Once a year, every year, dozens of niche bike builders emerge from their smoking tool sheds, eyes watering from the bright sunlight and lungs shocked by the non-toxic air, to show off their wares to the assembled masses. This year the show travelled to Portland, Oregon on the West coast of the United States: home to great beer, a healthy music scene and one of the more accepted cycling populations in the world.
I popped down for a couple of days to check it out, here's what I found happening in the world of mountain bikes, based on the absolute shortest of acquaintances - with so much at the show I had little choice but to corner a rep, get a few choice words out of them and snap a picture or two, before moving on to the next one.
Black Sheep Bikes are cool shop based in Ft. Collins, Colorado, and brought along a whole range of new bikes to the show.
The Fast-As Highlight ST - a 4.7lb 4" full-sus Ti frame with a bladed, bolted and removable chainstay yoke.
The Escargot cargo bike with space for eight pannier bags and internally carried luggage.
Play is an Ti adult bmx based on geometry from the old Raleigh Grifter of yore.
Perennial Ti favourites Dean's big news was their new soft tail Duke.
Flattened-chainstay swingarm (for more vertical compliance) and the choice of either 2" or 1.5" of travel and 26" or 29" wheel sizes.
DEAN's prototype Town & Country bike, which they're keen to stress isn't a cruiser.
The titanium frame is propped up with a custom titanium fork, and finished with disc brakes and, for that classic look, a Brooks leather saddle.
Moots had this show-only Rigormootis snow bike, much like the custom version they built for Alaskan adventurer Mike Curiak, only this time with matching rims, cranks, bars, fork crown and bars.
Renold Yip from Yipsan thinks the new-fangled 650B wheel size is the way forward for shorter riders wanting a faster rolling bike.
Oregon's Proletariat are formed from two guys with a heritage in bike fabrication - having worked at the likes of Burley, Truvativ and True Temper. They've only been around a year, but are already doing a great line in no-nonsense bikes that just work.
