NAHBS launches promotion featuring top bicycle framebuilders

The North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) today announces the launch of its “Original Six” 2009 promotional campaign, highlighting a select group of frame builders that has exhibited every year since the show began five years ago.

The Original Six builders exhibited at the first NAHBS in Houston, Texas in 2005. They will return as the show celebrates its fifth year, February 27 – March 1, 2009 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.

These builders perceived the value of the NAHBS in promoting the handmade category within the cycling market, and realized the importance of exhibiting at the show each year.

The NAHBS has grown from 23 exhibitors and 700 attendees in 2005, to 150+ exhibitors and more than 7,000 attendees in 2008, making it the largest and most prestigious handmade bicycle show in the world.

“The Original Six idea came to me as a way to honor and thank the original six guys who will have been at NAHBS since day one,” says Don Walker, the show’s founder and director. “The NAHBS wouldn’t be what it is today without the support and shared vision of these fine craftsmen, who are my colleagues, and more importantly, my friends.”

A collectible set of six postcards and a poster featuring the select group of frame builders is currently in the production process. These hallowed builders are (alphabetically):

• Craig Calfee, Calfee Design (La Selva Beach, CA)
• Nick Crumpton, Crumpton Cycles (Austin, TX)
• Mike DeSalvo, DeSalvo Custom Cycles (Ashland, OR)
• Richard Sachs, Richard Sachs Cycles (Chester, CT)
• Sacha White, The Vanilla Workshop (Portland, OR)
• Don Walker, Don Walker Cycles (Speedway, IN)

Limited edition boxed sets of this postcard series will be available for purchase through the NAHBS website and at the show itself.

Limited edition framed sets will be sold to collectors, and some will be auctioned to raise funds for charity.

The “Original Six” promotion campaign will reach out to 3,000 targeted cycling clubs, retailers and media outlets in the Midwestern states surrounding Indianapolis, and other key locations nationwide.

Interested bicycle dealers and clubs are invited to request postcards and posters for display purposes (contact details below).

The campaign aims to raise awareness of the show in key market areas, as well as to generate excitement and expectation by recognizing loyal supporters of the show who also happen to be among the brightest lights in handmade bicycle frame building.

The North American Handmade Bicycle Show moves from city to city each year. It is scheduled for February 27 – March 1, 2009, at the Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis. The show is dedicated to showcasing the talents of individuals around the world whose art form is the bicycle. It aims to be a meeting point – online and in person – for frame builders and consumers looking for custom-made bikes, for the sharing of ideas, and promotion of a special industry with a rich history. For more information, see www.handmadebicycleshow.com.

Contact for Original Six postcard sets:
email: handmadebikeshow@aol.com

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