Utah, to show off their crafty, smartly designed mountain bikes, fat bikes, road bikes, track bikes, and gravel bikes. (Lots and lots of gravel bikes.) “People are tired of the same old, same old,” says Don Walker, founder and president of NAHBS, which has been held in cities across the country since 2005. “I think people are wanting things with more intrinsic value.” Here are 12 of our favorites, shot by photographer Jim Merithew.
Photo:Brad Hodges, owner of WH Bradford Designs, built this bike as a tribute to the original Yeti Tribe. If you’re a rider of a certain age, this beast (which uses Boost axle spacing) will bring you back to the early days of mountain biking. The bits are an assortment of White Industries and Paul’s Components, and the frame is made from steel. “I fell in love with cromoly frames at a very young age,” Hodges says. “I am the tailor. I will build you something that will outlast you, that you can pass down to your children.”