Canadian crowned Best in Show at NAHBS 2018

All photos courtesy of North American Handmade Bicycle Show

North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) is done for another year. Displays have been packed up, beards have been trimmed, and, for a number of Canadian outfits making the journey to New England for this year’s show, massive display trophies have been brought back across the border. Canadians won big this year, taking home top honours with a Best in Show win from Notre-Dame, N.B.-based Altruiste Bicycle Company, a Judge’s Special Award for No.22 Bikes, along with several finalist ribbons, and a Best Build award for Toronto’s custom paint shop, Velocolour.

After walking away with a surprise win in the coveted Best in Show award, the small Acadian shop, Altruiste Bicycle Company seemed surprised to take NAHBS top honours in over many of North America’s top names in custom bicycle building. Gabriel Lang said the shop was so consumed with the usual last minute rush to make it to the show that awards were far from anyone’s mind. The show started off well for Altruiste when their asymmetric long travel 29” steel full suspension mountain bike won the Best Mountain Bike award, before completely blowing the shop’s own expectations out of the water with the Best in Show title. The steel frame uses an asymmetric rear suspension linkage moving on DVO Suspension parts, front and back, and a build rounded out by custom built Industry Nine wheels and Straitline components.

Toronto’s No. 22 Bicycle Company ended the show with multiple nods from the judges, winning Judges Special Award for the Drifter titanium gravel bike, along with two finalist ribbons. In the Best Track Bike category, No. 22’s Little Wing earned finalist status and, in the same category as Altruiste’s show winning bike, the Toronto outfit’s Old King was named as a finalist for Best Mountain Bike.

Boyd Cycling Best Build Award went to Toronto custom bike paint and cycle accessory shop, Velocolour. Noah Rosen and Suzanne Carlsen’s won the Best Build award for Carlsen’s intricately detailed cyclocross bike, which she raced all fall between bike shows.

Watch NAHBS winners interview with Gabriel Lang of Altruiste Bicycle Company below:

A full list of winners from NAHBS 2018 is available here.