NAHBS

         Well I might as well try and get this blog rolling. There is a lot of things I would like to back log, however I might as well start with the more recent events first. Just this past weekend (March 14th - 16th) I drove down to Charlotte North Carolina for the 2014 North American Handmade Bicycle Show. Especially so for people who are bicycle nerds like myself, this show is amazing. There are people attending not only from North America, but around the world. This year a group even made the trek from the Czech Republic. While quite a few people showed up from Japan. Not to mention others from Canada and all over the United States. Quality outshone all other things, every single bike there had been made by hand, with care and effort by individuals. As such some were simply functional, high quality bicycles. While others were mobile pieces of art.
Such as this hand painted bike from Feska Cycles.












Or this beauty by Yu Takei of Sunshine cycles. (photos courtesy of Chris King Precision Components)

These are only a tiny sample of what all was there. Even after spending three days in the conference hall I missed a great many bikes.
          However, I got to see many up close as I did much more than attend. I volunteered. It turned out to be the best possible way to see the show. Not only did I get to see the bikes up close but I got to handle many of them and met many builders in much more personal settings. Not only did I get to interact with the bikes, but the other volunteers I worked with ended up being one of the coolest groups of people I've met for a long time. (photos courtesy of Weldon Weaver Photography)

many of us along with the photographer I was assisting, Weldon Weaver (on the far right)

somehow we pulled that off, somehow.

fun times at the after party!

The entire show was an amazing time. Now I get to try and go again! Next year it is going to be just down the road in Louisville, Kentucky! I'm sure I'll see some of you there!

Oh, I also spent to whole time sleeping in my van and got to borrow a shower in a friends hotel room. It was actually really fun! it also saved me quite a bit of money in hotel costs and on parking!

-Dan McMahon.