Another Philly Bike Expo is in the books, and it never disappoints. It's one of our favorite shows, packed with energy and good vibes. The crowd is always a mix of passionate cyclists, curious gearheads, and folks who just love bikes — exactly the kind of people we love talking to. This year was no exception. From eye-catching builds to clever components, there was no shortage of inspiration.
Be sure to check out the gallery at the end for more photos — but first, here’s a rundown of the bikes and gear that really caught my eye!
Ok, for all you lug-lickers, this is the crown jewel. Introducing the Royal H "Baines-style Time Trial Frame". Designed as the quintessentially British TT, this design features a super tucked in rear wheel and a standard front end.
It makes for a very responsive and planted rear wheel while maintaining the comfort and handling of a "regular" bike.
I rode one a long time ago and it felt good! The effort of pushing down on the pedals feels normal and yet responsive without the whippy-ness of early TT bikes. I dig it.
Best part? There are two of them! This blue one has our 50.4 Crankset and Retro Bottle Cages. The Candy Striping on the seat tube is phenomenal.
Chris brought the heat with this road bike! The deep paint scheme and the simplicity paired with complexity is so illustrative of his style. I bet this thing flies!
Drillium!
I asked Éliane about how she plans out these wild curves and detail-work for her bikes. She said that she has a general plan and then goes with it as the build progresses! I love this maximalist style. Everywhere you look, you find a new detail.
Honestly, it wasn't until I was editing these photos that I noticed the heart in the handlebars!
A nicely executed, custom linkage.
And a cool Hite-Rite mount!
Thee were also these nifty front bag stand-offs and some disc brake polo bike shields.
Weird Classic - 1970s Hi-E Cosmopolitan
I was walking past the Classic bike area when this bright orange thing popped into the corner of my eye. Apparently the maker of this bike didn't like welded metal, so....
I mean, it's a vibe...
Back to our regularly scheduled programming....
BikeBuildz is a shop in New Jersey that does some seriously cool work. He brought over a Chessie that he's been working on for a while, and this one has a pretty neat trick up its sleeve! Stock, Chessie isn't compatible with UDH, but this insert made by jjpandellc allows it to work!
There's also a ton of slick components from
Redshift,
Garbaruk,
CSixx, and
Growtac. All in all, this is one really, really cool build. I also love the maxed out tire clearance. Looks so good.
There was also this gorgeous 7-11 Eddy Merckx!
You know Shane from his most recent
Yakimono Klunker, and he brought some really beautiful pottery, including this handmade saddle and various cups.
And Jeff from The Bent Handlebar shop in Frederick, MD brought his freshly completed GT Timberline.
Noah brought this really rad mini-velo cargo bike featuring his "Fourk", which is designed to convert vintage 26" ATBs to carry a bigger load via this fork and smaller, 20" wheel.
I really dig the real brake roller and floating orange disc. Oh, and the rear brake cable pierces the seat tube - very reminiscent of 50s constructeurs and their Rando bikes.
Oh and really neat laser cut front disc brake mount!
This was a commission built around the 80th Anniversary Campagnolo groupset, but with a little trick up its sleeve. Read on....
The paint? A stunning series of hand-painted pin-striping over sparkle metallic paint. It reminds me of some of my favorite hot rods from the 50s. I could totally imagine these details on a monochrome 1955 Bel Air. Ah! and the matching pump - be still my heart.
Oh that Campy bit. The derailleur was modified to work with a wider gear range!
A master of traditional randonneuse-style bikes. What can I say? They're magnificent.
This is one wild tourer! I love the bright color-scheme (inspired by Dunkin'©) , integrated lighting, and big 'ol front rack.
We discussed the PITA installation of dynamo lighting, but once it is there, it is soooo worth it. Never charging batteries, forgetting lights, etc... In this bike's case, the lighting is routed through the rack and into the frame for the rear light.
That's all for now! We're looking forward to the next one! Be sure to check out the full gallery below. Talk soon.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! Great fun!
Thank you very much for tis report !!
My ‘71 Colnago Super (with Joe Bell paint) looked magnificent to me…until I saw this gallery….sort of leaves you breathless, doesn’t it? Thank you!!! for posting this!
Leave a comment