Holy cow, is it really show season already? Indeed it is, and I’m definitely here for it, especially when the show is as good as this past weekend’s Philly Bike Expo.
I’m not going to bore you with a lengthy description of the show – how long it’s been around, how many exhibitors there were, blah blah blah. If you were fortunate enough to attend in person, you already know what the show was like. But if you weren’t, hopefully I can at least give you a taste of what you missed. Based on the initial review of what I shot, I’m thinking there will probably be three galleries in total, all of which I’m aiming to put up this week (in addition to the usual end-of-week newsletter).
Enough yapping from me, though. Let’s see some of the goods, eh? Kicking things off are four absolute bangers from Bishop Bikes, Chapman Cycles, Bingham Built, and Ritchey.
A quick suggestion: If you’re still viewing this within your email app, do yourself a favor and pull this up in a web browser instead. The images will be way bigger and also in a higher resolution (especially if you open them up individually, which will make them suitable for wallpapers). And although this opening gallery from PBE will be free to everyone, the next two won’t be, so if you’re not already a paid subscriber, please consider becoming one.
Chris Bishop made this out-of-this-world track bike basically just because he could. And my god, was it a stunner. Bishop calls it “The Track and Field”, and you’ll see why shortly.
Bishop told me the inspiration came from a 3Rensho that was featured in an old Japanese magazine.
Bishop said this was still a work in progress (you can see the unfinished scallop on the underside of the stem, for example), but even in this raw form, you couldn’t help but stare at it, if only for the absurdly extreme rider position.
Bishop builds exclusively in brazed steel, and he used an assortment of Cherubim lugs throughout. This one supposedly arrived at his shop only the Friday before the show opened, but he still managed to not only braze it into the frame, but drill out the binder bolt, too.
The stem is oh-so-close to grazing the front tire.
Columbus hasn’t produced Air fork blades in ages, but of course, Bishop had some on hand.
Look at it – JUST LOOK AT IT!
The Cherubim track dropouts were treated to a bit of filing before they were brazed in.
Bishop told me he unfortunately couldn’t remember the name of the shop where he found these custom crank bolt covers, but that it was somewhere in New York. [UPDATE: Eagle-eyed mechanic Tommy Barse of Cutlass Velo relayed to me that these caps are made by Tom Porter of Porter Cycles in Brooklyn.]
The head tube lugs are joined together so as to create the illusion of a windowed head tube. The tube itself is Columbus Metax stainless steel, and it’ll eventually be polished to a mirror finish.
I still have the spline tool for this Campagnolo square-taper bottom bracket in a drawer somewhere.
This threadless headset cap (which is, yes, attached to a threaded headset) is hiding a secret.
Bishop designed the bike with interchangeable handlebars. This stem inserts from the underside of the steerer and secures like a conventional threaded setup.
The custom wedge features an M6 thread for the cosmetic top cap.
I still wouldn’t want to spend much time on this old Selle Italia Flite Evolution saddle, but generally speaking, this bike looks like it’d be a hoot to ride.
I haven’t seen these Panaracer CrossBlaster tires in ages.
Want something a little more traditional from Bishop Bikes? He’s one of just a few builders using Cane Creek’s limited-edition wide-format direct-mount eeBrake calipers for use with high-volume tires.
Ritchey previewed a new carbon Breakaway frameset called the Septimer. It’s intended to be a “one bike” solution for folks looking to not only use a single drop-bar bike at home, but also when traveling. It promises similar capability as the Outback, but in a lighter and sportier-feeling construction that also puts the rider in a more road-like position.
As with all Ritchey Breakaways, the frame comes apart at the down tube and seat lug so it can be packed into an unusually small case. That silver collar you see is what holds the flanged down tube ends together, and there’s surprisingly little torque required for the bolt. External routing makes the bike easier to pack, too.
The seatpost is a structural element on Ritchey Breakaways. In fact, it’s what holds the top of the frame together.
The dropped driveside chainstay boosts tire and drivetrain clearance. Ritchey is targeting a maximum tire size of 700x48 mm without fenders.
These 45 mm-wide Panaracer Gravelking SS tires fit just fine with plenty of room to spare.
The full-carbon fork will also feature internal wire routing and mounts for a front dynamo light.
Fender mounts are neatly integrated into the frame mold with adapters required.
I know these aren’t quite the same, but these hyper-flared bars bring back memories of the Nitto Moustache setup I used to run on the front of my old Bridgestone XO-5.
This particular prototype was designed around mechanical brake calipers, but I have a hard time imagining Ritchey wouldn’t build the production Septimer for hydraulic ones. We’ll find out soon enough.
Ritchey also showed off a sort of runabout version of its popular Outback steel frame, and it looked like it’d be incredibly fun to ride.
Bingham Built made the trip to Philadelphia with this gorgeous 29er titanium hardtail.
Notice something interesting about this head tube? It’s a conventional 44 mm-diameter tube, but with a flared cup welded to the bottom and machined for use with a drop-in 1.5” bearing. Brad Bingham says it saves a few grams, but he mostly does it because it looks cleaner than a conventional press-in aluminum cup.
Bingham Built uses a two-bolt aluminum seatpost collar of its own design.
So tidy.
Bingham apparently spent more than a dozen hours getting the mitering jig he uses for seatstays just right.
You want nice looking welds? I got your nice looking welds right here.
The head tube logo is a tribute to Bingham’s father, who loved to sail.
Even the chainstay dimpling somehow manages to look elegant.
The fully external routing on this hardtail hardly looks messy.
The housing for the dropper seatpost takes a nice, big arc around the underside of the bottom bracket shell to minimize tight bends.
One of the neatest things about Bingham’s dropout design is something you can’t even see. He uses separate inserts on the inner side that are slightly undersized and then machined after all the welding is done to ensure perfect wheel and thru-axle alignment.
I am always a fan of welded-in bottle bottles over rivnuts on metal frames.
I mean, come on, seriously?
No confusion here as far as where these bikes are made.
If you want a road or gravel bike with fully internal routing courtesy of Enve’s In-Route system, Bingham can also weld those flared-and-machined cups to both the top and bottom. This allows for the requisite 1.5” bearings, but with a lower profile than usual to reduce the visual bulk.
Bingham Built’s clever seatpost head design is worth a mention. It features a common cylindrical layout, but with a dedicated wedge inside the two side clamps that allow for independent angle and fore-aft adjustment. The outer bolts are hollow and use a larger 6 mm hex fitting, too, making the 5 mm head on the tilt adjustment readily accessible.
I don’t care if you’ve never heard of Brian Chapman of Chapman Cycles, have no intention of ever doing any randonneuring, or don’t even know what randonneuring is. But if you’re a fan of people who actually make stuff, Chapman’s Instagram page is well worth following.
A good example is these cantilever brakes, which Chapman brazes himself.
I don’t anticipate ever needing a rack like this myself. But oh my, do I find it beautiful.
A symbol of a time gone by? Perhaps, but I appreciate the artistry behind this threaded stem nonetheless.
The baby blue flooding on the head tube badge matches accents elsewhere on the bike.
The more you look, the more you see.
So good.
I believe that’s a Lezyne pump tucked neatly behind the seatstay, but you could barely guess given how well it’s matched to the paint and chrome.
Even the standard knurling on the removable hose has been modified with a more decorative shape and painted accents.
Every Sunday I play 'catch up' on the newsletter and what a way to start this week's journey. That Bishop is siiiiiiiick, but just casually throwing in that Ritchey Outback is so tastefully done. Chapeau. This newsletter is the best in the entire industry.
Wow the carbon ritchey is interesting. Wonder if it'll be able to offer something unique compared to other carbon bikes like their steel bikes do.
In regards to the Chapman, I'm kind of addicted to having a front rack and Rando bag. I love being able to get lunch or something on my ride and be able to take leftovers home. Or run short errands on bike and be able to carry some stuff. My non-bagged bike makes me feel like I'm wearing pants without pockets.
Every Sunday I play 'catch up' on the newsletter and what a way to start this week's journey. That Bishop is siiiiiiiick, but just casually throwing in that Ritchey Outback is so tastefully done. Chapeau. This newsletter is the best in the entire industry.
Wow the carbon ritchey is interesting. Wonder if it'll be able to offer something unique compared to other carbon bikes like their steel bikes do.
In regards to the Chapman, I'm kind of addicted to having a front rack and Rando bag. I love being able to get lunch or something on my ride and be able to take leftovers home. Or run short errands on bike and be able to carry some stuff. My non-bagged bike makes me feel like I'm wearing pants without pockets.