The North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) is a celebration of hand built bicycles and one of the highlights of the event is when the judges pick the best bikes on show. No easy task when there are 180 exhibitors. This year the award categories are broken down into three categories of Riding Discipline, Construction, and Overall Design. 

British frame builders have done well this year, with Donhou Bicycles landing the Best Cyclocross Bike award with the DSS3, while Enigma Bicycles picked up the coveted President’s Award with the Exemplar. 

Riding Discipline

Fully complete bikes, paint and component choices factor into the judging (aesthetic impact and correctness of the discipline)

Best City Bike/ Utility Bike – Shamrock Cycles

kirk.jpg
kirk (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

Best Road bike – David Kirk

Skylar_nahbs2017_awards-7.jpg
Skylar_nahbs2017_awards-7 (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

Best Mountain Bike – Skylar

Donhou_nahbs2017_awards-9.jpg
Donhou_nahbs2017_awards-9 (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

Best Cyclocross Bike – Donhou

Mosaic_nahbs2017_awards-8.jpg
Mosaic_nahbs2017_awards-8 (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

Best Gravel Bike – Mosaic Cycles

LOW_nahbs2017_awards-12.jpg
LOW_nahbs2017_awards-12 (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

Best Track Bike – LOW

Santana_nahbs2017_awards-11.jpg
Santana_nahbs2017_awards-11 (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

Best Tandem Bike – Santana

Best Experimental Bike – Rock West Composites

blacksheep_nahbs2017_awards-14.jpg
blacksheep_nahbs2017_awards-14 (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

Best Artisan Bike – Black Sheep

Construction

Construction categories: All bikes presented for the construction categories (lugged, fillet brazed, TIG-welded and carbon layup) are presented as naked frames. To make the frames easier to inspect, they are presented with a fork, headset and stem. Painted bikes are deemed ineligible. 

Best Fillet Frame – David Kirk

Eriksen_nahbs2017_awards-4.jpg
Eriksen_nahbs2017_awards-4 (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

Best TIG Frame – Eriksen

Best Carbon Layup – Alchemy

Overall Design

Theme: These are complete bicycles with a description of the theme, concept or heritage the frame builder is portraying. These bicycles will be judged with an eye toward the overall execution of the theme.

nahbs_awards-6.jpg
nahbs_awards-6 (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

Best New Builder – SaltAir

nahbs_awards-1.jpg
nahbs_awards-1 (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

Best Columbus Build – Breadwinner

nahbs_awards-4.jpg
nahbs_awards-4 (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

Campy Award – No. 22

Best Theme – Peacock Groove

Best Finish – Black Magic Paint

nahbs_awards-5.jpg
nahbs_awards-5 (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

People’s Choice- Tallerico

nahbs_awards-8.jpg
nahbs_awards-8 (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

President’s Choice – Enigma Bicycles

nahbs_awards-9.jpg
nahbs_awards-9 (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

Best In Show – Peacock Groove

Which is your pick from the show?