3 things we’re excited to see at the most talked-about bike show of the year

Celebrating the art of bicycle making, MADE is an all-new handmade bike show making its debut in Portland, Oregon, this week.

In a time when American bike shows and trade events like Interbike and the North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) saw cancellation after cancellation, MADE is proving that the interest in handmade bikes is alive and well. The show sold out and outgrew its initial event space within months, and organizers consequently relocated to the iconic 100,000 sq/ft Zidell Yards event space instead. 

On this display will be no less than 200 bike builders and brands from around the world, including all over the U.S. and Canada, the U.K., Italy, Japan, Colombia and Namibia

The four-day event will have two industry-only days before it opens to the public starting Friday afternoon. If you don’t have tickets yet, use the discount code handmade to get 15% off. We’ll be on-site to bring you the latest industry news, the hottest builds and most interesting bike builders. 

3 Things We’re Excited to See at MADE

With 200 builders and brands on display, the show will be bike envy overload, but here’s what we’re going to see.

1. Diversity

The diversity on the list of vendors at MADE is a welcoming sight. The bicycle industry continues to be an environment where minorities feel unwelcome. Still, cycling is but a microcosm of the surrounding world and luckily, it appears to be changing at least, at MADE, where women, non-binary, BIPOC and LGBTQ bike builders will be showcasing their craft. These brands are often passion-driven, small operations and I’m keen to see the work of brands like the Namibian Onguza Bicycles, which in addition to building beautiful steel steeds, is on a mission to empower builders of color; Moth Attack, because Megan Dean’s productions are always worth a look; Tomii Cycles, and his little easter egg cactus designs; and Liberation Fab, where Eva Koibler aims to widen the audience of who bikes are for and what we think of as bikes to create a more inclusive industry.

2. Integrations

What makes so many of these handbuilt creations so stunning is the seamless integration of modern tech and conveniences. I look forward to seeing the integration and customization of racks, fenders and bags as well as the incorporation of SRAM’s new UDH or Dynamo power and eccentric dropouts and geo-changing forks. 

3. Stunning finishes

If there’s one primary trend in the custom bike world at the moment, it’s stunning finishes. From anodization and blasting to powder coat and paint, the finishes are getting wilder and more eye-catching. Bike paint extraordinaires Black Magic Paint, will showcase why their paint jobs are absolute works of art. I also look forward to seeing the shiny new creations of No.22 bikes, Argonaut, Scarab and Mosaic as well as anodization jobs on Caletti Cycles, Sage’s new Storm King and Moots’ special edition MADE bike, pictured above. 

Bonus: it’s new bike day!

Yours truly will have a bike on display at MADE! I started working with B Vivit of Hot Salad Bicycles in the spring and my brand-new titanium steed, as of yet unridden, will be on display at booth 198. The finish, a mix of powder coat, ano and blasted titanium, is one you have to see in person!

Going? Play MADE Bingo

Overwhelmed by the many vendors? Velo Orange made this handy-dandy Bingo card to give you something to look out for at MADE.

MADE is open to the public from noon on Friday, August 25, to 4 p.m. on Sunday, August 27, at Zidell Yards, 3121 South Moody Avenue, Portland, OR 97239.