Gallery: Quality over quantity for hand-built mountain bikes at NAHBS in 2013

Ritchey calls this 27.5-inch tandem the Double-Switchback, which is fitting because I've never seen a singletrack switchback that could accommodate this bike's wheelbase. To ease transportation problems, the Double Switchback has couplers to break apart the frame. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

A-Train Cycles is out of the growing hotbed of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Every bike is completely custom to the customer's specifications and does not have a model name. This 29er was built specifically for the show with stainless main tubing and steel lugs. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

A-Train outsourced the paint for the, but did do all of the paint prep work. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

The A-Train 29er head badge was also sculpted in house. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

A more recent machined rendition of the Cielo's new fork crown. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

Chris King's frame company, Cielo, had its nameless 29er in its booth. The bike has been mostly unchanged over the past couple of seasons. This year, Cielo is developing a proprietary fork that will come in both a quick-release and 15mm QR model. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

The Cielo Overlander is a new bike-packer's 29er from the Portland, Oregon, company and will share the same fork as the 29er, but will only be available in the standard quick release version. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

Well-known frame builders Ira Ryan and Tony Pereira have joined forces and introduced Bread Winner Cycles at NAHBS. This is the company's only mountain bike, the 29er JB Racer. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

The frame detail at the head tube is rather impressive on the JB Racer. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

The JB Racer's welds are clean and smooth. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

The English 29er 1x9, out of Eugene, Oregon, was one of the fat-tire standouts of the show with its curvy twin top tubes and clean lines. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

The English 29er's twin top tubes house the rear derailleur cable and rear brake housing. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

The English 29er's custom stem is the entry port for the front brake cable, runs down through the steer tube to the disc brake calipers. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

English made a custom chainwatcher for the 1x9 setup. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

The entrance of the rear brake and derailleurs on the English 29er. Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

Calfee was one of the early adopters of bamboo materials. This frame uses bamboo tubing and epoxy-soaked bark cloth from Ficus trees. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

Bamboo tubing has a very unique look and is a renewable resource. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

Form Bicycles offers its Prevail 29er hardtail in titanium, stainless steel, and chromoly steel. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

The paintwork on the Prevail is detailed. From the stem and seatpost to the fork, nearly every component spent time in the paint booth. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

Clean welds are a theme of NAHBS, and Form's titanium work is up to par. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

This Stijl Cycles custom 29er caught my eye with its over-the-top colorway. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

This Stijl uses carbon tubing and steel lugs. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

Stijl Cycles' custom 29er carried an ode to Iron Man on the headtube. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

Moots displayed a 27.5-inch version of its short-travel full-suspension, the YBB, with prototype Mavic 650b hoops. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

If ever in Steamboat, Colorado, stop by Orange Peel Bicycles and see if Kent Ericksen is in his workshop. Though Ericksen is a successful brand in its own right, Kent started Moots Cycles years ago. If you're lucky, he'll tell you the story of how Moots came to be named. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

The true beauty of this titanium 27.5-inch Mosaic hardtail is in the details. The welds and bead blasting were some of the best at the show. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

The bead-blasted detail on the Mosaic's seatmast is and impeccable ode to the company's head badge. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

This Mosaic may have been the only dirt jumper at the show, but my, was it pretty. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

No dirt jumper should be babied. The signs of wear on the old Fox fork and flat tire show this jumper has been put to proper use. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

Ericksen debuted a new 27.5, four-inch full-suspension bike. The bike shown is Kent Ericksen's wife Katie's bike and is in the running for the Best Mountain Bike award at the show. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

Ericksen welder Brad Bingham designed and welded this frame, which was just finished earlier this week. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

There is a thru-axle rear option as well as a press fit bottom bracket option in the works from Eriksen. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com

The Eriksen frame is built around a 27.5-inch rear wheel, but there will be some geometry options to run a 29er front. Photo: Logan VonBokel | VeloNews.com