The UK Handmade Bicycle Show 2011 - a review

[DM]

Excellent write-up and Flickr gallery - Thanks!
(much better coverage than STW).
Great to see a proper event to promote UK framebuilders.

This tandem is amazing:

Out of interest, does anyone know if Robin Mather is still building frames?
He's quite local to the Bristol show (Bath?), but he doesn't seem to have been taking new frame orders for quite a while.

 

[The Ken]

that tandem is a work of art

 

[pavement]

I was quite taken by the location, it had that workmanlike but cool feel that seemed to suit.

 

[sinnett177]

Looks a top event, thanks for sharing with the photos.

 

[Tad]

Given the world class frame builders based in the UK I have to say that I was mightily disappointed with the show and the handful of builders that exhibited. If it was a question of space I would have rather seen a few more builders than the stands selling funny hats, belts, trousers and expensive t-shirts for the skinny jeans wearing, black frame bespectacled, asymmetric haircutted hispster crowd.

On the plus side I did have an interesting chat with the folks at Enigma but seeing as they're a train ride away from me if I was there purely for the show I'd have thought that the day and expense was entirely wasted. Luckily I was doing other things that day that more than made up for it. The pancakes, maple syrup and bacon in the Airstream helped too.

 

[Rod_Saetan]

Good right up Ed, and glad you took some pics, it seemed to go a little under the radar - perhaps it will be bigger, badder, and better represented next year?

I concur that it would have been cool to see more of the 'traditional' British builders there, BJB, Roberts etc, rather than the hipster slant, but still, its great that someone bothered to organise it.

 

[ededwards]

Out of interest, does anyone know if Robin Mather is still building frames?
He's quite local to the Bristol show (Bath?), but he doesn't seem to have been taking new frame orders for quite a while.

There was talk of Robin Mather starting building again late last year but nothing since then. A real shame as he did some lovely work.

 

[ReeDorDee]

I can't help but love a nice bit of lug work. Beautiful.

 

[Augustus]

Excellent review, shame it's so far south for us "Northerners"

Any pictures of Ricky Feather's work?
He's a great guy and did me a really nice "Pace" stem steerer about 18 months ago

http://feathercycles.blogspot.com/searc ... -results=7

Ricky Feather was really great. Truly loved what he did and did what he did really well.

Beautiful beautiful workmanship.

I agree with Fixies, was a little disappointed to see so few uk artisan frame builders, but it is year one, so I am sure it will grow. Hats off to the organisers for getting it off the ground.

 

[skinheadjc]

I took a load of photos - heres the highlights...