Bikes and Builders of MADE 2026 (Part 2)

The 2026 MADE handmade bike show has opened in Portland, featuring a massive collection of hundreds of handcrafted bicycles. This event serves as a gallery for custom builders to display their work, including specific entries from Canada that have gained significant attention. According to reporting from Outside Magazine, the event is highlighting several unconventional design choices, such as the inclusion of 32-inch wheels and a specialized steel climber that weighs only 13 pounds. Other notable displays include aero steel frames, which challenge traditional notions of frame material and aerodynamics. Coverage from various industry outlets emphasizes different aspects of the exhibition.

Outside Magazine is focusing on the best bikes and technical innovations, including a segment on the best tech that was nearly overlooked. Bicycling.com has reported on the sheer volume of handmade bikes present and highlighted a specific bike that reportedly goes against almost every current trend in the cycling industry. Additionally, Canadian Cycling Magazine is focusing on the performance and visibility of two specific Canadian bikes that are shining at the Portland event, while Escape Collective has focused its gallery coverage on big ideas for big wheels. Understanding the significance of this event requires recognizing the tension between mass-produced cycling trends and the artisanal approach of the MADE show. The presence of a bike that deliberately rejects current industry trends, as noted by Bicycling.com, suggests a pushback against standardized designs.

The introduction of extreme specifications, such as the 32-inch wheels mentioned by Outside Magazine, indicates that the show is a primary venue for experimentation in bike geometry and wheel sizing that is not typically found in commercial retail environments. Looking forward, observers are tracking the continued series of reports from the event. BIKEPACKING.com is releasing a multi-part series on the bikes and builders, with Part 2 and Part 3 already in circulation. Pinkbike is also contributing to the conversation through its Randoms series, with Round 1 already published. Future updates from these outlets will likely detail more specific builders and technical specifications as the event progresses and more gallery collections are released to the public.