What should a show bike be?

[Carl S]

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?

[e-RICHIE]

Anyone else struggle with this?

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.

[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]

I've considered this a lot more than I should. I don't like the idea of "show" bikes or other contraptions for the sake of the competition.

But...

If Einstein would have just stuck to being a patent clerk because that's what he did everyday the world would be a poorer place for it.

[e-RICHIE]

If Einstein would have just stuck to being a patent clerk because that's what he did everyday the world would be a poorer place for it.

let him go to interbike atmo.

[Archibald]

let him go to interbike atmo.

Get your genres straight.

[e-RICHIE]

Get your genres straight.

i meant "...an interbike for patent clerks" atmo.

[Archibald]

i meant "...an interbike for patent clerks" atmo.

Too late. You ruined the mood. Now what am I going to do with this for the next 4-hours?

[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

[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.

[sacha white]

Don, It is obvious through conversations that we have had off-line and through everything that you have said online that the awards are important to you. And that you think that the awards are important for NAHBS.

I was thinking about it yesterday and for the life of me, I can't figure out why you feel this way. From the outsiders perspective:

- There is no financial benefit to NAHBS (I'm thinking that they actually cost you money).
- It doesn't bring more attention to your own personal bike brands.
-The ceremony at the end doesn't draw all that big of a crowd and isn't a big media focus.
- Many of the builders who (should) matter, think that the awards have no place in a show like NAHBS and have been expressing this more and more clearly and frequently.


So my question is why is it so important to you to have awards. Why do you feel so strongly about keeping them around?

To be clear, this is not meant as an attack, or as a way of making one person right and another wrong, so I hope you don't take it that way. But with all the talk about awards lately, I think we could all benefit from understanding your perspective on the matter a little better.

-Sacha

[Archibald]

Don, It is obvious through conversations that we have had off-line and through everything that you have said online that the awards are important to you. And that you think that the awards are important for NAHBS.

I was thinking about it yesterday and for the life of me, I can't figure out why you feel this way. From the outsiders perspective:

- There is no financial benefit to NAHBS (I'm thinking that they actually cost you money).
- It doesn't bring more attention to your own personal bike brands.
-The ceremony at the end doesn't draw all that big of a crowd and isn't a big media focus.
- Many of the builders who (should) matter, think that the awards have no place in a show like NAHBS and have been expressing this more and more clearly and frequently.


So my question is why is it so important to you to have awards. Why do you feel so strongly about keeping them around?

To be clear, this is not meant as an attack, or as a way of making one person right and another wrong, so I hope you don't take it that way. But with al the talk about awards lately, I think we could all benefit from understanding your perspective on the matter a little better.

-Sacha

My guess is it's a case of going to Abilene.

[Don Walker]

Don, It is obvious through conversations that we have had off-line and through everything that you have said online that the awards are important to you. And that you think that the awards are important for NAHBS.

I was thinking about it yesterday and for the life of me, I can't figure out why you feel this way. From the outsiders perspective:

- There is no financial benefit to NAHBS (I'm thinking that they actually cost you money).
- It doesn't bring more attention to your own personal bike brands.
-The ceremony at the end doesn't draw all that big of a crowd and isn't a big media focus..

- Many of the builders who (should) matter, think that the awards have no place in a show like NAHBS and have been expressing this more and more clearly and frequently.


So my question is why is it so important to you to have awards. Why do you feel so strongly about keeping them around?

To be clear, this is not meant as an attack, or as a way of making one person right and another wrong, so I hope you don't take it that way. But with all the talk about awards lately, I think we could all benefit from understanding your perspective on the matter a little better.

-Sacha

Almost every industry that has a show or showcase has some sort of awards within. Whether it be the Westminster dog show, the music industry, Screen Actors Guild, etc all have some sort of awards for recognizing the achievements of its members. I feel in the handmade industry, its also important to have recognition for those who have proven themselves to be the upper echelon to their peers and the public.

It costs me money to have awards. However, I feel that its worth every penny. To see builders get some recognition, with more of it coming from some main media outlets. I know quite a few builders who have benefited from this exposure.


I have sacrificed much of my time each year just to make sure NAHBS happens. Its obvious my integrity lies within our industry and not just for my own brand.


The last few years, we have had photographers lining up 20-30 minutes ahead of the awards for a prime location to shoot the winners. In PDX, there were people that were so crowded around the stage area that it took a while for some of the winners to actually make it to the stage. Velonews did a report on the winners in Portland, as well as other mags/rags.


All of the builders matter. The problem is one that cant be easily solved and have everyone feel that its fair, but unfortunately "fair" is something that can never be agreed upon unanimously.

If I cut out the awards all together, we have no climax to the show on Sunday.

Having the awards on Sunday is the perfect close to the weekend of hanging out with your brethren. It makes the weekend seem "complete". As stated above, it's a climax to the entire previous year. Some folks go home and post pics of the winners on flickr, photobucket or whatever other hosting site, websites, blogs, etc. It provides the opportunity to have extra pics and/or notoriety, which is essentially added "free" publicity. No one can complain about extra publicity. You cannot put a price on that kind of exposure.



If you have any additional questions, please email me directly.

Mods, please lock this thread.

DW

[conorb]

Almost every industry that has a show or showcase has some sort of awards within. Whether it be the Westminster dog show, the music industry, Screen Actors Guild, etc all have some sort of awards for recognizing the achievements of its members. I feel in the handmade industry, its also important to have recognition for those who have proven themselves to be the upper echelon to their peers and the public.

It costs me money to have awards. However, I feel that its worth every penny. To see builders get some recognition, with more of it coming from some main media outlets. I know quite a few builders who have benefited from this exposure.


I have sacrificed much of my time each year just to make sure NAHBS happens. Its obvious my integrity lies within our industry and not just for my own brand.


The last few years, we have had photographers lining up 20-30 minutes ahead of the awards for a prime location to shoot the winners. In PDX, there were people that were so crowded around the stage area that it took a while for some of the winners to actually make it to the stage. Velonews did a report on the winners in Portland, as well as other mags/rags.


All of the builders matter. The problem is one that cant be easily solved and have everyone feel that its fair, but unfortunately "fair" is something that can never be agreed upon unanimously.

If I cut out the awards all together, we have no climax to the show on Sunday.

Having the awards on Sunday is the perfect close to the weekend of hanging out with your brethren. It makes the weekend seem "complete". As stated above, it's a climax to the entire previous year. Some folks go home and post pics of the winners on flickr, photobucket or whatever other hosting site, websites, blogs, etc. It provides the opportunity to have extra pics and/or notoriety, which is essentially added "free" publicity. No one can complain about extra publicity. You cannot put a price on that kind of exposure.



If you have any additional questions, please email me directly.

Mods, please lock this thread.

DW

I don't understand why this thread needs to be locked. It seems to me that the conversation is interesting, informative and thoughtful.

While I'm not a big fan of the awards or the surrounding system that decides the awards it doesn't mean that they shouldn't exist for the reasons you mention.

It is what it is.

Conor

[Too Tall]

No prob. DW I'll chut this thread down the discussion needed some airing out and you most def. gave clear answers. Hoss you have alot on your plate, good luck and good speed.

A personal plea? If you can link up some interviews and galleries here I'd appreciate it as I'm not able to travel.

Peace, Josh