U.S. handmade bicycle industry on a roll
Cities are adding more special lanes and other bicycle infrastructure. The economy is improving, and higher gas prices are prompting people to think more about using bicycles for commuting and quick errands.
Such positive trends are helping bolster a small cadre of crafts people who still build bicycles by hand.
That’s why the mood was upbeat at the industry’s annual North American Handmade Bicycle Show, which concluded Sunday.
More than 8,000 people attended the three-day affair in Sacramento, ogling the fancy polished and carved lugs, or sleeves that join bicycle tubes together; bicycle bags that would hold their own in a Coach store; and exotic bike frames made from bamboo, wood and other materials.
Although these bicycles are expensive — a steel frame starts at about $2,000, depending on the builder, and a complete bicycle can easily cost $6,000 or more — the industry grew steadily even during the recession and subsequent slow-growth years.
The bikes on display included lightweight racing bikes, mountain bikes, city bikes for commuting and errands, step-through frames that can be ridden by women in dresses and even fancy beach cruisers.
“This show is all about the artistry,” said Scott Kennedy, co-owner of Nova Cycles, a Rocklin, Calif., company that sells metal tubing and other bicycle building materials.
Nova Cycles’ sales have grown 15% annually in recent years, Kennedy said.
Though the entire industry probably doesn’t have much more of an economic effect than a couple of Target stores, one indicator of its popularity is that colleges and universities are starting to teach frame building. Nova has seen its sales of supplies to educational institutions become a significant source of revenue.
Even Stanford University has caught the trend and offers Mechanical Engineering 204, a building and design class in which the main assignment is to design and build a custom bicycle frame.
Calfee Design, a bicycle builder in La Selva Beach, Calif., also has experienced about 15% annual growth in recent years, said Mike Moore, Calfee’s sales manager.
Calfee specializes in building bicycle frames from lightweight, but strong, carbon fiber, which is also increasingly used in making jet airplanes. It also builds bicycle frames from bamboo tubes.
“The handmade culture has really grown,” Moore said. “Even during the bad economy we saw the waiting lists for frames from many builders grow.”
Since its first year in 2005, the show has grown from just 23 exhibitors and 700 attendees to the more than 170 exhibitors and 8,000 attendees of this year.
Now the industry is getting a lift from another trend.
“The average ticket price for a custom bicycle is moving north,” Moore said. “Consumers are less price sensitive.”
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