Bespoked Dresden 2024: Handmade bikes with attention to detail and function

The Bespoked trade fair took place in Dresden for the second time, but the history of the bike fair is older. Dresden is the successful offshoot of Bespoked Manchester, which has been running since 2011. On Friday, the trade fair at Dresden Airport was initially open to the press and trade visitors from 10 am to 4 pm. Then the gates - or the escalator - opened to everyone.

This year, there were around 150 bikes to marvel at at Bespoked in Dresden, with exhibitors coming from 19 countries. The eye-catching and colourful paintwork that could be admired last year was partly replaced by simpler, raw designs in 2024 - or raw was mixed with bright colours, such as on the Dlouhy No. 53 Rusty Bikepacker from Leipzig or the True Love Cycles gravel bike from Warsaw.

Sram Inclusion Scholarship

Sram supports diversity. To this end, four trade fair scholarships were awarded. This means that there were four opportunities to exhibit at Bespoked. The application criteria were simple: if you don't see people like yourself adequately represented in cycling, you should apply! At the trade fair in Dresden, there was then a Sram area where the four or five frame builders presented their work.

And my subjective perception of the trade fair audience, which was very male and white, also showed that the cycling world could do with more diversity. More presence can mean that people who may now feel alone and alienated in this bubble will find a welcome home there.

Those selected for the Sram Inclusion Scholarship from left to right:

• Good Grief
• Memento
• Significant Other Bikes
• King Fabrications

Good Grief

Frame builder and company owner Christopher Schmidt is Native American and a member of the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe. This makes him part of an underrepresented minority in the bicycle industry ("and most other industries", as the website states), and he is proud to be a BIPOC-led company that makes beautiful bikes with Good Grief. It also supports underrepresented individuals and groups - through collaboration, for example. Spoiler: Good Grief won the award for the best bike at the trade fair. More on this below.

Memento Cycles

Behind Memento Cycles (based in Canada) are two long-time friends Éliane Trudeau and Ronny Perez Jaramillo. They had brought two bikes with them to Dresden, a beauty in glittering pink with blue accents to represent a trans flag (blue-pink-white-blue-pink; see spacer). A heart-shaped pannier rack and a Trans symbol as a head tube logo as well as a turquoise-pink crank from Appleman round off the design.

Significant Other Bikes

Probably the most striking feature of this bike is the arrangement of the seat stays. Less conspicuous are the QR codes, which Ashley from Significant Other is also proud of. One can be found on the top tube, another on the head tube. Another bike she built won an award in the best single speed category. A BMX bike.

King Fabrications

Li, the face behind King Fabrications, describes himself on the website as a non-binary bike nerd. Li can not only build frames, but also demonstrates acrobatic skills during the photo shoot.

Bespoked Dresden: fruit and vegetables for the best at the awards ceremony

There was a highlight at the end of day 1: the "Bespoked's best 2024" awards ceremony. Journalist colleagues and other people from the industry were chosen to find very special treats at the trade fair. Every single bike, every bag, every part that was shown at the trade fair attracted attention and caused amazement. This year there were new award categories: the Mike Burrows Award for Innovation and the Sram Scholarship Award. These are intended to promote new talent. But there were not prizes for everyone. The Bespoked awards emphasise the friendly competition and motivate people to stay creative.

The prizes awarded to the winners were also creative. Whether they did justice to the honour that the works of art deserved was up to each individual to decide. The award was a piece of vegetable (leek, head of lettuce, sweet potato, avocado, aubergine, etc.) decorated with a bow and a Dynaplug.

But now to the winners:

Best road bike

Last year, the Avalanche Cycles team won an award for the best gravel bike. The industrial designers Marie Kervella and Laurent Beurriand founded their frame construction workshop in 2019.

We believe that a bicycle is more than a simple object, but a true companion for many years. Customisation is not limited to body measurements, but must also reflect habits and wishes. - Avalanche Cycles

In conversation, Marie explains that there are no frames without colour. This is also to emphasise and maintain individuality. A trademark on the frames she builds is: "There is a little dove on every frame".

Best cargo bike

The salad for the best cargo bike went to the ...

... "No" from Sayle Cycle. The bicycle is the result of an industrial design bachelor's thesis from summer 2022 on the topic of "Mobility in cities". Marcel Sayle combined previous personal knowledge from the bicycle and metal construction industry with newly acquired knowledge in the field of industrial design. The winning bike is equipped with Rohloff hub gears, but it is also possible to use 3x3 or Shimano Alfine. Marcel founded Sayle Cycle in Munich in 2023 and the team consists of three people.

Best touring bike

Radavist has presented the award for the best touring bike. Number 1 on the list of the best is also my personal favourite: Yo, Ferny by Fern, equipped with bags from Gramm Tourpacking. Florian Haeussler, the founder of Fern Fahrräder, is an old hand in the field, with his first prototypes dating back to 2012. His speciality: touring bikes and accessories (Allygn Components). Together with Kristin Heil, the founder of Gramm Tourpacking, he creates complete compositions consisting of bikes, pannier racks and bags.

Best bike at the Bespoked trade fair

Good Grief, one of the four frame builders of the Sram Inclusivity Scholarship winners, was awarded the best bike at the Bespoked trade fair. Sram enabled four frame builders to exhibit their work at the trade fair.

Best singlespeed

The BMX from Significant Other was honoured as the best singlespeed - two people from the Sram Scholarship Awards took home the award.

Best bag

The best bag stands on a front carrier and was developed and sewn by Wit Slingers from Leipzig.

Best city / utility bike

The prize for City Bike or Utility Bike goes to Arko Bici from Slovakia. Marek focusses his work on functional frames that fit the riders and last a long time.

Best gravel bike

The best gravel bike from Bespoked Dresden 2024 is classic in nature. Rim brakes, front rack, Gramm Tourpacking bags and a modern side-running dynamo round off the design. Another striking feature is the front light, which has been installed twice side by side. In general, frame builder Thomas Becker from Prignitz in Brandenburg focusses on classic randonneurs. Meerglas Frameworks is the name of his frame construction workshop.

Best off-road bike

It's still off-road. And we already know the winners of the best off-road bike category from before - and from last year. Avalanche scored twice this year. GCN in German have chosen the bike shown from Avalanche as the winner.

Best New Builder

The Other Means Magazine had the honour of awarding the best newcomer. Don Sebastiano has reinvented the monster bike - at least at the front end.

Mike Burrows Award for Innovation

There was also an award for innovation, which was presented by The European Bike Project and went to Vapour Cycles. The Phantom is described on the manufacturer's website as the "ultimate tarmac weapon". There is no seat tube and the aero seat stays are shaped in such a way that they smooth out the air turbulence caused by the legs. Otherwise, standard components available on the market are used.

Best MTB

Huhn Cycles is already known for 3D printing and extraordinary ordinary bikes. Around two years ago, we presented a 36-inch MTB: Huhn Cycles Jersey Giant. The Intent fork was probably the most frequently used suspension fork on the MTBs exhibited at the trade fair. It is also fitted to the winning MTB from Huhn Cycles - and designed to match the colour of the frame. The saddle and wheels, both from Bike Ahead Composites, also fit in with the overall concept.

Best finish

As mentioned at the beginning, the trend this year seems to be towards less eye-catching designs. This is also reflected in the winning design for the best finish, as the bike is designed in various shades of white with very subtle colour accents on the inside of the fork and on the Appleman crank. James Lee Buckley builds bikes under the name Finnbar Trout wheels in Cologne.

Is the visit worthwhile?

Bespoked is the right place for anyone who wants a customised bike, regardless of the material or use. The frame builders cater to individual wishes. And if you are unsure about components, geometry and add-on parts, you will be able to make a decision in a dialogue. Either frame builders or customisation experts such as the Lightwolf Studio in Dresden can help.

If you're not looking for a new bike, Bespoked is also the right place for you. There is always something for the eyes and hands. And there were hands-on offers, there were group rides, for example from Sour and Hunt or the Gravel Club, there was a film screening and exciting talks. Tatiana Myk spoke about seat problems and the special challenges of being a woman on long bikepacking tours and ultra-cycling challenges. It wasn't just women who took valuable information home with them.