NAHBS News

 Bourbon, Beer & Beautiful Bikes | Wheels, Pieces and Parts

I just returned from my second North America Handbuilt Bicycle Show in Louisville, Kentucky. NAHBS does a great job of showcasing custom bicycle builders and the companies that encourage and support them.  If you’d like to know more about the show, check out the 2015 NAHBS website or online news coverage at Bikerumor,  roadbikereview.com or Cyclocross Magazine. My wife Alexa went with me to keep me company and also on track (focus, Jamie).  We  had a great time at the show and experiencing a little bit of Louisville. 

The conference center is downtown on the Ohio River; if you’re in Louisville I can recommend coffee at Heine Brothers, a dinner (or two) with a delicious bourbon-based cocktail at the Milkwood Restaurant, and the Bluegrass Brewing Company for a beer (or two) and bread pudding (with bourbon sauce).  Some things I missed that I’ll have to go back for are the Megacavern underground cycling park  and the 21c Museum Hotel.  Our most authentic Louisville experience had to be the cab driver who took us to the airport—he was a retired jockey and looked like it; wiry and small with some interesting stories and a lot to say about horses. I didn’t know much about Louisville before I went, but now that I’ve been there, I think it was a great venue for NAHBS 2015 (even with the monster snowstorm on the Wednesday prior).

As much as I might have liked to,  I didn’t spend all of my time drinking bourbon and beer and looking at beautiful bikes. One of  my goals at NAHBS 2015  was to foster relationships with component and part manufacturers and suppliers so that I can offer Métier Vélo frames as an integrated package with appropriate and desirable components and wheels. 

For Métier Vélo  clients, my goal is to meet your needs at competitive prices, and to earn your business by designing and building you a great bicycle optimized for you in every way, not by upcharging on components and wheels.  For Métier Vélo suppliers, my goal is to highlight great designs and manufacturers, particularly those who produce high-quality products using US-sourced materials and US-based labor when it makes sense.  Companies that are relatively small, entrepreneurial, custom, and local fit well with the ethos of Métier Vélo and I would like to showcase them whenever I can.  In the coming weeks, I’ll introduce some of the companies I’ve selected to provide wheels, parts, and accessories for Métier Vélo , describe why I chose them, and how they would enhance a Métier Vélo frame. 

NAHBS 2016 will be held 26-28 February in Sacramento, California.  Hope to see you there!