Gates Carbon Drive

Pardon me, mind if I squeeze by? This is my floor. Coming out.

In this final installment of our photo sessions from the North American Handmade Bicycle Show we present custom belt drive bikes from several talentednewcomers, as well as a mini-velo, a flashy folding bike, a wooden commuter, a beer-themed titanium singlespeed mountain bike and a red-hot city bike. Welcome to the elevator session. Next stop: ground floor of the convention center, Charlotte, North Carolina.

First up is Bike Friday, which displayed this red-rimmed folding bike.

This beauty folds up to fit in the trunk of your car or in a suitcase for overseas trips. The grease-free belt drive means you won’t get dirty squeezing it into an elevator.

Ti Cycles presented this 16-pound mini velo for city riding and easy portability on subways and public transportation. We rode it and can attest that it’s fast, light, silent and fun.

REEB Cycles, the bike brand of Oskar Blues Brewery, featured multiple blingy bikes but this titanium singlespeed was total eye candy with red-white-and-blue highlights to match the can colors of its best-known brew, Dale’s Pale Ale.

Legendary bike builder Mike Flanagan of ANT Bikes wowed us with his retro electric bike, but he really showed off his red-hot style with this city bike.

Some of the loveliest belt drive builds came from new exhibitors who showed us with their work that they have a bright future in the bike industry. Meet Syndrome Cyclesfrom Maryland.

Fe Cycles from Saint Louis is another new builder who showed true belt driven style with this commuter bike. Check out the internal cable routing and racks.

Renaissance swung some big lumber with this wooden build. Grab the lemon fresh Pledge because this bike deserves to shine.

Thanks again to Gates racer and marketing specialist Tim Lucking for his artistry behind the lens. You can see more of his photos and all of our coverage from NAHBS here.

Now if you can please hold the door, we’re outta here.