New England Bicycle Expo!

Last weekend we visited the New England Bicycle Expo - held right here in Somerville, MA. We weren't sure what to expect: Would it be a handmade bicycle show? or a trade show of larger manufacturers? Turns out, it was a bit of everything: a mix of local framebuilders, artisans, manufacturers, and various cycling-related organisations. The show was relatively small and had a "country fair" feel to it - which was pleasant and personable.

The Expo was held at the Armory - an old military structure, refashioned into a community arts center.  I did not have the right lens on my camera to photograph the entire building, but you can see it here. The Armory basically looks like a cartoon castle, and I always get excited upon seeing it in what is otherwise a normal, residential neighbourhood. It's just so unexpected: House, house, house...castle!

Booths were set up pretty much all over the place, making use of the interior's pre-existing structures. Some areas were well-lit, while others were cavernous, which created interesting contrasts and a sense of mystery, but made it all darn difficult to photograph.

Some exibitors set up their spaces inside tents, which contributed to the country fair vibe. Wandering around the tents, I found myself craving a corndog on a stick. Ciclismo Classico had a large information tent.

Geekhouse booth - shaped like an actual house, with an actual geek in it. Those guys do not disappoint.

Royal H. Cycles took the stage - literally. There is a stage in the Armory, and that's where he set up. Naturally, the crowd kept expecting a performance.

Instead, they got to look at Bryan's beautiful bikes, including the Randonneur we are collaborating on.

Those curious about framebuilding got to see a frame in progress, with filing marks visible and flux still caked onto it.

Icarus shared the stage, the delicate details stunning anyone who examined the flawlessly fillet-brazed frames.

The finishing on Icarus frames is just amazing.

Tiny stainless steel feather details in unexpected locations on the frame and fork are his trademarks.

Folk Engineered displayed a very memorable bicycle that was designed to look like it was stitched together.

Like this!

The seams are not painted on; this is a fully tactile experience. And I believe that's a rendering of New Jersey on the seat tube.

ANT had some new mixte basket-bikes built up, with lots of nice custom touches. A few of us rode one of the bikes and I will write about that at some point in the future.

An aerial view of "ANT Bike Mike" (the framebuilder Mike Flanigan), looking very cool in his shades and cap.

And another local framebuilding legend, Christopher Igleheart.

I was impressed with the Igleheart bicycles we saw on display - in particular this unique Randonneur, built especially for Paris-Brest-Paris.

Notice anything unusual here? Hint: Look at the handlebars. There are two sets of shifters, enabling the cyclist to shift both while on the hoods and in the drops, without changing hand positions. You would think such a set-up would be clunky, but here it is executed so elegantly, that nothing even seems out of the ordinary until you look closely.

Two sets of shifter cables, neatly routed.

Another interesting feature this bicycle had was this button built into the stem. It's a switch for regulating the headlight beam. I want!

More Igleheart work. How about these dropouts!

Dynamic chainless bikes were giving presentations.

These bicycles use shaft drives and have enormously wide bottom brackets. People were test-riding them outside, but we didn't have a chance to.

Alongside the framebuilders and bicycle manufacturers were makers of cycling accessories. I really liked the Alchemist wool jerseys.

2nd Suit cycling caps were on display, made of thrifted garments.

I found the colour and textural combinations they used appealing.

Very popular at the Expo was this belle of bicycle helmets. Belle helmets are handpainted in acrylic, with the coolest motifs. Although you may have noticed that I neither promote nor wear this particular accessory, I can't help but want to promote a fellow artist.

There is one painted like an apple. An apple!

An apple(!!) The ridiculously realistic rendering is just awesome. It makes me imagine some giant accidentally biting off a cyclist's head.

Speaking of edibles, Zipcar was at the expo, giving away mints. I reviewed my experience with Zipcar here earlier.

And a cafe was set up by the entrance, selling coffee and surprisingly healthy food.

Lots of people brought their own interesting bikes to the show as well.

Owners of the above Bullitt- Brian P. of Bummels and Jaunts, with family.

Interesting wooden trailer, belonging to another family.

Vintage cruiser advertising a gas and oil company.

And a true piece of history - an 1895 Eagle with curved seat tube.

Wooden grips and spoon brake. There are many more picture of this bicycle here, if you're curious; it's really something.

Expo organiser, Rob Hill. This was a great event he put together, and I hope it continues for years to come.

If I have to assess how the expo turned out, I would describe it as small, friendly and low-key. The upside of that, is that the atmosphere was comfortable, open and inviting. The downside, is that it was perhaps too small and low-key for what the name of the event suggested. Frankly, I think the expo could have been promoted more extensively, and could have benefited from more media coverage. Boston has a huge cycling culture, and I saw only a small fraction of it reflected among the attendees. Many people I told about it locally simply did not know it was happening, but would have loved to go. Perhaps that is something to consider for next year - and I hope very much that there will be a next year! This was an exciting and promising beginning that I would love to see become a local tradition.

Additional images of the New England Bicycle Expo can be viewed here. There are more coming, and they will be added to the same location.

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A Luscious ANT Truss Bike

A little while ago I finally test rode an ANT Truss Bicycle for the first time, and the memory now seems like a dream. I cannot describe how much I love this frame design, specifically as executed by ANT. I have a separate post about truss frames, so I won't go into it again here. But something about that truss, in combination with the double plated fork crown, just "hits the spot" for me visually, and I've fantasised about riding one more times than I care to admit.

Luckily, I know Jim A. - a great mechanic at Harris Cyclery - who owns a glorious truss frame ANT, which I was able to ride. In retrospect, I can just kick myself for not taking the pictures before lowering the saddle, because the bike looks better with more seatpost showing. But in my excitement I was not thinking clearly and I hope you can overlook this aesthetic blunder.

Jim's ANT was built in 2007. It is a 53cm frame with 700C wheels, built for fixed gear.

The paint is liquid coat and the colour is a shade of dark cherry that appears to drip seductively as it catches the light.

Photographing this part felt a little wrong, but I decided an invasion of privacy was in order here to show the full darlingness of this sexy creature.

As I've written before, the truss frame is one design that I actually prefer to be TIG-welded (or fillet-brazed) as opposed to lugged, because lugs - to my eye - would look too busy here. The key for me is that these welds to be cleanly done, and this frame does not disappoint in that respect.

Jim A. set up this bicycle very similarly to the way I would have done. The upside-down Nitto Albatross handlebars strike the perfect balance between aggressive positioning and comfort. The single front caliper brake and the fixed gear rear wheel are uncluttered, simple to operate, and in keeping with a vintage look. I would put the brake lever on the right handlebar, but otherwise would set everything up just the same.

The copper rails and rivets on this Brooks B17 complement the frame beautifully. Those are Jim's initials carved into the toptube, in case you spotted them.

Rear brake(less) bridge. Though I have seen some truss frame bicycles equipped with fenders, racks and all sorts of extras, I think it looks best without - pathracer style.

The Sugino 75 is a really nice track crankset that the Co-Habitant thinks I ought to get, should I ever upgrade my fixed gear roadbike. Truthfully, I kind of don't get what the big deal is with this particular crankset, but sure - it looks nice enough.

These Paul dropouts are beyond "nice" though: I'm afraid I will salivate if I look at these for too long. Mmmm!

I wasn't especially attracted to Phil hubs until I saw this on Jim's bike. Gosh, this just looks so perfect.

And from another angle...

I rode Jim's truss bike briefly and slowly - It was in such perfect condition, that I was scared to death to let anything happen to it. Sadly, there was no one around to photograph me, as Jim was working and the Co-Habitant was busy buying components. But just imagine me looking both ecstatic and terrified as I pedaled this graceful machine along West Newton side streets, past pensioners and mothers with baby carriages... Of course they all wanted to ride it. As their eyes followed the glistening Phil hubs with longing and admiration, I felt like the luckiest girl in town.

I don't know how useful it is to review a custom-built bicycle, and one ANT truss frame may not necessarily feel or handle like another. But in case you are curious...

The first thing I noted, was that the bicycle felt significantly lighter than I expected it to. I guess because of the truss construction, I assumed that it would be on the heavier, clunkier side - more like a roadster. But this truss was whippet-sleek, lightweight, elegant and compact.

I got on and was surprised at how far forward I had to lean in order to reach the handlebars - Jim must have used a long stem to compensate for the swept-back Albatross bars. The aggressive posture made it easy to accelerate once I began riding and to go faster than I had intended. It was at this point that I realised how unaccustomed I'd gotten to riding fixed gear without foot retention, and also to the brake being mounted on the left. Thankfully, I figured it out in time to stop for the next red light - but after that I slowed down and was more careful. The ride was comfortable - nothing hurt and there was no excessive strain or pressure on any part of my body. For a bicycle with 28mm tires, it did not feel harsh over bumps. It felt stable, but then I tend to feel more stable on fixed gear bikes in general, so I don't know how telling that feedback is. Having never ridden a vintage pathracer, I cannot compare it to one - but I am fairly certain that the geometry of the ANT truss frame is modern and does not emulate actual vintage pathracers.  If I had to categorise the handling, more than anything it felt like a light and fast "casual" bicycle for those who are used to roadbikes but want something a bit gentler and more upright for Sunday afternoon rides with friends.

While some might question the practicality of a vintage-styled pathracer in an era when racing is done with dropbars and commuting is done with fenders and racks, I think that's beside the point. The classic truss frame pathracer is an idealised examplar of what ANT can create, and I find that appealing. Not all bicycles need to be versatile and practical in every respect. When I get my ANT, it will be almost exactly like this one - just because I want to support and celebrate what I believe to be Mike Flanigan's craftsmanship at its best.

Though I only managed to take this shabby picture of Jim A. with his bike, some day I will meet him outside of work and take a nicer portrait. Until then, I thank him for entrusting me with his Truss. This is truly one of my favourite bicycles.

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