Anyone going to Bespoked?

[NeilM]

I went along on Friday afternoon. Got a free ticket as my son has a stand there again.

The quality of the kit on display is just unbelievable, better and better every year. Chatted with a few builders including Craig Calfee, his framesets are something else and with a show special prices I REALLY had to keep my hands in my pockets.

This was the queue at 2.00pm Friday

My son makes bags, he's the one with the illustrated legs.

Want this.... BAD.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Might be...

 

[NeilM]

DO IT!

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Am on the train at the moment, as it happens

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Interesting half day indeed. Some lovely bikes there, with a noticeable bias towards the sportier end of the spectrum. Some thoughts and impressions...

A slightly puzzling award-winning CX bike which had a TT-esque downtube cut-out giving almost zero clearance...one stone and a rather unpleasant graunching noise, I suspect (as also thought the bloke next to me as I was muttering my puzzlement).

Met some very nice people who were very happy to share their thoughts and opinions about stuff. Ony one grump, which was odd because I was praising one of his bikes to the heavens.

New super-sexy Magura road bike hydraulic rim brakes and a masterclass in the challenges of building bikes for smaller people (all in one hit) on one stand. Condor looking almost corporate amongst the little guys.

Almost everything specced up to the utmost, it seemed, so much ooh shiny-factor. Interesting conversation with Pete Owens who is passionate about wheelbuilding, clearly.

A number of belt drive bikes, I registered - a couple on the Shand stand, IIRC. Not quite as many gravel bikes as I'd expected to see, given current trends, but still quite a few. Everyone interested to talk about the spec of the dream bike I had in my head, and not sniffy about it likely having a flat bar (although very few around, a notable exception on the Snowdon stand).

A frame-coloured framefit pump, for that ultra-coordinated look (just because you can!)

All in all worth schlepping over to Bristol for (vebue is literally just outside Temple Meads, which is handy)

ETA
Oh, and yes, saw Betty's muti-coloured bike of dreams, too

 

[BalkanExpress]

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/what-makes-you-most-happy-about-your-bike.216062/post-4740216

Very briefly at 17 seconds in


View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=60BcSOeKIY0

 

[GlenBen]

My bike will be on display at Bespoked.

I just came on here to ask if that bike was someones on here...thought i recognised it.