Bikes and Builders of MADE 2025 (Part 3)

Photos and words by Miles Arbour and Nic Morales

Another day has come and gone here in Portland, but the incredible display of bikes has yet to cease. With so many talented builders bringing what has been an awesome congregation of bespoke creations, it’s not hyperbolic to suggest that this year’s MADE could very well be the best one yet. Looking back at some of the other shows we’ve covered in the past, MADE always stands out, given the quality and innovation provided by the builders who decide to attend, particularly in the realm of bikepacking. So, without further ado, let’s dig into the Bikes and Builders of MADE 2025 Part 3.

Mischief Bikes link

Seattle, Washington

Christopher Wahl of Mischief Bikes is an orthopedic surgeon who only started building bikes two years ago. Disillusioned with the increasingly frustrating healthcare system in this country, Chris and his wife decided to team up with local framebuiding legend Bill Davidson to make Mischief Bikes. A shop rat who just wouldn’t go away, Chris approached Bill after some years of hanging around to not just buy Davidson bikes but learn in process of creating these titanium masterpieces. Though Jon Bonthius does the welding, Chris is involved with every portion of the process of building their bikes. From designing the models, to bending, mitering, fixturing, and machining, Chris puts his hands on every bike that comes through Mischief. Though this particular build is a variation from their gravel-oriented design, it contains a lot of the same DNA present in the bikes Mischief enjoys making: light, playful, and tons of fun.

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The special Murder seen above is their mechanic’s Tour Divide bike. Though he was set to try out the race this year, an unfortunate flooding situation delayed his start. With some extra time on their hands, the folks at Mischief decided to go ahead with the custom paint job designed by the mechanic’s wife, one that pays homage to where they grew up in New Mexico. Featuring a variety of easter eggs throughout the build, the components were chosen from a mechanic’s perspective. Simple, serviceable components throughout, and with some flex built into the wheels through the Forge and Bond fusion fiber wheelset, the bike is their mechanic’s take on what he considers to be an unsolved problem—the best way to race the Tour Divide. Despite a somewhat questionable lack of tire clearance, it’s an amazing build that serves as a testament to the level of framebuilding available at the show.

Tumbleweed Bicycle Co. link

Garden City, Idaho

In yesterday’s Bikes and Builders roundup, we shared all the juicy details on the yet-to-be-released Prospector Ti and the updated steel Stargazer, which now comes with UDH dropouts and is available in two fresh color options. We had a feeling that our readers would also like to take a peek at the Sunliner Ti prototype on display at their booth, so we swung back around to chat with Tumbleweed’s founder, Daniel Molloy, to see what we could learn.

Although it’s still a ways out, the Sunliner Ti shares many similarities with its steel sibling, which was released last year. The Sunliner finds its place between the Stargazer and Prospector as a lightweight but impressively versatile all-terrain bicycle. Daniel described it as “a real all-terrain 29+ shredder,” which aligns with Logan’s review and his thoughts on its balanced and capable ride qualities.

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The titanium version will have the same geometry as the steel version, including a 69° head tube angle, a 73° seat tube angle, and 456mm chainstays on the size large. It will be a few pounds lighter than the steel model, will have UDH dropouts, and will be sold as a frameset with a steel fork, like the Stargazer Ti. Daniel said we can expect to see it available sometime next year, and it should be priced around $3,000 USD for the frame and fork.

San Util Design link

Winter Park, Colorado

Adam Nicholson of San Util Design had more than just bags at this year’s show after endeavoring to make his own frame. As a tribute to the duality of life, the ups and downs of his journey through it, and so much more, Adam set out to accomplish a lifelong dream of building his own bike. When a neighbor with access to fabrication equipment offered up his shop, Adam took the guidance and the small amount of information about framebuilding he had and sold some bikes to purchase the necessary tubing. Taking geometry inspiration and cues from a variety of prior bikes like the Yeti ASR XL fit, a 495mm reach, a 66° head tube angle, a smaller head tube for aesthetic purposes, and 435mm chainstays. It also features UDH compatibility, a 50mm BB drop, a taller top tube for his very long legs.

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The frame itself contains almost no finish work, as Adam wanted to keep it as raw as possible. With a black and gold gradient, it bleeds into the brazing and features a poppy on the head tube. The paint is from Spray Bike and “comes out like silly string” in this particular pattern. According to Adam, the process of constructing the frame is so simple “almost anyone could do it.” That said, he still recognizes the large gap between making something that is rideable and the precision engineered bikes on display from other builders at the show.

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As for the bags, the bike holds a newly updated mini pannier that has external stretch pockets, a more rigid shape than prior iterations, roll-top closures instead of cam straps on side, and a G-hook that wraps up and over. The bags will also be offered in a fully waterproof material, with ULTRA 400 fabric. The bike also hosts a prototype stem bag that has a larger stretch pocket around outside and can be opened and closed with one main cord. There will also be an extra large version that is slightly padded for cameras.

Pine Cycles link

Seattle, Washington

Although Kevin McClelland of Pine Cycles wasn’t able to attend to show in person this year, he sent the new Pine FRST to be displayed at the front of the venue as part of a small selection of MADE-branded bikes. Launched last week, the FRST is Pine’s latest model, but we heard Kevin had some tricks up his sleeves to make up for not being there. From afar, it’s difficult to see, but he painted the bike’s entire marketing scheme directly onto the frame. To achieve the raised look of the text, the frame and fork have a powder coat finish with a Cerakote layered over top. Kevin said the look was inspired by Speedvagan’s “ghost graphics” to give the text a three-dimensional appearance.

The FRST, which stands for “Full Rigid Single Track,” is a made-in-the-USA gravel bike. It has clearance for up to 29 x 2.3″ tires, Columbus tubing, custom UDH Dropouts, three-pack fork mounts, and a downtube bottle mount. Kevin describes the geometry as being modern, and perfect for rides with varied terrain. Before launching Pine Cycles, Kevin played a key role in the design of the ENVE Adventure Fork while serving as ENVE’s framebuilder sales manager. The frame was designed around the ENVE Adventure Fork and features 435mm chainstays, a 70.5° head tube angle, and a trail number that is lower than you might expect. It actually has a similar stack and reach to the new Santa Cruz Stigmata.

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The frame itself is made by Rodriguez Bikes in Seattle, Washington, who started taking on some contract work after Waterford closed their doors. This partnership works well for Pine, because they are set up to make frames one at a time, and Pine doesn’t have the capital to make batches at this time. This format also works well for adding more models, such as a hardtail mountain bike, which sounds like its currently in the works.

Santa Cruz link

Santa Cruz, California

Sandwiched right in the middle of the venue was the Reserve Wheels booth, displaying their lineup of carbon and aluminum wheels, rims, and Fillmore tubleess valves. Early on in the show, we did a double-take at what looked to be a steel Santa Cruz Stigmata on display but returned later on to get the full scoop.

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It turns out Santa Cruz worked with Simple Bicycle Co. in Portland to make just four steel Stigmatas as a way to prototype the geometry of the V4 carbon Stigmata. They explained this was a cost-effective way to ensure the geometry was locked in before investing in the carbon production version, but judging by the amount of interest at the show, we wouldn’t be surprised to see a production steel version some time soon.

Despite slightly underwhelming paint, the build featured Chris King’s new jade components, a wireless Shimano groupset, a Cane Creek Invert suspension fork and titanium eeWings cranks, a PNW cockpit and dropper post, Ultradynamico tires, and of course, carbon Reserve wheels.

La Marche Bike Co. link

Portland, Oregon

Tom La Marche is one of the few framebuilders who has been able to attend all three MADE bike shows. In 2023, he drove across the country from Philadelphia with a booth and show bikes to attend the event. Last year, he shared a booth with Brooks, and this year, he tagged onto the Firsthand Framebuilding and Reynolds booth to present a few options. What really caught our eye was something that has ended up being bikepacking-specific option for Tom. Unofficially dubbed the “Terracotta Hot Dog,” Tom’s rigid 29er carries the same BMX-oriented influence consistent across all his bikes but with a bit more subdued flair. With the same soft, cartoonish style as some of his prior options, this Swiss Miss-colored flat-bar bike was created for the show, and one set to contrast the beautiful new Jade components from Chris King.

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Per Tom, “I wanted to make a rigid MTB touring bike with a mix of new and old standards that make sense to me.” It’s a bike you don’t have to think about and is easy to service in the field, but more importantly, it’s fun to ride. The bike was designed to bring it up to Mt. St. Helens for some overnight bikepacking. Currently, Tom has a fairly large queue for custom frames, and he’s been starting to transition to stock geometry options, as most customers don’t require or ask for a fully custom frame. His current lineup consists of four models: Road, Dirt Jump, Town & County, and Mountain. While Neil chatted to Tom, we also took the opportunity to document this sweet 26er singlespeed that he brought to the show for some friends to ride. Few know of his past as a very talented BMXer, but Tom is one heck of a shredder.

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Mosaic Cycles link

Boulder, Colorado

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Located in Boulder, Colorado, and specializing in titanium, Mosaic Cycles had something quite special for MADE in 2025. Though their paint jobs sit at the higher end of what can be found on custom bikes, their collaboration with Ross Reels, Hunt Wheels, and Tailfin knocked it out of the park this year. Styled after the Cutthroat Trout, this custom paint scheme brings together the company’s love for fishing and cycling in spectacular fashion. Built off of their MT-2 platform, the bike is their hardtail trail bike made for rippin’ and reelin’. With Continental Hydrotals perfect for traversing muddy terrain and a Tailfin Aero Pack storing wader and rods, every part of this bike is intended to be picture perfect for fishing and riding.

Jack’s Sacks link

Richmond, Virginia

Jack’s Sacks owner, Wes, has made the trip from Richmond, Virginia, to Portland each year for the MADE bike show. He had his complete collection of bags on display, as well as his ultralight, packable pogies, which attendees seemed to be enamored with. Wes learned how to sew during the Covid pandemic to make a rooftop tent. He successfully learned how to sew, but never completed the tent. He made his first custom framebag for a Swood frame, and in 2022, a bike shop asked him for bags, so Jack’s Sacks was born.

Wes had a stunning Haute titanium hardtail wrapped in denim bags that we couldn’t resist documenting. Wes and Stephen Wood of Swood Cycles, which forms the other half of Haute Bicycle Co., have been friends for a long time, and Wes had been bugging him for a titanium frame for a while. The original intention was to build a dedicated singlespeed hardtail for bikepacking. The denim bags were born from a partnership with a local jean maker, Clawson. Clawson taught Wes how to make the pockets and all the traditional methods for creating jeans to form the panels for the frame bag. The pockets, buttons, and rivets are all real and functional.

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Jack’s Sacks was one of the first bag makers to utilize Old Man Mountain’s FLiP cargo cage system, and it was cool to see the Fork Sack return to MADE with a denim facelift. Wes also had some prototype deployable storage bags that loop over the top tube and expand for extra carrying capacity. The bags, which Wes referred to as “ODS” bags for “On-Demand Sacks” or “On-Demand Storage,” were made from a lightweight ripstop fabric and look like an innovative solution for carrying extra food to camp without having to take a lightweight backpack or fuss around with packing.

Velo Orange link

Glen Burnie, Maryland

Throughout the weekend, it was almost impossible to get close to the Velo Orange booth with the number of curious visitors waiting to give the Neutrino a test ride. Their booth, led by Velo Orange’s owner, Igor Shteynbuk, was located just outside the main entrance, so there was a constant flow of foot traffic passing by the booth all day. We pulled Igor aside for an early look at some upcoming bags and new components.

The Neutrino we photographed was built up with Velo Orange’s new rims, which Igor said he was quite excited about because they wanted a good quality, lightweight disc rim in a variety of sizes. Among the configurations is a new 32″ option, which confirms Velo Orange is at least interested in the evolving standard. They also have a new hub design coming that uses a star ratchet instead of a four pawl freehub, and they will be available in both rim and disc brake versions and a variety of hub specs, including boost.

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Velo Orange is also working on a line of waxed canvas bags to complement their bike lineup. The bags will be made close to Velo Orange headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland, and include a small handlebar bag, wedge-style frame bag, and a basket bag. The small details, like leather zipper pulls, sewn-on leather labels, and oversized zipper covers add to the lineup’s timeless aesthetic. We also got a sneak peek at a new Growtac brifter, with a nifty integrated dropper lever. The lever is actuated with your thumb, making it accessible from both the drops and the hoods. Velo Orange is the official US distributor for Growtac’s lineup of brakes and levers, and Igor says the bikepacking community is loving the ability to mix-and-match with different drivetrain parts.

Otso + Swift Industries link

Burnsville, Minnesota

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Swift Industries wasn’t officially at this year’s show, but their friends at Wolf Tooth were happy to lend a helping hand in the launch of their forthcoming Luminary collection. We spoke to Martina of Swift about some of the recent struggles she and the company have faced as a result of difficult industry conditions, and she was very positive about the new direction Swift is headed. Downsized to just two employees, Martina said she’s optimistic about the newfound sense of expectation she has for the company and what the future holds.

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As shown here, their new Luminary collection features a custom fabric developed specifically for Swift. They worked with a partner mill that created their own recycled X-grid material. Though it looks like a lightweight Cordura, it feels much softer and more pliable in hand. Hitting the shop early next year, the new fabric eliminates some abrasion issues their bags have faced before.

Hannah Simon’s Chumba Sendero link

Kansas / Virginia

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Ultra-racer Hannah Simon is out representing her sponsors at MADE in 2025 with a Chumba Sendero she had a hand in creating. Fresh off her time at El Piri, Hannah is back in the states with the bike she mitered the front triangle of and raced to several podiums across a number of grueling and highly competitive bikepacking races. With Cane Creek eeWing cranks, Industry Nine wheels, Old Man Mountain racks and bags, Hannah told us all about her travels and the exhausting calendar of someone holding down of a variety of jobs and responsibilities while racing full-time. Though she’s unsure of what’s to come, Hannah told us she’s pleased with how her racing has gone thus far and is excited to continue cooking up plans for the future.

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Wilde Bicycle Co. link

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Compared to most builders at MADE, Wilde employs a unique business model that offers both Taiwan-made and US-made bicycles. Before speaking with Wilde’s owner, Jeffrey Frane, we were unaware that they employ a full-time framebuilder for their domestically produced brazed frames. It was even more impressive to hear that Brad Wilson, who built bikes under the name Capricorn Bicycles after honing his skills at Waterford Precision Cycles, was the person behind them. Jeffrey admitted the US-made frames are costly and time-consuming, but he thinks it’s cool to be able to serve folks at every step of the bicycle journey, from $2,500 complete bikes to bespoke US-made titanium dream bikes.

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We pulled Brad aside from the Wilde booth for a closer look at the newly released Dog Star. He explained they’ve been inspired by vintage mountain bikes, old Ritcheys, and the Rivendell Bombadil, and wanted to create something with a similar vibe. They focused on doubles, with double top tubes, double fork crown, a bullmoose stem, and a double brake bridge. There are so many little details to get lost in, such as the cutout reliefs on the head tube and seat tube, loads of braze-ons, and other classic features. The Dog Star is built to order and customized to the customer’s preferences and size. A frame and fork cost $3,900 with a custom paint job included.

We asked Jeffery what he was most excited about, and he said they have several new models in the works that he’s eager to launch into the world. They also have a purchase agreement to buy a new building in Minneapolis, which would be a massive upgrade to their current 15 x 20’ space. When asked what worries him, Jeffery said, “The instability of supply chain costs because of tariffs scares me. It’s impossible to plan in the current environment.”

That’s it for Bikes and Builders of MADE 2025 Part 3. For more coverage of this year’s show, stay tuned in the week ahead as we continue to bring you the best and brightest this special corner of the industry has to offer.

Further Reading

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