North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) 2011

Cycling is one of those sub-cultures that runs deep within a person; it appears that once you're hooked it's only a matter of time before you spend multiple thousands of dollars on the finest bikes and gear you can get(*). Fortunately cycling hasn't hooked me just yet, but I certainly appreciate the community and enjoy the occasional fine-weather ride.

One thing that's obvious even to an outsider like me is the engineering, skill, and love that goes into many bikes. The finest of these was only display at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show, which for 2011 was held here in Austin, Texas.

All sorts of bikes were on display from the best builders in the US. From the 70's "classiness" shown above, to the modern carbon-fibre and even bamboo cycles, my old friend Andrew was a willing guide.

It appears that I photograph bikes the same way I photograph cars - largely focusing on the small details while forgetting to get shots of the overall machine. The art of the scene also ended up being a focal point.

Head on over to Flickr to check out the entire set.

(*) Other similar sub-cultures include cars, and photography. Why do I choose expensive hobbies?