NAHBS 2010 – HandleBra was showing their true colors with more than 11 shades of real leather bar tape.  Founder Ray Schmidt says his leather handlebar wraps are made in the U.S. and will last a long time, able to be re-wrapped and re-used.  Their treatment method gives the leather real water repellancy, which he says many leather bar tape brands promise but few achieve.

The wide range of colors (shown after the break) should let you match just about any color scheme you’ve cobbled together, and they definitely lend an old world aesthetic…

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“IMG_2872” by alexis dold of Villin Cycle Works, Inc. Check them out at the NAHBS, going on now!

To see more Pics of the Day, click here, and to submit your own photo to be shown to the world, go here.

NAHBS 2010 – Cherubim didn’t disappoint this year.  Although there were no torpedo-themed sloping top tube racers, this midnight blue and chrome masterpiece combines old and new with some very clever and unique touches.

From the old-skool Campagnolo lever shifters to the wild chrome tube seat and handlebar/stem, this bike was one of the more eyecatching rigs at the show. Full gallery after the break…

UPDATED: More photos added at bottom!

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For the bike and coffee connoisseur, there’s the $75 purpose-built Chris King espresso tamper.  Unlike the hub salt and pepper shakers that use existing hub bodies, these bad boys are formed from aluminum just to press your grind.

They had their full assortment of hubs and colors on display, same as at Interbike, but just for fun, there’s a little candy colored goodness after the break…

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A good bike rack is critical, and sometimes the simplest solutions are the best.

For pickup trucks, we found these Pipeline Racks. The company produces two-bike and three-bike models of these simple but efficient bike racks, which simply cradle the front tire to hold the bike in place in a pickup truck bed.

Load up the bikes and go, no straps, hitches, or locks. The racks accept any wheel diameter from 26” all the way up to 29ers, and only makes contact with the tire, so no scratches on the frame. These would be perfect for loading up muddy bikes after a wet trail ride, or when you just want to get home after a tough race. The system works with road and mountain bikes, with enough clearance for disc brakes.

Two-bike models retail for $179.95, and the three-bike model is $199.99, available for purchase here. Click more for a close up…

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Hot on the heels of the release of the much-anticipated Arial trail bike, Saracen is at it again with a prototype downhill frame, dubbed the Myst.

While not yet in full production, Saracen recently showed off a couple Myst complete builds which they say will be available sometime in July, pending some shock testing and a potential front section redesign. MSRP is being pegged somewhere around £2,000 for the bike, but Saracen has not released official pricing.

After new owners took over the brand in 2008, Saracen set out to bring a range of exciting new bikes to the market, as the brand tries to revive and reinvent itself. The Myst was just one of the many recent releases from Saracen, who also recently unveiled their Kili Flyer and Ariel mountain bikes.

You can check out more pictures of the Ariel here, and see full pictures of the Myst after the jump.

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When industry retailers and suppliers need to come together as business partners, it is often hard for them to make the right connections without ever experiencing the product. Major companies can afford to host dealer camps for each of their brands, where current and potential retailers can go to learn about the new products and technology offered by the brand, but smaller companies often don’t have the resources to host events like this, and lose out on potential important industry connections.

One group is looking to change this, and could  change how the smaller industry players connect with potential customers. Lifeboat Events will host the Bike DealerCamp from July 29-31 in Park City, Utah, where small to medium sized companies are invited to show off their newest gear to retailers from all over the country, in an effort to make connections in the bicycle business that may have previously been unavailable.

Lifeboat says the program will provide a smaller, more intimate environment than the large trade shows for retailers and suppliers, and the group will work with suppliers to develop a targeted list of retailers to receive subsidized travel and lodging expenses to attend the event.

“The Retailer Subsidy Program makes DealerCamp unique among trade events in our industry,” said Lance Camisasca, president of Lifeboat Events. “We’re creating something akin to the private dealer events that the largest industry players host for their brands. With the DealerCamp model, exhibitors share in the cost of subsidized retailers and can provide lists of targeted dealers.”

Initial reports of turnout to DealerCamp are very good; companies like Ibis, Pedro’s, Scott USA and WTB have indicated they will attend DealerCamp, which aims to include 35 manufacturers and suppliers in all.

More information on DealerCamp can be found here, including a FAQ and information on how to sign up to attend.

Chris from Asterisk Cycling sent us a link to his new venture and had this to say about it:

“We sell decals for bicycles, featuring artwork by well-regarded designers like Dan Funderburgh and Karen Combs of Nama Rococo.  We’re using a really novel technology that makes for a striking product, far from your typical sticker or decal. I’ve always been passionate about both bikes and design, this is my way of marrying the two.”

Check out his website to see more designs and for purchasing details.

The bicycle advocacy group Bikes Belong awarded $55,000 to seven different projects as part of their winter grant cycle, mostly to groups building mountain bike trails and bike paths throughout the country.

Bikes Belong awarded four $10,000 grants to the Moab Trails Alliance, The Ohio River Way Inc, The Cuyuna Lakes Trail Association in Crosby, Minnesota, and the City of Redmond, Washington for construction of various trails, bike paths, and bike parks.

Two $5,00 grants also went to constructing trails in Cable, Wisconsin and Boone, North Carolina, with the final $5,000 going toward funding a bike park in the city of Middleton, Wisconsin.

The Bikes Belong grants are funded through their Employee Pro Purchase Program, in which employers in the bicycle industry collect a small donation from employees wishing to purchase gear at pro-deal prices, which is then directly donated to Bikes Belong at the end of the quarter. The program is quite successful, with Bikes Belong awarding over $180,000 in cash grants each year.

Fore more information on Bikes Belong and to view a complete description of all the grants awarded, check out their site here.

Shanaze Reade, British Cycling and Sport England officials and local kids at the new BMX site.

BMX powerhouse Shanaze Reade was on hand for the groundbreaking ceremony at Sportcity in Manchester, UK, for the National Indoor BMX Centre. Located just next to the lightning-fast Manchester Velodrome, the facility will be the first purpose-built indoor BMX track.

In total, the facility will cover 110,000 square feet, and have room for 2,000 spectators around the track. It’s expected to be completed in Aprill 2011, and will serve as an important training venue for the 2012 Olympics, as well as providing facilities for local kids.

All-City has released new pictures of their Nature Boy cyclocross bike, a fixed/SS steel ‘cross bike which is All-City’s first venture off-road. Well respected in the fixed gear community for their Big Block and Dropout frames, All-City sticks to their roots with the Nature Boy, giving the 4130 steel frame aggressive geometry, lugged crowns, signature All-City rear drop outs, and of course, internal cable routing to hide those ghastly rear brake cables.

With enough clearance for 38c ties, All-City has even gone so far as to include hidden fender mounts inside the stays of the Nature Boy, so you can keep the mud and water down on those wet rides without sacrificing looks when you ride on dry days.

All-City says the frameset will be available in late July, and a complete Nature Boy set-up should be available by August. The frame will carry an MSRP of $540, but prices for the complete bike are not yet finalized. Check out more pictures after the jump…

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So, after the pleasant foreplay of the Tour Down Under, Qatar, Oman and the Volta ao Algarve, we’re hitting the cobbles hard in cold, wet and windy Flanders for the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, the Belgian season opener, tomorrow.

The Omloop starts and finishes in Gent, but takes the riders on a 203km-loop around the narrow lanes, sharp hills and pavé of eastern Flanders. Many teams use the Omloop as preparation for the Spring Classic Ronde van Vlaanderen, and this year the Omloop takes on added interest as the famously steep cobbled Molenberg climb, the last hill before the finish, is now much more significant in an altered Ronde route.

What team news, then?

Gert Steegmans will, it seems, be riding for Radioshack, despite concussion sustained in Portugal. ‘No more beer,’ promised the Belgian this winter, and, if his head’s not too sore, he could showcase his improved one-day form here. Fumiyuki Beppu, in his first race for the American team, will be supporting him, as will Sebastien Rosseler, whose stage win in the Volta ao Algarve proved he could also be a contender.

Thor Hushovd has been ill and Heinrich Haussler sustained a knee injury in Portugal, so Cervélo are likely to be quiet. However, with a strong team racing including Roger Hammond and Jeremy Hunt, they can’t be discounted.

Sky, meanwhile, will be riding for Edvard Boasson Hagen, and have in Juan Antonio Flecha the distinguished lieutenant who may well give the young Norwegian a shot at winning. Tyler Farrar is heading Garmin’s line-up, and with Katusha, Rabobank and of course HTC Columbia all putting out strong teams, a tough, exciting race seems assured.

Who’d bet against local boys, Quickstep, though? With Tom Boonen on fine form and with Sylvain Chavanel, Stijn Devolder and a brace of Belgians backing him up, they’re looking formidable.

And, just to prove that they’re at least twice as nails as the rest of us, many of the same pros will be lining up on Sunday for the Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne.