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David Daggett, a partner at local law firm Lewis and Daggett and Ironman triathlete, sent over links to their YouTube channel with an abundance of (very) short topical videos pertaining to cycling, the law and insurance.  Here’s a link to see all videos…worth a skim through if for nothing else than to get the ol’ mental gears spinnin’ in the event something bad happens.  It never hurts to have some idea of what to do or how to insure and protect your bikes (hint: homeowners’ insurance should cover it, and uninsured/underinsured coverage on your auto policy should help with medical bills in a hit and run).

NAHBS 2010 - Dromarti, based in Somerset County in the UK countryside, introduced their new Italian leather cycling shoes and gloves, featuring some very, very supple hides.  While they look like dress shoes crossed with old-school racing flats, they’re actually very technically savvy performance cycling shoes.

Let’s not kid ourselves…for $195 to $240, you’re probably not going to ride these on training and group rides, but you certainly could.  And you’ll see why just after the break.  But first, those gloves.  They’re hand made.  Yes, hand crocheted and handcut leather, and they come with that bag you see underneath them.  They’re super soft.  Called the “La Grande”, they’ll set you back a grande $116, but they’re probably worth it if because you spend a lot of time on the bike. (see how easy it was to justify that?)

Shoe fetish satisfied after the jump…

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NAHBS 2010 - I’m going to go ahead and say it: Black Sheep had the biggest collection of 100% bad ass bikes of any other booth there.  All titanium, they covered the gamut of speedy fixed gears (above), 29er mountain bike, cargo bike and a quick looking path racer.  Coupled with the frames they were building for Vuelo Velo, their frame designs and shapes were, in a word, wicked.

Shown above is the singlespeed speedster, featuring S&S couplers and a sweet criss-cross seatstay.  The curvy frame is accentuated by their custom spear-tip handlebars, semi-integrated seatmast and smoothly shaped fork legs.

Check out more after the break, you’ll be glad you did…

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NAHBS 2010 - Paul Components had this sweet, industrial looking bottom bracket mount chainguide and some new medium reach center pull brakes on display among their myriad other goodies.

The chainguide fills out their line, they already had non-BB mount models.  Two screws on the backside thread into the chainlink shaped piece on the front and allow for vertical adjustment, while the top screw loosens the guide for rotational adjustment around the chainring.

Check out more photos and their low profile brakes, perfect for bikes with fenders that like to go fast!

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NAHBS 2010 - Got a bike that does double duty as a commuter and a performer?  If you’re tired of swapping pedals or shoes between them, or having to wear your regular cycling shoes to work, White Industries has a solution.  Their new interchangeable pedal axle Quick Release Cranks allow you to thread two sets of pedals into the included axle inserts, then swap them in a matter of seconds with no tools.  The only catch?  You’ve gotta run White Industries’ chainrings and a square taper bottom bracket.

Shown above installed and clipped into place, the extra axle is sitting in front of the crank.  Check after the break for photos of how it works.

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NAHBS 2010 - Bailey Works introduced their new Capricorn bag, a small rack bag made to fit a Capricorn rack.  It’s waterproof thanks to the liner and roll top design, and features a reflective patch on the front and a mini-U Lock holder on the rear.  It has a handle and shoulder strap for carrying it off the bike.

MSRP is $120, and it’ll be available in a variety of colors.  Hit ‘more’ for extra photos…

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NAHBS 2010 - Independent Fabrications used their floorspace to showoff not just their frames and features, but also this special one-off Wounded Warrior Project steel Crown Jewel Special Edition road bike that’s being raffled off to raise money for the WWP.  The WWP has formed a new cycling team that’s training for the Road Runner Classic cycling race this April 24 in Albuquerque, NM, where the raffle ends and one lucky person gets this $6,000+ bike plus a custom fit from IF. More info on the raffle here.

IF also had a sweet 13lb version of their Corvid carbon bike with custom 3D carbon lugs in logo-matching crown shapes, plus a track bike collaboration with Phil Wood to celebrate his 40th year of making bike parts…and a nasty looking snow commuter.  Check it all out after the break…

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NAHBS 2010 - Gainesville, Florida’s Villin Cycleworks undoubtedly had the best lugs at the show.  A far cry from the smooth lugs on the other bikes, Villin’s lugs are hand hammered and forged by co-owner Alexis Dold.  By forged, I don’t mean traditional metal forging…I mean they’re made by melting down metal, hammering and folding it back into itself and repeating, creating a depth and patterning that simply wasn’t seen anywhere else in the show.

This bass-boat sparkly maroon bike is just one example.  Hit ‘more’ for plenty of gorgeous examples…

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NAHBS 2010 - Philadelphia-based Engin Cycles’ booth had an assortment of bikes, all with great paint jobs and nice lugs.  At first glance, the pink and beige bike above looks like a  ladies’ randonneur.  Technically, only the paint implies it’s for the ladies, there’s nothing that makes it a girl’s bike and I know plenty of dudes that would ride this…it is pretty sweet looking.

They also showed off a light blue pearlescent road bike with nice pinstriping and that brushed/painted steel 29er you see…it won Best Off-Road Bicycle at the show.  Lots of photos and info after the break…

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NAHBS 2010 - Whether you’re traveling around town or around the globe (and don’t want the airlines to know…looking at you, United), Dean Titanium had a sweet range of their bikes on display.

Above is the Randonneur, built with couplers, disc brakes and fenders, it’s one sweet looking touring bike.  The white bits are just icing on the cake.  Custom sized frames start at $2,350 and the S&S Titanium couplers are $750.

Check out the rest, including that Track bike in the background, after the break…

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NAHBS 2010 - Cykelmageren had some sweet frames, but their components were stealing the show.  Shown above is the cable pull brake lever.  Pull the housing and it bends toward the bar and pulls the brakes.  It’s sold as a system with the two grip end pieces, cable, brake and housing and your choice of grips. Price TBD.

Speaking of grips, they had an assortment of grip options, from wood to colored acrylic, that were interchangeable on their straight or bent handlebars, and a full custom hub kit aimed at shops

Make the jump for all the eye/bike candy…

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NAHBS 2010 - Copenhagen’s Cykelmageren brought Danish design to Richmond.  The clever design cues on their bikes were almost overshadowed by the clever accessories they make (like those acrylic handlebars and hubs, which I’ll cover in a separate post), but the frames easily stand on their own.

Shown above is the “thin” fixed gear steel bike.  This and their other bikes are made in stock sizes, but customized with details and trick features per the customers’ requests.  They retail for $3,000.  Check all the pics and the three-speed retro-cool cruiser after the break…

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NAHBS 2010 - Sharing booth space with Calfee, Bamboosero is an offshoot (get it?) that trains Vietnamese builders to create sustainable bicycles using bamboo.  Craig Calfee trains them and Bamboosero sells them dropouts and the other hardware (including resin) needed to assemble the complete frame.  In return, Bamboosera buys back any complete frames that the builders want to seel them, but the builders are free to sell them locally as well.

Bamboosero’s profits are reinvested into training new groups to build bikes.  The bikes are pretty inexpensive, ranging from $495 for a fixie (shown after the break) to $695 for a cargo bike.  Check out the pics and some history and local flavor after the jump…

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NAHBS 2010 - Brooks England showed off their new perforated white leather bar tape.  It comes with cork/wood bar plugs and matching adhsive fabric finishing strips.  White joins brown, black, honey and green in their color collection.  It’s natural leather, hecho in China and will be available stateside for about $100/set in a couple months.

NAHBS 2010 - Banjo Bicycles, a small builder out of Madison, WI, had this beast of a bike headlining their booth.  Dubbed the “Big Dumb Pug,” it’s a long-tail fat tire hauler.  Besides the giant frame, it’s decked out with a myriad of boutique bits from other small crafts persons, like the wooden fenders (from a friend), Portland Design Works grips and Kara Ginther embossed leather saddle and “mudflap.”

Taking the snow / mud theme seriously, Banjo built a circular headlight bash guard into the front rack, adding a little comedic (though probably somewhat utilitarian) flair.

They also had a travel touring bike with S&S couplers and some arsty racks and other nice touches.  Pics and notes (pun intended) after the break…

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