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NAHBS 2013: Andy Hampsten, Ellis, Funk Cycles & Yipsan

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Andy Hampstens 1988 Giro di Italia Race Winning Road Bike

While lots of attention was placed up on Andy Hampsten’s 1988 Giro-winning race bike, which was indeed branded as a Huffy, there was plenty more to see at his booth. But it was still pretty cool seeing a complete Dura-Ace group from that era, so we nabbed some pics.

Like Hampsten, Ellis Cycles had their take on a gravel road bike, and Funk had a range of titanium mountain bikes to behold. Yipsan, meanwhile, scaled back the flash and only brought customer bikes, but they still had the kind of details we love to see. Click on through for the gallery and notes…

Andy Hampstens 1988 Giro di Italia Race Winning Road Bike

Click any image to enlarge.

Andy Hampstens 1988 Giro di Italia Race Winning Road Bike

Andy Hampstens 1988 Giro di Italia Race Winning Road Bike

Hampsten’s modern bikes are built in Seattle, WA. They build about half with ti, half with steel. Bikes start at $2,400 for steel, $2,900 with lugs. Ti starts at $3,500.

Andy Hampsten touring bike

Hampsten’s new dirt road bike is built for up to 35c tires and uses long reach calipers. It’s got the same low BB and performance geometry that matches racing bikes from the late ’70’s. It’s called the Strada Bianca, Italian for “white road” because of the light gravel used to make the path more visible at night.

Andy Hampsten gravel road touring bike

Andy’s a fan of dirt roads, so even his road bikes have the rear brake set a bit higher so you can easily fit a 27c tire in there.

Andy Hampsten track bike

Track bike is new, being built for the coming velodrome in Erie, CO. It’s got a 7-11 paint scheme, which is the team Andy was on for most of the years that team was around. It’s built like a keirin bike, which makes it decent for all around track use. It has a threadless stem and steerer, but Hampsten says technically only women can use those, men are supposed to run quill stems.

Andy Hampsten track bike

ELLIS CYCLES

Ellis Cycles Voyageur Inox travel road bike

Dave Wages’ Ellis Cycles had his usual assortment of fancified road bikes, this time with a S&S-coupled travel bike and a few touring/gravel machines.

Above is the Voyageur Inox Travel Bike made of KVA stainless steel tubing and a custom fork with integrated contact points built into the dropouts to pull current from the Schmidt SonDeluxe SL dynamo front hub. Wiring for the lights are run internally through the fork and front rack.

Ellis Cycles Voyageur Inox travel road bike

No wires make it super clean looking, and the couplers make it easy to take with you.

Ellis Cycles Strada Fango gravel road bike

The Strada Fango translates to “Road Mud”, and this bike’s designed for both.

Ellis Cycles Strada Fango gravel road bike

In addition to the disc brakes and clearance for up to 29×2.0 tires, Wages used a Ki2 conversion for the rear derailleur so it could handle up to a 36T cog. The frame is uses mostly fillet brazed construction except for the lugged bottom bracket, which made it easier to run the Di2 wiring internally.

Ellis Cycles Mikes Strada road bike

Mike’s Strada is a road bike with a very high end set of tubes and lugs. The frame is a mix of True Temper OX Platinum, Dedacciai stays and Columbus fork blades with Llewellyn Manorina stainless steel lugs. Even the fork crown and top tube cable routing bits are stainless!

FUNK CYCLES

Funk Cycles 650B titanium full suspension mountain bike

Funk Cycles’ La Ruta is their best seller, a simple pivoted design that gets 80mm of travel in the rear. 29er frameset with shock is about 4.6lbs, letting you build up a ~21 pound complete bike.

Now they’re offering a 650B version (above) that has the same geometry but with slightly shorter chain stays. Where the 29er version is built around a 100 fork, the 650B is designed for a 80mm fork. $3,995.

Funk Cycles 650B titanium full suspension mountain bike

No lower pivot saves weight and keeps things simple. The short travel means the material isn’t over stressed.

Funk Cycles La Ruta 29er titanium full suspension mountain bike

Here’s the 29er version with a very clean seat tube bolt clamp built into the frame.

Funk Cycles La Ruta 29er titanium full suspension mountain bike

Funk Cycles 29-plus titanium mountain bike

The Triple Play 29+ fat bike is their latest creation. The name is subject to change, but it’s so called because it can work with a variety of tire and wheel sizes, including the new 29+ fat bike tires. The BB height is somewhere in the middle, helping it feel right regardless of wheel choice.

Funk Cycles 29-plus titanium mountain bike

It’s built with a 100mm BB shell, but they’ll offer 73 width, too, for riders that only want to run the 29+ tire size. Clearance at the rear for up to a 26×4.2 tire. Frame is $3,400.

YIPSAN

Yipsan Bicycles yellow commuter bike

Yipsan’s yellow city commuter bike had a few nice details hidden on the frame.

Yipsan Bicycles yellow commuter bike

Custom racks are a mainstay on his show bikes. Just behind the fork crown you see the slightest bit of wiring going into the downtube. From there it disappears until…

Yipsan Bicycles yellow commuter bike

…it juices up the integrated rear blinky light.

Yipsan Bicycles breakaway touring bike

The Reynolds 853 steel touring bike used S&S Couplers and some nice lug work:

Yipsan Bicycles breakaway touring bike

Yipsan Bicycles blue mixte city bike

This light blue mixte would match up nicely with his award winning Sunflower Mixte from a couple years ago. And while we’re strolling down memory lane, it’s worth checking out his cafe racer bike from last year.

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Dan
Dan
11 years ago

The Funk La Ruta 29er pictured above is 19.8 lbs (I weighed it)

satisFACTORYrider
satisFACTORYrider
11 years ago

hampsten on the gavia. best ride by an american pro. ever.

John
John
11 years ago

Andy Hampsten is one of the nicest people you will ever meet – he is truly a cycling hero

Chris
Chris
11 years ago

Hampsten has to be the fittest looking ex-racer out there. The guy looks like he could suit up tomorrow and still hang with the pros.

Superstantial
Superstantial
11 years ago

Anyone know what the brake calipers on Hampsten’s new dirt road bike are? Which TRP?

HampCo
10 years ago

TRP calls those calipers the RG957. They’re probably not in any catalogs yet and may not be quite ready for release but they seem like they should work pretty well and the early reports have been positive.

Superstantial
Superstantial
10 years ago

Thanks HampCo.
You guys put together some terrific bikes. Keep up the good work!

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