That glaring oversight aside, this year’s NAHBS was amazing. The exhibitor list consisted of a good blend and the show floor was about as full as it could get. There was something for everyone, really; from art-conscious commuters to arduous roadies, and from cyclocross legends to mountain bike start-ups. All the bases were covered.

Beyond the show’s namesake – the hand-made bikes, there were plenty of other exhibitors displaying new components, clothing, fit-systems and everything in-between. It was these exhibitors that caught my attention most. I do love some bike eye-candy, but I’m a bit partial when it comes to custom bikes… hoping to call Brent for a Eurocross someday soon…

The first new “concept” that I got to demo at NAHBS was SRAM’s new Hammerschmidt mountain bike “front derailleur.” I “quote” it because it’s hard to explain. Also, with my very limited MTB experience I didn’t except to be as blown away as my fellow attendee and friend who is a dirt-bag from way back. Well, it is unbelievable. The shits are so crisp and its ability to positively engage both an up or down-shift while the rider isn’t even pedaling is mind boggling.

The other item that I was extremely impressed by was the electronic Dura Ace Di2 group. I got on the demo bike and the sales-rep kinda led me through it. Again, I didn’t expect much but ended up blown out of the saddle. At first I couldn’t figure it out, so he asked me if I’d used Shimano controls before. I have, but still couldn’t up-shift. The guy just pushed a button right above the paddle and viola! It was amazing and a lot of fun. The noise it makes is almost sci-fi film-like. I still like SRAM and can in now way afford Di2, but the future looks cool as hell thanks to Shimano.

Back to the bikes; the two Portland-located builders really stood out for me: Vanilla and Courage. If you love bike porn and had been to any UCI ‘cross races this past fall, there’s no way you could’ve overlooked the Vanilla team. I can confidently say they’ve got the hottest bikes in the Elite men’s field. Equally hot, but without an Elite squad – for now – is Courage. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting with Jonathan at Chicago Cyclocross Cup races. His bike is the classiest in the city, hands-down. They’ve got big things in the works for Midwest CX racing, and I hope to remain in contact with them.

It’s a bummer, for sure, to come back to another snowstorm after dreaming of decadent days in the saddle on my bike, but I can look back fondly. Scour the Web for pics – there’s some really cool stuff to look at. Don’t know where the show will be next year but if it remains as well-attended as it was Saturday, it should be a success.