The man credited with inspiring a generation of handmade bike builders in Oregon won the coveted “Best in Show” award at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show on Sunday.
DiNucci Cycles, owned by Mark DiNucci, led the list of 17 award winners presented at the conclusion of the 7th annual NAHBS located at the Austin Convention Center this past weekend.
The 2011 NAHBS was the largest yet, featuring 172 exhibitors who displayed their wares to some 7,300 visitors. Show director Don Walker announced next year's show will be in Sacramento from March 2-4, 2012.
DiNucci
DiNucci is a household name among makers of hand-built bicycles, especially in the Pacific Northwest. He built his first frame back in 1972 and worked for Strawberry before eventually opening his own frame-building shop.
In 1985, however, he went to work for Specialized Bicycles to design frames and went on to design frames for some of the large European manufacturers. Then, in 2009, he resurrected DiNucci Cycles and began building his own frames again.
His re-entry into bike building was rewarded last year with the “Best Lugged Frame” award when NAHBS met in Richmond.
'It's beautiful'
DiNucci was interviewed by the Portland Mercury a couple of years ago about getting back into hands-on bike building. Commenting on the current interest in such bikes:
“Now all of a sudden, it's blossomed and the kids are getting it. I don't know why it's taken most of my life for this to happen, but it's just beautiful.”
Here's a list of the 17 award winners and links to the websites.
Best in Show: DiNucci Cycles
Best Road Frame: Ellis Cycles
Best Track Frame: Six-Eleven Bicycle Co.
Best Off-Road Frame: Black Sheep Fabrication
Best Tandem Frame: Eriksen Cycles
Best Carbon Fiber Frame: Strong Frames
Best Titanium Frame: Kish Fabrication
Best Lugged Frame: Bilenky Cycle Works
Best Steel Frame: Bishop Bikes
Best Fillet Braze Frame: Dominguez Cycles
Best TIG Welded Frame: Independent Fabrication, Inc.
Best City Bike: Signal Cycles
Best Paint: KirkLee Bicycles
Rookie of the Year: Rosene Hand Build Bicycles
People's Choice: Naked Bicycles
President's Choice: Anderson Custom Bicycles
More about the weekend event at the NAHBS show website and its Facebook page.
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