What should a show bike be?

[EnginCycles]

I do believe "show" bikes needs to be defined. I usually have 1 or 2 bikes a year that the owner says he wants it all out. i.e. the 953 lugged mtb. I try to plan the queue or ask if i can delay a bike so it is new for the show. This year i will have another 953 bike that might come accross as a show bike but as i said it is in the queue. This year (2009) i have 3 953 bikes. Last year i had 3 also. Of the 30-35 bikes a year i build it is obviously not a high percentage but it is an offering and not specific for the show. Not sure how that categorizes itself? The other 3 bikes are all steel and right out of the standard queue.

Again it was not a concept bike as much as it was a "carte blanche" situation.

Cheers,
Drew

[conorb]

I struggle with this every year as I prepare for NAHBS. Do I stop everything and build some crazy thing I'd never normally sell in order to attract attention. Or do I keep on building customer bikes and bring an examples of what I regularly build?

I've decided I should be who I am and bring the bikes that are moving thought the queue at the time. I'm selling myself as much as I'm selling frames. Sure I'll put a nice build together and be sure to take a frame with a cool paint job but overall they are exactly what I'm selling. The problem is I feel like I get lost in the glare of a bunch of "concept" bikes.

Anyone else struggle with this?

No, we don't struggle with it.

We've only ever brought customer's bikes to NAHBS or other shows. We don't do show bikes. We take real bikes to a show.

In all honesty, we don't have the time, money, or inclination to build a one-off show bike for a specific event.

Our bikes reflect our customers and us and not a production design concept.

I think that if you're planning on introducing a "new bike/style/offering" then that's not a problem but a one-off of things that you don't normally do would be distracting in my opinion.

It's always gratifying to ask to borrow a bike from a customer/client and take it to "the show." The smiles are worth it.

Conor

[Tom Kellogg]

So this whole discussions to me begs the question that I've been curious about: Have polished lugged frames now jumped the shark?

they are par for the course. We have never offered them, so we don't show them.

[conorb]

So this whole discussions to me begs the question that I've been curious about: Have polished lugged frames now jumped the shark?

Not if the customer asks for it and not if you're charging for it.

If you're polishing for no other reason to polish then yeah, probably.

Conor

[e-RICHIE]

The problem is I feel like I get lost in the glare of a bunch of "concept" bikes.

which came first - the best-of trophies or these "concept" bikes you mention?
yeah. ya' know where i'm headed with this atmo.

[Too Tall]

So this whole discussions to me begs the question that I've been curious about: Have polished lugged frames now jumped the shark?

Bro., funny. Re-read the thread and perhaps let the telai-ista pals talk about what is a show bike. Valid question but maybe for a diff. thread not in this category. xxoo, Josh.

[crumpton]

funny, i been there 4 years now. usually just bring what I sell and always take an award. the one year I bring bling bling crappola 7lb bike, no award.

just bring what you sell.

can the awards.

[Dave Kirk]

can the awards.

eggsactly.

dave

[conorb]

just bring what you sell.

can the awards.

+1

conor

[Archibald]

funny, i been there 4 years now. usually just bring what I sell and always take an award. the one year I bring bling bling crappola 7lb bike, no award.

just bring what you sell.

can the awards.

Are you bragging or complaining?

Signed,
Ain't never won shit.

[Dave Kirk]

Are you bragging or complaining?

Signed,
Ain't never won shit.

I can't speak for Nick but I won an award last year and I still think they are stupid. Am I glad I won? Yes. Would I rather they nix the awards? Yes?

Dave

[crumpton]

Are you bragging or complaining?

Signed,
Ain't never won shit.

neither. never won anything until NAHBS. don't care.

[Dazza]

I feel it is important to make a distiction between a
Show Bike
and a
Display bike

Show bike, is a bike built with features and details just for attention seeking at a show and or of a design that is not useful/practical, even rideable.
This bike/frame does not reflect the products offered by the builder that a customer can order.
The argument here is, is the builder silly enough to build and sell this bike to a passer by who falls in love with it.
I would say that builders that build show bikes are ones that are still seeking their style, what their message is and who they are.

Display bike, I can see nothing incorrect about making a display bike for a show, if it is a true reflection of the out put of the builder's hands.
Many builders have display bikes at shows, which are display bikes of their models or styles they build which normally live in their workshop/display rooms for punters to cast their eye over before handing the deposit over.
I think it is important that a builder only display frames, bikes with features that they invoice to clients.
Builders that bring client's and or display bikes know who they are and what they do.

Painters will go to town on display jobs, and so they should. Many times the paint job is a cattle dog of their out put, showcasing their skills and offerings that can be done if desired by a client. A true example of the work that leaves their shop.

With the current method of judging awards I say
Delete awards.



Cheers Dazza

[velocolour]

no atmo.

from day one nahbs was supposed to be reality based. if others stray and
wanna pander to the please-look-at-me stuff, well - that genie is out of the
bottle. sad. the show, or maybe even the trade, is at a shark jumping point
atmo. it has grown to a point that its consuming its own and could possibly
get vegas-y in a new york minute. how to defend against this? listen to your
inner framebuilder atmo. i said this from day one - the awards thing and the
desire to individuate (these) are deal breakers. my ideal was a display, not
a competition of sorts. a museum atmosphere rather than a trade show one.
before anyone fires a salvo at me, all of what i typed here is consistent with
my atmos since houston nahbs one point oh.

Richie, you're my hero atmo.
noah

[Archibald]

neither. never won anything until NAHBS. don't care.

I should of put a smilie on there....

[crumpton]

I should of put a smilie on there....

me too

[Don Walker]

Ive said it before and I'll say it again, the awards are a huge part of the show. The attendees love it. It caps off the entire weekend.

Sorry all the builders hate them so much.

DW

[e-RICHIE]

Ive said it before and I'll say it again, the awards are a huge part of the show. The attendees love it. It caps off the entire weekend.

Sorry all the builders hate them so much.

DW

mebbe the attendees need a show atmo.
North American Attendees Who Like Awards Show
ps and before you go all hormonal, you know how i feel about you atmo...

[Don Walker]

what came first, the show or the attendee?

sweet mother of pearl....

if it werent for the exhibitor, there would be no show.

if it werent for the attendee, there would be no show.

if it werent for my patience herding the cats.... you know where I am going with this....

DW

[Don Walker]

yeah, and another thing.....

I realize I can't make everyone happy. Its impossible.



DW