The founder of the leading custom framebuilding resource 'Frameforum' ( www.frameforum.org )
has launched a new website focussing on the custom and handmade bike sectors of the industry, which has seen something of a revival over the past few years.

The site, HANDMADE BIKES (www.handmadebikes.net) will focus not only on bikes, but components, accessories, bike events and shows and bike heritage.

Where Frameforum focussed on the work of the framebuilding scene, Handmade Bikes will widen its view to include complete bikes from the new wave of 'micro-brands' springing up in the last five years.

The site will feature bikes from cutting-edge bike brands such as Museeuw Bikes in Belgium, rafael in Germany and Sabbath Cycles of the UK. At the other end of the spectrum, its 'Heritage' section will feature classic bikes; trend-setting in their day, but now collectors items.

Clothing will be featured, but the focus will be on functional, tailored, everyday bike-wear rather than the 'stretch-to-fit' race-wear sector.
Like the bikes featured, clothing will come from labels perhaps less well known than the global brands, but nevertheless with plenty to offer in terms of functionality and style.

Components and accessories too, will feature some of the items often overlooked by the mainstream bike press and media, but worthy of an appreciative audience.

Handmade Bikes will also cover the annual round of bike shows; everything from Eurobike to the new European Handmade Bike Expo, where framebuilders and bike brands from around the world will gather to show their work and discuss the handmade bike scene.


BACKGROUND.

Frameforum.org was founded in April 2004 by Neil Hassan, a former framebuilder living in the UK.
The intention was to spread the word on framebuilding as well as a place for hobbyist and professional framebuilders to share info and techniques . It has grown to become probably the largest resource of its kind focused solely on custom framebuilding. While other forums and websites have now included framebuilding sections, Frameforum remains true to its roots and framebuilding instruction and information remains the main focus of the site.

Frameforum was the catalyst behind such events as the North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) and the European Handmade Bicycle Exhibition (EHBE) as well as many other regional and national handmade bike shows around the world. It's thanks to shows like these there has been something of a revival in the custom and handmade bike sector. Today, most manufacturers are keen to feature traditionally-styled, steel-framed bikes alongside their electronic-geared, nanotechnology-tubed models.

“Frameforum has been a great apprenticeship in developing and running a special-interest website. Over the last five years there have been many trials and tribulations, which have all been a great education into what running a website is all about.
Handmade Bikes will hopefully carry the same message as Frameforum, but with a wider scope and potential audience.”

Handmade Bikes is now 'live'. There is a Twitter feed on www.twitter.com/handmadebikes as well as an RSS feed from the site for regular updates.