EHBE 2010 Pt 2: "Crisporetti" + LeCadre V Julie Racing Design build off

Two of the 'discoveries' of the 2009 show, LeCadre Cycles of Holland and Julie Racing Design decided they'd spice up the their appearance at the 2010 show by staging their very own 'build-off' event.

The brief was for both builders to demonstrate their skill and imagination in building a bike which had as much of their own handwork in not only the frame,but also the components and display both bikes side by side for all to compare and contrast.

The result was two distinctly different styles of bike, one a 'retro' MTB/beach cruiser, complete with beach towel and schnapps flask; the other, a randonneur in the style of the classic 50s French builders Herse and Singer, but with subtle modernist additions such as Cannondale-engineerered Headshock suspension up front and integrated LED lighting.

However, both bikes had one thing in common; a level of craftsmanship and an attention to detail just not found in mainstream offerings. These were 'custom' bikes in the truest sense of the word. In the end, the 'duel' was, quite rightly, declared a draw by the judges.

Elsewhere, the results of another collaboration was on display.

Darren Crisp of Crisp Titanium is an American builder based in Italy near Florence who specialises in producing no-compromise, top quality titanium frames and complete bikes. Making its début at EHBE '10 was the fruits of an exclusive design and build exercise between Crisp and another of Italy's finest builders.

Dubbed the 'Crisporetti' by show-goers, this is a state-of-the-art titanium race bike with a twist.

The flawless workmanship of Crisp, already one of the most sought after of the 'new wave' of framebuilders in Italy, has been given an exclusive, hand-applied paint design by none other than Italian master Dario Pegoretti.

This is the first collaboration between the two; with Pegoretti already established as one of the most in-demand framebuilders on the planet, Crisp will no doubt find his already sought-after work gaining an even greater audience thanks to the generous sprinkling of unobtanium provided by Pegoretti.