Bikes, Booths, and Builders in Philly (Part 3)

Saving some of the best bikes and builders for last, our final roundup of the wondrous designs I saw in Philadelphia embodies the experience of modern shows. While at the expo, I was reminded that these events have fluctuated in purpose since their inception. Builders used to buy booths in anticipation of meeting customers and setting up orders. Along with the shared camaraderie of working in an industry that does just about everything except pay well, the function of attending was very much practical.

Nowadays, with the democratization of media and the capacity to sell your wares from almost anywhere, expos like this one offer a different experience. The focus has shifted to a more general hope of being documented in ways most builders can’t. Hopefully, I’ve made the trip a little more valuable for all the hardworking builders, as these rare occasions remind me how special bikes really are. Amid a sea of product releases that are constantly insisting upon themselves are the few, the proud, the handmade. What I hope to provide is a peek at just how much love, care, and talent go into these works of art.

Memento Cycles link

Montreal, Canada

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The winner of this year’s People’s Choice award is Memento Cycles’ mini-cargo bike. The bike is based around the concept of a carnival or circus, and it speaks to the very roots of why the three-person building team got started making bikes in the first place. Speaking to Éliane Trudeau of Memento, she said, “Throughout the years, we developed an interest in multiple kinds of bikes, with fixed gears, gravel bikes, bikepacking rigs, and commuting products. Our latest interest has been in mini-velos. We made one last year that gathered a lot of attention. With our creation this year, we decided to mix our newfound love of mini-velos with our cargo bike expertise. It is a ‘mini-velo-mini-cargo’ frame, running on dual 20-inch wheels with huge tire clearance. We wanted to highlight the fun aspect of riding bikes by giving it a multicolored paint job that is reminiscent of children’s toys and carnival rides.”

The bike’s design also includes several callbacks to prior award-winning bikes and to the company’s history. As Éliane put it, “The pink is the same color as our first PBE-winning heart bike, the yellow on it is the same color as our first-ever cargo bike, the turquoise/green is the color of our first e-cargo bike, the heart shaped custom step/handlebar combo is another wink at our previous heart bike, the stainless hand-carved lugs reminds of our PBE-winning hardtail from last year, and finally, the wavy top tube with inner cable routing is a wink at the bike we made for Bespoked in Dresden in 2024. It also obviously has a lot of artsy aspects to it, a staple of our fabrication skills. This bike is the culmination of our work as framebuilders.”

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Unlike some of their past show bikes, this Memento is for sale. And though they say recreating the intricate details that made this model so special would be too tedious and expensive for anything more than a one-off, the team at Memento is eyeing a small production of mini-velos and mini-velo-mini-cargos in the near future. As far as what inspires them to create, Éliane said, “A lot of the bike industry is focused around performance and lightweight, minimalist set-ups. As much as we like making and riding those kinds of bikes, it’s also really important for us to keep the fun and goofy aspects of bicycles. Making a bike intended to give you a big smile as soon as you step on it is just so nice. Bikes are still bringing us joy, but as framebuilders, it’s hard to make it viable enough. Also, it’s still really important for us to continue giving great trans representation in the cycling industry. With the current political climate in the US and the setbacks in LGBTQ+ acceptance, it’s more important than ever to show positive representation to the public.”

Given that just about every person I saw witness the bike had a massive grin, I’d say Memento accomplished what they set out to achieve. Bravo, Memento!

So Far So Good link

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Simona Dwass is quietly one of my favorite builders here. She doesn’t have an overabundance of drool-inducing bikes, as she only displayed her first bike at last year’s show. Rather, her “green-ness,” as she likes to describe it, is part of the charm. What we’re looking at here is only Simona’s second complete bike ever assembled. That said, she works as an apprentice at the storied Bilenky Bikes in Philadelphia. So, she gets plenty of practice on projects that aren’t strictly hers. But, I think it’s obvious for anyone to see what I see. Featuring hand-carved lugs, this bike was made for a friend of hers who plans to do just about everything on it. From fixed gear jaunts around the city to fully loaded tours, it’s a classically styled touring bike fit for just about any purpose.

With a paint job inspired by some of the urban sights and scenes near Simona’s house, it’s also the first of her bikes to feature the actual “brand” name. The name So Far So Good is inspired by her time leading guided cycling tours across the country. While in a remote area of Texas, where she led a group of older gentlemen, one of them saw a sign off in the distance. A kitschy joke, like something you’d find at a general store, the saying quickly became an inside joke on their long tour. Every time something went wrong, “so far, so good” quickly followed. After I prodded and poked her about the fact that her much lauded show bike at last year’s expo lacked a head tube badge, she mocked something up in Adobe Illustrator, and So Far So Good was born.

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When asked about the frame itself, Simona said, “I’m really pleased with my latest custom frame. It’s a travel/touring bike that I brazed this winter for my friend Russell. I wanted it to have the energy of a classic randonneuring frame while also fulfilling the modern specs Russell was looking for. The frame is built around the Ritchey Breakaway system, modular dropouts, and a third wheel enable it to go from geared to fixed, and I hand-carved the lugs to match a bilaminate moment on the seat tube and top tubes. I do my own wet paint in addition to designing and building the frames. Regarding tubing, it’s a combination of Zona and SL, supplied by Carl at Metal Guru. I’ve only been building for a few years, and I’m still so stoked to be doing this that I’m not jaded yet. I’m really inspired by all the high-quality work I’m seeing from other frame builders at the show, and how generous everyone in our world is with their time and knowledge.”

Velo Orange link

Glen Burnie, Maryland

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We teased one of the Velo Orange’s newest offerings in part one, but as far as products we can actually speak to, they have plenty coming down the pike. First, one of their most popular models, the low-kicker variant of their fat-tired tourer, is getting a slight refresh. By lowering the top tube and adjusting the geometry ever so slightly, the step-thru version of the Polyvalent is even more accessible than before. It also has added bottle mounts on the swooping top tube. The latest version sports this sparkling red paint job and should be available in the coming weeks.

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The brand is also refreshing the paint on all its other models, including the road-focused Rando, the standard Polyvalent, and the Chessie. While the gravel bike I reviewed last year will have some updates I’ll reveal when they launch, I can confirm the Rando has added mounts on the rear seatstay for better rack compatibility, as well as under the downtube for more water storage. They’re also launching a new line of basket bags, complete with basket floors, that are locally crafted in Baltimore.

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In the fall, the brand will be debuting a new set of cranks compatible with both 1x and 2x systems. It’s a 5-bolt, 110/74-pattern aluminum crank that works with square-taper bottom brackets. The crank will launch with a variety of chainring options and features a wide Q-factor optimized for gravel bikes. In addition to some cool bits and bobs like their Yellow Bird Threadwork bar ends, the brand is also re-entering the saddle space with their own line of leather saddles later this year.

Inside the show

Unlike many other shows, this event wasn’t chock-full of new releases and unreleased products. Though a few prototypes are hiding among the bikes I shot, the Philadelphia Convention Center was largely filled with the quiet, unassuming folks who make up the entire bespoke industry. Dutiful partners, friends, and employees that keep things flowing when their builders, designers, and bike industry folk are focused elsewhere. In every sense, they are as much a part of what you see on display as those who directly construct the bikes, wheels, stems, and so on. From family members to long-time employees, it’s as rewarding an experience as shaking hands with everyone who keeps this space rolling through the most uncertain of times.

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Of course, expos aren’t just builders. From small accessory makers like Mad Monkey Designs to apparel and route creators, it all weaves into the diverse tapestry that is the bike industry. The things that make it great are varied, unspecific, and derived from the wealth of life experiences that make their way onto two wheels. To say these shows are tiring from a content standpoint would be selling it short. But abstaining from these annual gatherings would rob me of the reminder that this is why we do it.

Thompson Bikes link

Olympia, Washington

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Closing out our coverage is none other than Corey Thompson of Thompson Bikes in Olympia, Washington. Making classic, understated, but subtly cool and capable bikes from his shop, this teal rando may not be the loudest I shot at the show, but it’s certainly one of the best. Complete with a top cap that turns the internally wired dynamo lights on and off with a flick of the wrist, this Thompson has actually already been ridden thousands of miles.

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Despite its clean and sleek look, this is a well-used and loved bike Corey made for a customer quite some time ago. Corey borrowed it for the show to display the custom, lightweight rack and the style he’s known for best. The main tubes are Reynolds 853, and the fork blades and stays are from Columbus. He also constructed and wired it such that if and when a bag is placed on the rear, the light will still be visible.

Per Corey, “The wire is run inside the edge of the metal fender, where it’s well protected, and then enters the left chainstay. From there, it runs through the bracket shell and up the downtube to a slip ring in the headtube. Power comes from the connectorless Schmidt hub up the inside of the right fork blade and through the hollow fork crown into the steerer tube to a switch on top of the stem. Special shout-out to my friend and colleague Hahn Rossman, who makes this incredibly cool switch. Unlike any other stem-top switches I’ve used, this one doesn’t require disconnecting or reconnecting any wires when you remove the stem or fork. The switch itself is embedded in a machined aluminum housing that takes the place of a star nut, and it’s magnetically triggered by turning the headset top cap, which works just like any other top cap as far as adjusting the headset is concerned.”

That’s it for our coverage from Philly! Which bike was your favorite? Did anything catch your eye? Let us know in the Conversation below…

Further Reading

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