The chance for many Europeans to get up close to some of the World's finest frames and framebuilders finally arrived at the first-ever European Handmade Bicycle Exhibition last weekend . 
The picturesque German town of Schwäbisch Gmünd played host to exhibitors and visitors from around the globe;  its superb Congress Centrum auditorium and conference hall the venue.

The team behind EHBE, Indra Sarkar and Ingo Brandtl of local MTB and BMX innovators 2Souls Cycles, pulled out all the stops to make sure the first edition of the show went as smoothly as possible for all attendees.

Working on a shoestring budget, and trying to keep costs affordable for everyone, whether high-profile brand, semi-pro or  bike-building enthusiast, the event had the look and feel of of an event produced by seasoned event professionals, not raw beginners to the the world of 'show business'.

Everything went as smoothly as possible during the Friday morning set-up; there was a distinct absence of headless chickens clucking around the aisles as is common on a setting-up day!

As some builders finished assembling their displays, it was a joy to watch them offer a helping hand to their fellow exhibitors still in the process of getting their game on. 

The very real sense of community continued once setting up was complete, as builders went from booth to booth admiring each others' work. There was plenty of shaking hands for the first time with friends' made online and no doubt, plenty of newbies grasping the opportunity to thank the seasoned pros for their inspiration and encouragement.

All of the metalwork on display was of an incredibly high standard.

Admiring glances from visitors in the direction of legendary marques and the wealth of new talent on display were cast in equal measure.
Just about every type of bike was on view, from classic Pedersen design roadsters featuring tensioned cables acting as suspension for comfy leather hammock saddles, to full-on state-of-the-art downhill rigs. The public also got the chance to see finely machined parts from local low-volume engineering firms as well as the latest technology from industry giants SRAM.

There was plenty of prêt-à-porter tailoring for bike riders from some of the bigger clothing 'labels' as well as highly attractive designs by a few lesser-known but highly skilled bespoke couturiers from both the USA and Europe.

On Saturday evening after the handing over of the Frameforum 'Bike Of The Year' Award to Fixie Inc,  Keith Noronha of the ever-supportive Reynolds presented a thought-provoking seminar titled 'Strength and Stiffness'.

This was followed by a Q&A session where the implications surrounding the new CEN standards and how they affect custom builders became the hot topic.

The discussion carried over into the  beer 'n' barbecue session, complete with tunes from a bicycle-powered mobile DJ!  The socialising continued late into the night and no doubt the bar and restaurant owners around town had something to smile about when they counted the evenings' take from the sudden influx of hungry and thirsty visitors to their town!

A hot and humid and sometimes wet Sunday couldn't dampen the spirits of visitors to the show. Meanwhile exhibitors were already thinking ahead to next years' event.  All concerned said it was a superb show and would be back next year for sure. The ideas and suggestions on how to make next years' edition of the event even better than this year flowed freely between organisers and exhibitors and all comments were well received and duly noted.

In all, it would be hard to find a better-organised and enjoyable event.

The first EHBE was all the more remarkable when you consider it was presented by a team with virtually no experience in organising a major international gathering of this quality.  The reality is, there's very little that needs  improvement, apart from a few issues outside their control, such as the temperamental internet access and a reluctance by the local press to provide coverage in the run-up to the show.

The show is sure to be covered by the local press next time around and you can bet they'll be plenty of interest from the town authorities thanks to influx of almost 3000 visitors over the weekend thanks to the show.

Perhaps the best comment to sum up the EHBE came from the camp of Italian legends Zullo.

As we said our goodbye's in the lobby of the Hotel Pelikan, they told me it had been a great event for them and were overwhelmed by the reception they received and the knowledgeable and appreciative audience they drew.

When asked if they would be back again, their response was instant:

“For sure! We go to other shows, but to finally have a show like this in Europe is wonderful. Friedrichshafen (the location for Eurobike) is way out of most custom builders' budget.  But in a few years' time, the EHBE could be every bit as important for us (meaning the framebuilding community) as Friedrichshafen; it could be our Eurobike”.

We couldn't agree more. Roll on next year!

Galleries and reports to follow.....