CRAFTED Bike & Gear Show: A Gathering of Bikes, Brands & Community

Welcome To Crafted And Why It Matters

SPEAKER_03 0:00

You're listening to Exploration Local, a podcast designed to share stories about the people who shape the places we explore, the brands and ideas that get us out there, and the experiences that fuel a spirit of adventure. I'm Mike Andris, host of Exploration Local, and I believe there's always something new to discover and new stories to be told, whether it's around the corner or miles from home. I encourage you to wander far, but explore local. Let's go. Today's episode is a little different and a good bit longer than usual. You see, I spent day two at the inaugural Crafted Bike Show, which was held on the grounds of Cane Creek, talking with the people behind the bikes and gear and ideas that really kind of brought everyone together. And what I found was about more than just the products. There were stories of innovation, craftsmanship, and collaboration, but one word kept coming up the community. We heard it over and over and over. And it was a reminder that what makes an event like Crafted special isn't just what's being built, but the people behind it, the connections they make, and the shared passion that brings them together. I wish I could have included every conversation, but there were too many to fit into one episode. So I brought together a collection of stories that capture the craftsmanship, the creativity, and community that made Crafted special. To kick things off, I sat down with Doreen O'Malley, founder of Crafted, and also works with Kane Creek, who needs no introduction, to hear how the event came together and what she hoped to create. Settle in and come explore the event with me.

How Crafted Came Together

SPEAKER_09 1:37

Crafted was an idea for the hand builders on the southeast part of the states. There's a couple of shows that happen around the country and actually around the world. And we were like, well, what's going on in the southeast? So we threw out the idea to a lot of hand builders in the area, and everyone thought it was a great idea. And we took it and expanded on that because Western North Carolina has such a great community with all of the nonprofits that work in the space and all of the bike stores that work in the space and all of the manufacturers here locally.

SPEAKER_03 2:09

Did it meet your expectations in terms of the number of people that would have signed up?

SPEAKER_09 2:13

We decided that 20 was going to be the number, 20 exhibitors was going to be the number that we thought, okay, if we get 20, we'll do it. We ended up with 45.

SPEAKER_03 2:23

Tell me about a highlight from day one.

SPEAKER_09 2:25

Highlight for me personally was just that the show came off without a really big hitch. The one thing I couldn't control was the weather, and we ended up with the most beautiful weather imaginable.

SPEAKER_03 2:35

So tell me a little bit about just some of the exhibitors that are here today.

SPEAKER_09 2:38

Well, we've got everything from some of the hand builders locally. Blackwater is here, we've got Fireflies here, and then we've got Catalyst Sports is here doing a build for adaptive bikes that are under that $20,000 price point. So we've got a $10,000 build that's happening, and we're actually giving a bike away to a member of the adaptive community that doesn't know they're going to receive it. We've got our friends from Rotgeist and String Bean. String bean bag string bean bags is actually here sewing bags right in place. We've got cognitive mountain bike gear, we've got Light Speed, which is over in Tennessee. So yeah, everybody rallied.

SPEAKER_03 3:19

That's great. So think about the people who have traveled the farthest. Do you have any a couple of those that have actually come in from a long distance?

SPEAKER_09 3:26

We've got from Massachusetts. We've got Firefly from Massachusetts, and we've got Euler Bikes, which is a 16-year-old who titanium prints his own 3D bike.

SPEAKER_03 3:36

And then some of the other bikes are the companies that are here, are these a little bit more regional, like the Lightspeed you talked about, Chumba? Where are these people located?

SPEAKER_09 3:44

Candy, Georgia region. Lightspeed, Tennessee, Lackwater, Tallahassee area, or the Panhandle of Florida. Boyd Wheels from down in Spartanburg.

SPEAKER_03 3:58

We have Defeat, that's a local group here too.

SPEAKER_09 4:01

We've got Defeat, yeah. Defeat is the OG of the cycling socks up in Hickory. They've been around since 1992. Aerotech Designs also came to us from the Virginia area. They're new on the scene.

SPEAKER_03 4:15

So this truly is a Southeast representation. First year 20 solid, really, you're going to limit it at 20, but 45 is what usually came in here. That's big.

SPEAKER_09 4:24

Yeah, it's very big.

Adaptive Bikes And Real Access

SPEAKER_03 4:26

Crafted brought together a wide range of people and ideas. And one of the most meaningful things happening at the show was an effort to make cycling more accessible. Shane Maxon gives us insight to the mission and ethos of Catalyst.

SPEAKER_00 4:39

Catalyst Sports is a nonprofit, and we provide adventure opportunities for people with physical disabilities. Our mountain bike program is rooted here in Western North Carolina. And during a listing session about expanding access in our region, Doreen from Camp Creek and I got into a conversation about the cost of adaptive bikes. And your your average adaptive bike comes in between $15,000 and $20,000. So it's a huge barrier of entry for most people. And I said, Well, there's this really amazing open source um engineering platform where you can build an adaptive bike for half that price. And she said, Wow, that's amazing. Would you want to do that at Crafted? And I said, Let's let's do it. Let's make it happen. So we started a fundraiser and got our industry friends involved and we're we're building this amazing bike. And then today we're gonna be giving one away to a lucky community member so that they can have their forever bike.

SPEAKER_03 5:46

From expanding access to cycling to rethinking how bikes are built, innovation showed up in a lot of different ways at

Wheel Innovation Built In Brevard

SPEAKER_03 5:53

Crafted. Here's Chad Davis. What made you want to be a part of Crafted?

SPEAKER_13 5:57

Kane Creek has you know just been a great partner, and you know, if they're gonna do something like we want to be part of it, you know, couldn't say no to a local event as well. I mean, we travel all over the country and we can sleep in our own bed and come to an event and talk to people about our product, and you know, we're we're there.

SPEAKER_03 6:15

And I was with Shane with Catalyst and we were looking over the adaptive bike, and I understand that your wheels are on that bike, and so you're a very much a part of that as well.

SPEAKER_13 6:24

Yeah, I mean, like if there's an opportunity for us to be in, you know, be a more part of our community, a support of community, we're we're all for it. You know, we we love our community, and we have fortunately we have lots of passionate cyclists of all types here, so yeah, we're we're pretty psyched to be involved with that project.

SPEAKER_03 6:44

That's good. Tell me a little bit about the products that you have and what sets us apart, and then maybe who would it be for?

SPEAKER_13 6:51

Yeah, I mean, like we're definitely a high performance wheel brand. I mean, the the the heart of our our wheel systems is is our spoke, which we manufacture right in Brevard, and we build all the wheels in Bouvard as well. But the spoke is is truly the special part of it. Uh we have the industry's only braided composite spoke. And the significance of that is kind of threefold. One, of course, most people's first thought is it's light. Yeah, it's half the weight of a traditional high-end steel spoke. Two, it's really the ride qualities, you know, it being stiffer you want it, but also but more vibration absorbing than a steel spoke. Actually, it has about eight percent reduction in vibrations compared to a steel spoke. And then three, it's actually much, much stronger than a steel spoke. So that's even impact-wise. Our our our spoke will take about 10 times the impact of a steel spoke. And you can see that video on our website where we where we drop uh a five-pound weight on spokes and we compare our spoke to other spokes.

SPEAKER_03 7:57

So talk to me about the people who might be considering uh crafted for next year for crafted 2.0 or or the second annual crafted. If they're even thinking about it, what should they be thinking?

SPEAKER_13 8:07

Man, if they're interested in bikes and they love the the community, which I think is an amazing community, I'm sure you realize that. You know, this is a this is a great place to be to see you know new product and meet the meet the people behind the product, and you know, there's a there's some great people here. So it's it's it's a pretty pretty awesome way to learn more about the thing that you're passionate about.

SPEAKER_03 8:31

I absolutely love that. Any new connections that you've made since you've been here uh over the last couple of days?

SPEAKER_13 8:36

Of course, yeah. I'm trying to get around and of course I'm talking to a lot of people here at at the booth, but you know, trying to make sure that I I make my rounds and introduce myself to you know people and companies that I haven't had the opportunity to do yet. Yeah, so it's it's been a great event. Like uh I'm really looking forward to years to come being a part of of this.

SPEAKER_03 9:00

Can you talk a little bit about sort of the cooperative spirit here? It's not like you have all everybody trying to compete against each other. You've just said that you're going around to the bunch of booze, so there seems to be a lot of collaborations that can come out of this as well.

SPEAKER_13 9:10

Yeah, I mean, uh I think people on the outside of the bike industry might may think it's a it's a massive industry, but like it's really not that small, not that big. I mean, like, you know, so we we all have to look after each other, even if we're competitors, like there's there's no room for, you know, for um I guess headbutting in in in in our industry. You know, we we all work together, you know, to help hopefully help create you know a stronger industry and and and bikes we enjoy more.

Custom Bags For Real Rides

SPEAKER_03 9:43

Innovation can be found in the big components, but also in the gear riders use to carry what they need on the trail. My name is Greg Clemmer. I'm with uh Rock Guts. So tell me, I see things hanging around the booth. Tell me a little bit about the different products that y'all make.

SPEAKER_15 9:55

Uh so we do like I said, custom frame bags uh to fit the shape of your bike. You take a picture of your bike and send it to us, and we make your frame bag to fit exactly how you want it in your frame. Uh, then we also do a lot of uh uh universal gear. So we do waterproof like hit packs, uh, we do any pretty much any accessory you can put onto your bike uh to fill the space and take your gear out into the woods with you.

SPEAKER_03 10:22

Who would be the ideal customer for you?

SPEAKER_15 10:24

Uh really anybody with a bike who wants to put some gear on their bike.

SPEAKER_03 10:28

Love that. From bags built for the ride to wheels designed for performance, the details can make a big difference. James Stoko hails all the way from beautiful Boulder, Colorado, to share the goods from Hunt Wheels.

SPEAKER_08 10:41

We're established by two brothers in their dad's garage or garage about like uh 11 years ago. Um, and the whole idea behind the name Hunt is that it was these guys were seeing the transition into um gravel bikes, and there wasn't a good product out there, and the products that were out there were very expensive. So they went on the hunt for looking for the best quality and putting together a wheel set that the general public would be able to buy. It's an accessible thing. So 11 years later, uh about six years ago, we moved to the we opened an office in the US. About three years ago, we opened an office in Germany, but now we have all our own engineering stuff, so we engineer everything and develop everything ourselves, and then work with our partners over overseas to make it come to fruition. So uh yeah, we went from basically getting stuff off the shelf to now developing all our own stuff, and uh, we're based out of Boulder, Colorado, and like I said, been there for six years, so all of our uh warehouse distribution, warranty, anything like that is all based out of Boulder, Colorado, pretty centrally located, you know, so we can service the people, and uh Ethos still stands for getting a really good product for an affordable price for for our consumers, you know. That's really cool.

SPEAKER_03 12:05

And when did you say this company was started?

SPEAKER_08 12:07

About 11 years ago. 11 years ago. 11 years ago, yeah. 2015 in the south of England, West Sussex. Yeah, and it started in these two brothers that still they are still the uh owners of the company, they are like the smartest guys you've ever met, and sometimes socially it's kind of hard to talk to them because they're like wicked smart, and you're like, I don't know what the words are coming out of your mouth, but they are still very involved, and um, a big part of the ethos is that if we are fortunate enough that people are buying our product, how do we reinvest what they spent with us to make sure that we can continue to make a better product and constantly grow it, you know? So it's a really great company. I've been with them for like two and a half years. I run the mountain bike side, and um yeah, it's just a great company to work for, and it's a family for sure. So we're still definitely of that mindset that we're a small family, even though we we've got wheels all over the world now.

SPEAKER_03 13:05

Western North Carolina is very far away from Boulder. What drew you into Craft It and why are you here?

SPEAKER_08 13:10

Um, that's great. So we've been working with uh Freddie over here, he's um so he represents us on the East Coast. We just saw such a great opportunity out here to be able to provide uh customers with the product and whatnot, and we just needed an opportunity to get our name out here more. So also the big thing is I'm a big bike nerd, so I jumped at the opportunity to come out to um handmade show and get to see what's going out over here. We're very fortunate that we go to the northwest with Maid, and we get to like really nerd out there, and then this was just another opportunity to learn a little bit more about this amazing culture. Like, there is a lot of cool riding here and a lot of cool people involved in this culture and community.

SPEAKER_03 13:58

For people who live on the East Coast, or maybe even people who are out west and who have been to MAID, like yourself, if they had an opportunity to come to a crafted second year, you know, the second annual, what would your message be to them?

SPEAKER_08 14:10

Oh my gosh, yeah, there's just so much opportunity to say to see so many different avenues, so many the beautiful thing about bikes is it's an expression of yourself. When you buy a bike, whether it's from a big company or from a handmade, you get to express yourself through your choices of colour, through the kind of wheels, the components, and this is just one opportunity to see so many different artists coming together to be able to express themselves, and you can find things that you relate to, things that you're just like, oh man, I wouldn't do it like that, but I've got to respect the way that you're doing it. So I think anybody that has the opportunity to just come grab a coffee and wander around and nerd out on bikes, they there's a little bit of something for everybody here for sure.

SPEAKER_03 14:56

Yeah, and have you had a chance to really kind of connect with some of the other builders here, some of the other craft um bike builders, and and what has that relationship been like with them?

SPEAKER_08 15:05

Oh, yeah, absolutely. There's there's a couple that I've known over the years just being in the industry, but there's some ones that have been in the industry for a great deal of time that I haven't come across just in my travels, and being able to just go around, especially early when we're all just getting set up and go nerd out on uh other people's bikes, get an understanding of where they're from, what their past is, and so yeah, we've connected with a lot of every bike builder out here, you know. And uh obviously there's the capitalist look of it where you're like, oh yeah, you want our wheels, but the truth is it's just like, well, why did you do this this way? And what's what's the reason behind that? And it it's great, like, yeah, the the builders out here are phenomenal.

SPEAKER_03 15:50

That's one of the things that I think we've heard over and over as we visited the booth that people are we know that this is what you build, this is your company, and you can look at somebody else who kind of does something very similar, but there seems to be this spirit of collaboration. Uh, and is that just sort of something that comes out of this community?

SPEAKER_08 16:06

Oh, yeah, absolutely. We're not curing cancer, like uh we're riding bikes, we help mental health with that. But the truth is that there's in my eyes, there should never be any animosity between any brands or anything like that. We can all work together and provide a better foundation for new cyclists coming in and growing our community, and and that's the best thing, we're accepting of everybody, like it doesn't matter wherever you come from, whatever. Just as long as you're out on the trails or out on the roads and you're having fun on your bike, that's what it's all about, you know, building friends through bikes. So, yeah, no, I think the the collaboration through different builders, different companies, no matter what scale they are, the important thing is that we're all doing it together. And right, I know it's an Instagram cliche, but all rising tides lift all ships, you know, and we truly believe that, not just at hunt, but I think as a community, a bicycle community. That's great.

SPEAKER_03 17:05

Of course, wheels are just one piece of the puzzle.

Titanium Legacy With Lightspeed

SPEAKER_03 17:08

Next, I talked with a company with a long history of building bikes around the rider and a long-standing relationship with Kane Creek. Brad Devaney, who is a longtime friend of Kane Creek, an industry veteran. So, what was the driving force for you to be a part of this first annual crafting?

SPEAKER_05 17:25

Um, the idea was mentioned a long time ago, and I just simply said if you're doing it, we're there, you know. So there's no business discussion. It was just you do it, we will come.

SPEAKER_03 17:38

And that's a pretty big statement from you because you said you have already been to MAID out west, and so that's a very big bike show that's something like this, but you were saying that this is more of a smaller curated experience, and so for somebody like you that's been to MAID to now come into craft it, that's a pretty heavy statement.

SPEAKER_05 17:54

Yeah, for the Kane Creek crew to put this assembly of brands together, uh, because it's not just bike brands, it's folks who love cycling. Um, just the region in general. This is our backyard, and we love sharing it. We've you know, we've got some folks um nationally here, some peers that have that have made the trek, but seeing that it's become international with the attendance is really cool.

SPEAKER_03 18:20

I love that. Tell me about Lightspeed, tell me about your origin story.

SPEAKER_05 18:24

So LightSpeed started in 1986 in Chattanooga. It was a small fabrication company. Uh a bicycle was just sort of a side project. A few years later, a collection of of cyclists had become you know employed there and and they decided to make a conscious effort into the industry, and we've really grown from there. And it's uh for some of us it's it's truly a passion project, but um the the hand built craftsmanship, doing that with titanium was not a hundred percent unique in that day and age, but where we've gone with it and to see other brands, you know, some follow, some be inspired by us. We're one of the older brands in the business. Uh it's it's really uh fun and exciting, and we still continue to innovate. We've had some really fun aerospace projects over the years. We've got uh parts on Mars, and so we've done some really big work over the years, but our heart and soul is bicycles.

SPEAKER_03 19:25

So let's talk about the products then that are specifically about the bikes, and then if we have time, I'd love to hear about more stuff that's out in space.

SPEAKER_05 19:31

Primarily, folks have known us as a road and gravel, more of a drop bar brand. We've always kept mountain bikes in our line. We've actually built mountain bikes that have won world championships and very high-level competition where where we've um begun to reinvent our product line is more on the fun side, right here in Pisca. We've had a model named Pisca for years. Um that's been reinvented this year. Um the the engineer who's worked really hard on this project is here. Um and and this is uh it's fun for us to live, breathe, and and um be excited with that bike as sort of our showcase piece to talk about. But some of our gravel bikes, a cool single speed, we brought 32-inch wheels for a little 10 by 10 space. We're we're packing a punch.

SPEAKER_03 20:26

So you are, yeah. And I did not realize that. And so the uh I am maybe a beginner mountain biker, um, but we have so many gravel roads around here that you kind of mentioned that that's something that I am definitely trying to get more into the gravel bike. Uh, and we have the engineer here as well. And your name is uh Jared Cunningham. Thank you, Jared. And uh, from your perspective, the change, the sort of the migration from the the world championship to the the the average rider. I don't know if that's safe to safe way to say what you just said, but the enthusiast. Yeah, what has that experience been like?

SPEAKER_01 21:00

Yeah, I mean we've we've always in my experience and my knowledge of our history, it's we've always kept that in our hearts. The fun that we hold for dirt is true to who we are, and we never forgot that. And it's really, really cool to be able to bring it here.

SPEAKER_03 21:19

That's great. Some of your favorite places to ride in this area. You have some favorites?

SPEAKER_05 21:26

Too many to name, honestly, too many to name. I've I've always been a little more obsessed with long endurance, which which really strings and stitches together trail systems. Um but it's uh it's it's just a spiritual area if you get out and enjoy the trails.

SPEAKER_03 21:42

Now, what about home for you all?

SPEAKER_05 21:45

I'm I'm on the eastern side of of Chattanooga, uh sort of out of county. And uh so this feels backyard. It's it's one of the many great choices that I have, so it's an easy you know, drive over in the morning. I'm On trail and um so it just feels like an extension of home, even though it's a couple of hours. That's right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 22:07

What has this experience been like for you guys to connect to so many other builders that are in this space?

SPEAKER_05 22:13

The event itself is a real surprise. We I mean I looked at the attendee list and knew that it was well put together, it was well organized. And then to see the faces that have shown up that I've known over the years, a lot of years, uh it's a wow. I it's a wow event for me. So I think others feel the same way. We're looking forward to next year.

SPEAKER_03 22:37

That's good, that's good. And that's one of the things that uh we'd love to kind of ask you too is for the people who may be considering crafted next year, the second annual 2.0, whatever it's called, what would your message be to those people who might get that invite, might even see some of the social media here or some of the you know stuff that the Cane Creek puts out and crafted puts out. What would your message be to them?

SPEAKER_05 23:00

I think what's unique is this has not been billed as an art show only. It's so much more than that. It's um it's about the area, it's about the culture of the company, uh, the timeline of Cane Creek and their history in this business, how special that is, really helps us as a company reflect on our parallel path, um, seeing other brands here that have that same spirit, whether they realize it yet or not, but it it is this area, it is the um uh just the the humbleness that we southerners can bring sometimes. Um I'm I'm seeing that being appreciated. Love that.

SPEAKER_03 23:44

Love that. Any last words you would love to for somebody to know about either the event or even light speed?

SPEAKER_05 23:50

We're here, we want to share, yeah. Uh whether it's product or or what we enjoy doing, it's very personal. We want to share that. Nice. Thank you guys. Right on. Yeah, I appreciate it. It was good. Thanks for watching.

SPEAKER_03 24:02

Really good, yeah. Appreciate what you guys are doing. Every builder brings a different perspective to the craft, and the materials, design choices, and ideas behind a bike can be as interesting as the finished product.

Candy Titanium And Shop First Sales

SPEAKER_12 24:14

My name is Emery, and uh Candy Titanium is the name. My name is uh Eric Titsworth.

SPEAKER_03 24:20

And you guys are located where? Where are you at of?

SPEAKER_12 24:22

In Chattanooga, Tennessee. Great nice.

SPEAKER_03 24:25

Second second person we've met from Chattanooga. Yes. All right, very good. This is the first year, obviously, for crafted. What encouraged you guys to be here and be a part of this this year?

SPEAKER_12 24:34

Oh man, this event just worked out for us because of where it is. You know, we're in Chattanooga, so three hours of a drive, yeah. It wasn't much for us to, you know, load up a few bikes in a in a car in our the tent. So yeah, like we we like these events, but when it's far away, we're a small deal, so it's a lot, you know, to stop work, you know, on a Friday and come up. But yeah, the timing was good and uh it was planned. They gave us the Cane Creek stuff and time to build it all, or for Eric to build it, really. And uh so yeah, that's what happened, and it worked out that way.

SPEAKER_03 25:10

I love that. So tell me a little bit about the origin of the company, where it started, how it started.

SPEAKER_12 25:16

That should be Eric. All right.

SPEAKER_02 25:18

Okay, uh, I started the business in 2022. At that point in time, we were kind of focused on full customs, um, and then quickly kind of got into the uh standard sizing and building you know, standard sizes and working through shops and things like that. So kind of started growing pretty quick right off the bat. But uh yeah, so I I cut my teeth at some of the local titanium companies that are around us that I'm sure everybody has probably heard about. But uh but it gave me the opportunity to come out and be able to do my own thing, kind of take the bits and pieces of the companies that I've worked for, that the parts that I've liked, and kind of get rid of the parts that I didn't like and um yeah, just kind of focus on that and make my own my own thing. All right.

SPEAKER_03 26:01

And let's talk about the obviously the products all the way around us, and this is all audio, but just kind of walk me through what we're looking at here.

SPEAKER_02 26:08

Okay, um, well, all of our bikes are made from 325 titanium. Um, we do three different types of titanium. We have a pro-level type or pro-level titanium, which is going to be our entry level, but it it's definitely I would say higher than an entry-level uh type of material. Um it is certain, they're certified, they're all certified materials. We use an SSD material which is has another certification, straight gauge material, 325, and we can also build a bike out of Reynolds titanium. We call that our 979. So that's a front triangle built out of all Reynolds titanium. You know, we we do all of our work in-house, so all of our forming, cutting, um, mitering, welding, uh, finishing, all that kind of stuff is um is done in-house. Uh we don't sell direct, so we are have a great try to have a great relationship with our bike shops. Um, and it, you know, if if somebody's interested in buying a frame and they they're not a candy dealer, we'd definitely like to work with that comp with that with that shop and get get a frame sold through that shop. So we're willing to take a cut of our profit to help that shop out, make their um make their profit on the frame. So and it and to me, you know, it just has it's this relationship. Um, so the customer's happy about the shop they go to because that's the shop they frequent, and and the shop is kind of the liaison between uh the manufacturer and and the customer. Okay. So it's just a no-brainer to us. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 27:40

And talk about your distribution. Are you all distribu uh distributing all across the United States or internationally? What does that footprint look like?

SPEAKER_02 27:48

Um, yeah, we'll we'll deliver a bike to wherever at this point. Um right now the majority of our shops are southeast. Um we have a shop in New York also, and then we're working on getting some shops out west. So, yeah, we're always in the market to grow. Um, and that's one reason, like you know, working with shops, and uh if we meet people at these events, like a crafted event, um, and they're from out of town and they don't see us in their neighborhood or whatever, um, they can reach out to their local shop, and that local shop can reach out to us, and you know, we can go through the process of geo if it needs to be custom, if it doesn't need to be custom, and then what the customer wants on our end, um, and then they can work on fit with the shop or the the build of the of the bike as as when you're talking about kit or um fork, seat post, all that kind of stuff, all the bits and bobs of the of the of the bike, the shop can take care of that, and we can work on what we do is you know, making the frame, making the right frame for you.

SPEAKER_03 28:44

And I know we were talking about this particular bike, sort of the the entry-level bike that you have. Talk about the user. What what type of user would be coming after your bike and and and what would they be looking for?

SPEAKER_02 28:54

Super high quality, really. You know, it's it starts at the very beginning with the titanium. Uh so really high quality titanium that's gonna take everything that we can put into it. Like, you know, nowadays tires are so big, um, you have to do a lot of manipulation of the tubing. So you have to start with a very high quality tubing. Um, all three of our two tubing levels are already a very high quality tubing. Um, you know, after that, um you know it's uh it's up to the customer what they want. We'll do we can do special annual anodization jobs on the bike. Um, you know, it from the tubing it leads into mitering. Um so you know, super tight miters. You want to have a very nice tight miter, and what that does is it allows the welder to do his best job. Um, and it also makes it to where there's not as much manipulation of the bike at the very end of alignment. Um, and you know, we with through the process we align the bike several times. So at the very end, the the amount of manipulating that you have to do on the frame is very minimal. Um so it just makes for a uh you know a better riding bike. Um, you know, you're not gonna have to worry about uh you know that bike titanium having a memory going back to where it was and coming out of out of uh out of alignment. So yeah, it's just a you know high attention to detail every single step of the way until it gets to the customer.

SPEAKER_03 30:15

That's great. And talk about your um your time here. What yesterday was the day one, today's day two. What was your experience like and has been like um here at Crafted?

SPEAKER_02 30:26

What'd you take the memory?

SPEAKER_12 30:27

Oh, I mean, it was great, you know. Everybody was super friendly and interested. There's uh people in like the bike tribes that we're familiar with and knew and new people, and uh yeah, it was great. I you know, people a lot people haven't heard of us, you know, but I think after this year people remember that we're down here and that we're out here, uh that we have bikes for people that you know ride and race road or are weekend warriors or mountain bikers, you know, and uh just something for everybody and yeah, it's good. It was good.

SPEAKER_03 31:01

Where can people find more about you all?

SPEAKER_12 31:04

Uh candytitanium.com, yeah. On Instagram. And on Instagram, yeah. And if you're down and around the chat area, you can look us up and have a tour. Nice. Yeah, it's pretty cool.

SPEAKER_02 31:17

The shop's always open. You know, if we're there, the shop's open. We love for people to come in just out of the blue. We get we get a lot of that, you know, so it's good. Um, and uh, I love to talk about what we do. So uh yeah, if you come down, you pull me out of whatever I'm doing, and you know, we'll run through the whole process and and uh hopefully send you down to uh the local shop that sells our bikes, and then uh yeah, hopefully you'll get on gonna get on a candy and start there represent us.

SPEAKER_03 31:44

And if there is a crafted 2.0 or second annual, you're gonna be here?

SPEAKER_02 31:50

Oh, we'll be here. Yeah, definitely. We'll be here. Yeah. Hopefully we'll be here with a few more bikes and maybe a few more people next time. So save my voice.

A 17-Year-Old Builds 3D Bikes

SPEAKER_03 32:00

And then there's the next generation of builders. People bringing fresh ideas and new approaches to bike design. Carter is only 17 years old and is already doing groundbreaking work in this industry. He made it all the way down from Massachusetts to share the stoke on Euler bikes. This will be unique from all the other guests that we've had. You are how old? I am 17.

SPEAKER_11 32:22

And you are building 3D bikes. 3D printed bikes. Yep, so it's 3D printed aluminum and it's uh it's a mountain bike. Uh so it's lugs and aluminum tubes, all aluminum. How did you get into this? So I started and I wanted to build a bike. I wanted to build a uh like a low travel sort of trail bike. That was fun. I also wanted to learn more about design, engineering, and things like that. So um the question is started about like how do I make a bike? And then originally I wanted to weld steel, and then I realized I couldn't do that. And this 3D printing, it gave me the ability to do design and uh like cat on the computer, uh, more like smoother shapes and and make things look how I wanted, I guess. So yeah, that's sort of sort of what happened.

SPEAKER_03 33:07

So, how does one go from that idea, and obviously loving to ride? How do you go from that idea to building all of this out on 3D?

SPEAKER_11 33:14

So I started with wanting a bike, and then I guess it was like, how is what's the best way to do it where I could get the design I wanted and easily manufacturable, I guess, because 3D printing, like I could send it to a company and they would 3D print it, and then I could assemble it. So I have control over like how it's assembled, I have control over um the shape of the lugs, the tubes, I have control basically over everything on the bike. Um, if I went to a place to get it welded, maybe like they would have to do the jig, they would have to do the fixture, so I don't have control over that. And like welding, it's a pretty big investment, so I'd have to learn learn how to weld some things like that, which I do want to do. Like it's a good skill. I want to I want to learn how to do that, but for right now, that was sort of outside of my like skill set. So that's yeah.

SPEAKER_03 34:04

So talk about the early time when it went from this concept now of I want to build a bike and I'm gonna do it in 3D. How did it what did it take to kind of scale that from an idea to actual production?

SPEAKER_11 34:16

So it took a while of like iterations on the computer. So I started with a rough model and then I slowly sort of worked my way around the bike. So I started with the head tube, like how to make that smoother versus just tubes going straight into a tube. So I learned how to model like the approach is called uh surface modeling. So instead of extruding solid shapes, you start with a surface, so you start with like the outline of the the guide of the surface, and then it fills in and then you patch in. So it's sort of like uh if you were to mold a piece of like plastic or piece of cloth around a wireframe. Um so that's sort of how it how it ended up and how it's so smooth, and like it looks like it's almost shrink wrapped to the tube shapes.

SPEAKER_03 34:57

This is amazing.

SPEAKER_11 34:58

And is there a distribution for this now?

SPEAKER_03 35:00

Do you just make them you know one off to sell? What does that look like?

SPEAKER_11 35:04

Um, so I don't sell it right now, it's just uh one-off project, sort of like learning what I could do. And maybe in the future, like I could design more bikes, I could design a downhill bike or something. And now that I know what I'm doing, it's a lot easier to build another one. So like I have the jig, I have um, I guess the fixture. So modifying the design, like changing geometry or something, wouldn't be too hard. So it's sort of like it's a good base, it's a good modular base, which is the cool thing about 3D printing is it's modular, so you can sort of like build off that and do variations, iterations, stuff like that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 35:37

Prior to building these bikes, did you have any other experience with 3D printing, or did this all come together at the same time?

SPEAKER_11 35:44

Yeah, I had a little bit, like very little. I did um I did a computer case, so like to put in all the components on a computer, but I learned a lot with this. Like the beginning versions, I didn't know what I was doing. So it was sort of it was literally just like a tube going into a tube. Uh, and then as I went, I was like, I Googled like how to how to uh make smooth shapes, and then each point on the bike, like for example, like the dropouts and maybe like the bearing area, each point was a new uh like application of the of the design. So I would I would Google how to do that, and then slowly I would learn. So then each next part would be quicker, and then there would be a new portion where I didn't know. So sort of like a gap in what I knew, and then I would fill that in, and then I would keep going, and then it'd be open up more things to learn, and and so I went around the bike like learning more and more. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 36:33

Where do you hope this goes?

SPEAKER_11 36:35

Um, that's a good question. Maybe I think it's a really good project like for my portfolio. Uh like if I want to go to college for mechanical engineering, I could apply and have this. Like it's a really good experience, like hands-on. Um, it's a good application of things like engineering, uh, design, physics, stuff like that. So I sort of like now I have a background of like what goes into a bike. So I know basically it it puts a lot of things into context that basically like schools and stuff, like maybe I would learn stuff in a classroom and have no idea where it applies. Yeah, this is where it applies, so I have a background of of uh like context and stuff like that, and it's also an interesting topic to me. So I it helped me learn a lot basically. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 37:21

Alright, so this is gonna seem like a really dumb question, but I'm looking at the bike. We have the tires, you have handlebar grips and things like that. What on this did you not print and make?

SPEAKER_11 37:31

Um, so pretty much everything. The only thing I did was the frame, so in purple and the the suspension linkage, so the silver right there, the aluminum. Um, like so. This here, this, and the whole frame. So if you take off the wheels, you take off the seat, everything, the fork, so it's pretty much just the painted and this. Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 37:54

Very good. Any other projects on the horizon for you, or are you just kind of sticking with the bikes for right now?

SPEAKER_11 37:59

Yeah, so uh I've got a few things in the bike world, like uh maybe I want to do a downhill bike or or a gravel bike or something like that. And maybe like smaller components like spacers or stems or something. Like I have a design for that. And this opened up a lot of opportunity like with design work. Um, so the company actually that did the the handlebar berm cycle, so they reached out and they wanted to do a full suspension bike similar to this. So I would help design and then they would uh essentially manufacture it. So I took this design, I smoothed it out a little bit, like made it sort of production ready, like uh a lot more polished basically. So now, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 38:40

Where do you think you're gonna go to school?

SPEAKER_11 38:42

Um, I'm not sure. Um probably somewhere in Canada, because I'm a dual citizen. Okay, so it's uh a lot more affordable there, and I would get a mechanical engineering degree and learn more about that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 38:53

Alright. Now, do you have aspirations of carrying that wherever it's gonna take you, like any other industries, or is the bike industry an industry that you really just kind of see yourself in long term?

SPEAKER_11 39:03

Um that's a good question. I do like the bike industry, like it's pretty cool. There's a lot of things you can do, like with the frame, uh other components and stuff, like carbon fiber, titanium, steel, whatever. Uh like my dream would sort of be like automotive stuff, like cars and things, because that interests me. So working for some car company or something like that, yeah, would be would be pretty cool.

SPEAKER_03 39:26

How has this whole experience here with crafted helped you or opened your eyes, or even maybe just made new connections for you?

SPEAKER_11 39:33

Um it's cool to see a lot of the other bikes. Like uh I've seen a lot of them on Instagram or whatever, like pictures, but to see them in person, uh like the approaches. Um like to see the approaches of how people did things, like uh certain parts or how they manufactured things, uh like how they welded, used 3D printing, painted, finishes, like all the different approaches to bikes and things were were pretty cool. And seeing all the people asking questions about this, uh seeing what they're interested in is also pretty cool. So it's a it's a cool opportunity, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 40:09

I have to imagine all the questions you've been asked too. Any encouragement? Do you feel encouraged coming away from this?

SPEAKER_11 40:14

Um, I think so, yeah. I think people are interested about this. It is so different. Like 3D printing, I think is pretty new. Like it's been done before, but uh it's pretty unique. So I think people are curious to see like why I did it, how I did it, stuff like that. And I think I think it's cool like to like for me to continue this and keep going is yeah, so that's good. That's perfect, man. Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 40:38

Yeah, Carter, I tell you, man, you are wise beyond your year. Thank you. Building a gray bike is one part of the cycling experience.

Skills Coaching And Industry Reality

SPEAKER_03 40:46

Learning new skills and growing in confidence on the trail is another.

SPEAKER_07 40:50

Hi, I'm Josh Whitmore, and the name of my company is Mountain Bike Skills Factory.

SPEAKER_03 40:55

Josh, where are you out of?

SPEAKER_07 40:57

Uh, we're located all over Western North Carolina, so in the mountains of North Carolina here. Uh, we operate between Brevard all the way up to Boone, North Carolina, anywhere in between.

SPEAKER_03 41:05

All right. And this show crafted first gime, first annual. Um, what was it about this show that made you feel like you just had to be here this weekend?

SPEAKER_07 41:14

Well, a big part of it is that uh an equipment partner of ours is Cane Creek. So um they keep us in uh in good parts, you know, suspension. And uh we just got the uh the new Invert Enduro um front fort for um from Cane Creek, and so it's on our coach bikes, and uh so they wanted us to show that here. And then uh we set up um a little zone over here for people to test suspension. So we've got some ramps and some little jumps and some uh some some I guess bumps, some artificial bumps. So we've got a little obstacle course for people to ride and test on. Uh and then yeah, just being a local company, it was nice to be able to also kind of tell people about our our lessons and our guided rides and that sort of thing, too.

SPEAKER_03 41:55

Yeah, and so our regular listeners are gonna know Josh, they're gonna know your name, they're gonna know mountain bike skills, and they know the skills factory and know that uh you are uh you're a legend here in this area, Josh.

SPEAKER_07 42:06

I don't know about that.

SPEAKER_03 42:07

But also one of the things that's really cool that people may not know is the Experience Center here at Cane Creek. You had a huge part of that.

SPEAKER_07 42:15

Yeah, it yeah, it's interesting actually. So um, so back when uh after Hurricane Helene, so you know, a recreation business like myself, you know, we didn't have any work for three to four months. You know, the trails weren't even open. And so that gave us the opportunity to to volunteer a lot, but also uh like okay, I needed to make some money. Um, and King Creek was nice enough to call me up, Doreen from King Creek, and said, like, are you make do you have a job right now? Like, are you making any money? I was like, zero dollars. She says, like, you can build things, right? And I'm like, Oh yeah. She's like, Well, we're working on this experience building this experience center, and we need some uh some help, like carpentry work and electrical work and stuff like that. And uh, and I think I was in there and like later that day, like I showed up and started doing stuff. So they uh they gave me some work for a little while to help uh help build that place.

SPEAKER_03 43:03

Yeah, good, good. And so even beyond the mountain bike coaching and the mountain bike coaching, and and of course, we'll we'll link to this episode because you you coach all over, you uh coach coaches all over this country as part of what you do, right?

SPEAKER_07 43:16

Yeah, absolutely. So, in addition to running my company, uh so we've we have six employees that handle all the lessons and all of our guided rides and that sort of thing. And I do a lot of them myself around this region, but I also train other coaches how to teach mountain biking. So I do a lot of staff trainings for bike parks that are embedded at ski resorts, uh, for summer camps, for other guide companies and uh coaching services. So I get to travel quite a lot around the United States to do that. So it's always fun to go and visit new places to ride and uh and geek out about uh you know how to teach mountain biking for sure.

SPEAKER_03 43:47

And speaking of new places to ride and ski resorts, you are the on-site professional at Hatley Point now. So this is the first year, first time it's been open. Uh seeing your videos all over the place, even helping people get on and off. Really, really to rack and get on the the lift. But um talk about that experience and uh what the impressions have been so far.

SPEAKER_07 44:06

Yeah, so brand new bike park, right? It just opened in August. And uh so yeah, so we're the embedded skills school there at uh Halley Point. And we're really excited to partner with them. You know, they're just figuring out how to have bikes at the ski resort, and so they need some bike people around to help uh help advise and help welcome uh you know clients there. Uh and you know, so yes, we uh we teach lessons there and do group clinics and um so it helps out, especially that that place is a great for uh like true mountain bike enthusiasts. Um and so as a if for teaching there, it's great to place to learn jumping or for some of the more advanced stuff, but uh, but it's especially helpful to have us as a skill school there to help folks that are newer to mountain biking. Uh it's a pretty advanced place to ride, so it's uh in just left to their own, uh like new riders left to their own would have a really hard time there. So we can help uh give them some combat skills and be able to handle the mountain in a more pleasurable way and not just be scared the whole time.

SPEAKER_03 44:58

This being the first time we've held something like this here, there's been other mountain biking focused events and things like that, festivals, but this specific type of show, what has this experience been like for you? And have you had the chance to kind of interface with a lot of these builders, Josh?

SPEAKER_07 45:13

Yeah, you know, I mean, we're a little bit of an oddbox since we're an experience provider and not a you know a craft maker of like uh you know bikes or bike accessories. So um, but it's good to, you know, the the audience here is is real receptive to you know chatting about what we do as well. Um yeah, and it turns out you know, I know quite a lot of the folks in the industry just as I've been in the industry for a long time. So it's always a great time not only to interface with the the visitors that come here for the show, but then also just for industry people to get together. And you know, we're doing a lot of like you know, standing around the water cooler talking about like, well, how are you doing? Like, how's my business? Like, what challenges are you facing? How are the tariffs going? What's shipping like right now? Like, you know, like all those kinds of things, and and and that affects my business in the way that the health of the bicycle industry in general, uh, you know, is gonna affect our clients as well. And um, and so then you know, they're asking me, like, well, how is you know, how is participation in your experience-based stuff? Um, you know, and we're doing better than ever. I mean, we we keep growing and we keep getting better. And so they're always glad to hear that because they you know, they're like, okay, people like people that are riding, like the the core enthusiasts of mountain biking is still um, you know, a thing that is like healthy. Um, and so some of the you know that sometimes the industry people need to hear that and that then then so that they don't uh think that the the like the pool of people that are riding mountain bikes is decreasing too much or something, you know. So the industry challenges that they face, you know, through all the stuff that's out of their control, um, you know, it's is like significant right now. Um, and but you know, it's it's nice to be able to kind of like compare company to company of like, yeah, how are you doing? How are you facing this and how are you overcoming this challenge? And so a lot of that kind of networking is really good here too.

SPEAKER_03 46:51

Oh, that's good. And uh also it's worth mentioning that since you mentioned the experience part, they're not necessarily builders, but many of the builders that we've talked to today who have been to other, you know, very large, long-standing type of of events just like this. One of the things that they said, and we heard it repeatedly, is that bringing in people that are experience-based like you has really kind of made this thing go sort of full circle, and they really have loved that experience. So, yeah, I know sort of this aisle that we're on, and then the next aisle is a lot of experience-based stuff too. But yeah, over and over we've heard that that this is what your type of um tabling and what you've done is really making a big impact on this event.

SPEAKER_07 47:29

Oh, good, that's that's good to hear. Awesome. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 47:32

The riding experience is built on more than skills and equipment.

Socks With Heritage Plus I9 Partnerships

SPEAKER_03 47:36

Even the smallest pieces of gear have a story behind them. And Morgan Cooper is part of the family business and proudly shares about the heritage of defeat. What is defeat and what kind of products are you making?

SPEAKER_10 47:48

Uh Defeat, we are a cycling sock company. Uh, outdoors, our slogans uh ride, run, play. Um, so anything in outdoors, cycling, running. Uh, we make a sock out of recycled water bottles, and then our wool socks are merino wool.

SPEAKER_03 48:04

Very nice. And where are you all out of, Morgan?

SPEAKER_10 48:06

Uh, we're out of Hickory, North Carolina. We were founded 32 years ago, 34 years ago now.

SPEAKER_03 48:11

And uh tell me a little bit about the origin story of defeat.

SPEAKER_10 48:14

So it started out in uh nine in the 90s. Uh we started in 1992. My mom and dad uh were cyclists. Um, Shane was not a good cyclist. Hope was a lot better than him. And with that, he said, I need to figure out a way to make some money so I can continue my cycling passion. From there, his father from England uh made knitting machines and sold them. He bought his first knitting machine and started selling socks out of the back of his car at trade shows and events, and then from there it took off. Very good.

SPEAKER_03 48:49

Yeah, very good. Now, the this crafted show that you guys are a part of, and you guys make a crafted product, no doubt. But talk about this show and why it was important for you all to be here.

SPEAKER_10 48:58

Well, it was important for us to get out to the show to see a lot of the local partners out here. Um, it's great to have a community to be around and kind of have our presence in our backyard basically. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 49:12

Anything you'd love for people to know about defeat that we haven't talked about today?

SPEAKER_10 49:16

I would say North Carolina made. Um, we always try and keep things made in North Carolina so we have a smaller footprint, um, recycled water bottles, and our merino wool. We were working with uh RWS, so responsibly uh wool source. Um so we know exactly where our wool comes from and it comes from a very good place.

SPEAKER_03 49:37

Alright. Has this been a good experience for you this weekend at Crafted?

SPEAKER_10 49:40

I've had a wonderful time at Crafted.

SPEAKER_03 49:41

Any highlights for you?

SPEAKER_10 49:43

Um I would say Sierra Nevada the first night.

SPEAKER_03 49:47

Can't ever go wrong with Sierra Nevada, that's exactly right. Uh look into the future with defeat. Anything on the horizon that's new for you all?

SPEAKER_10 49:54

Yeah, we actually just launched our sublimation. Um it's called the studio. It's a fully user interface on our website that you can go make a custom sock of one-on-one. You could even put your dog's face on it. Uh, you can make one for a ride team, your club, uh, or your short. Very cool.

SPEAKER_03 50:12

And how can people find you?

SPEAKER_10 50:14

Either defeat on Instagram or uh defeat.com. Perfect.

SPEAKER_03 50:20

It's impressive how much thought goes into the details. And that attention to design and performance carries through to the components that bring a bike together. We learned very quickly in this show that Industry 9 needs no introduction. But here's David Thomas, he's Asheville based, and he covers a southeast region for i-9.

SPEAKER_14 50:38

We have three different, you know, operational facilities here. We have our machine shop, our metal finishing and QC shop, and then our final, you know, assembly fulfillment sales marketing offices as well. Uh, in addition to that, we have our carbon fiber manufacturing facility, we are one composites, up in Kamloops, British Columbia, and then our European and Spanish, you know, our European uh facility in the south of Spain and Jerez, Spain. So yeah, we're we're kind of all over the globe, but yeah, Asheville is the HQ.

SPEAKER_03 51:18

That's very good. And as we've been around talking to the different makers, Industry 9 has definitely come up in multiple occasions. So you're very well thought of actually, you know, in the industries, you probably already know. But talk about some of the collaborations or the work that you've done or partnerships with some of the other builders that are here.

SPEAKER_14 51:34

Yeah, yeah. So our you know, relationships with the other, you know, the builders, the you know, other OEM manufacturers that you know here in Western North Carolina, yeah, we go way back. I mean, I think that it's totally worth mentioning without you know Diacomp USA, which then became Kane Creek, you know, without our relationship between our machine shop and them back, you know, in the 90s and even earlier than that, without without this, without I'm gesturing at Kane Creek, without them, it's it's hard to say that I9 would have even started. I mean, we worked on a hub project with Kane Creek back in the day. Going further back, we worked on RockShock RS1 components when Diacomp USA was distributing that. So yeah, without them, we wouldn't, you know, there's an argument to that. Uh, if we go fast forward to today, Gulo Composites. That's a that's an upcoming wheel manufacturer based in Brevard, you know, we're specing hubs with them. So yeah, it's it's it's very close relationship. Sometimes we do, we've done anno work for for Cane Creek, you know. So yeah, we we all we all jump to support each other when when another calls.

SPEAKER_03 52:59

So when we talk about crafted in this show, obviously it's in our backyard, but um what drew you to be here as part of crafted or what made you say we just can't miss this event?

SPEAKER_14 53:09

Um, you know, when Doreen came to us at Sea Otter, I was at Seattle, and when she came with you know the crafted materials and said, We're gonna put on a you know a Southeast based hand-built bike show, are you guys in? It there wasn't even a question, it wasn't even a question. So yeah, from millisecond one from hearing about the event, we were in.

SPEAKER_03 53:37

That's great. So looking beyond this into the potential second year of this for next year, if people are just kind of finding out about it and they were invited or even wanted to be a part of this, what would your message to them be?

SPEAKER_14 53:50

Come. Uh simply come, you know. Um the southeast is a region, and I people know about it, you know. If you're a mountain biker, chances are you've you've heard of Pisgah. If you're tuned in, you know, to the road scene, you know about, you know, Speed Week, you know about, you know, all the criteriums that are that are run down here in the in the springtime. So, you know, there is a real culture here and a real appetite here. And the people that live here, you know, they know about MAID, they know about Seatter, they know about Philly Bike Expo, they know about NABS, but bringing something into the backyard does bring people out here. So if there is a builder that is on the fence about it, if we have a second crafted that is announced, I think it's just a great opportunity. We've, you know, this is the first year of this event was a trial in a lot of ways, and I think they they nailed it, and I think there are there's a a ton of room for other builders to be here, other brands to be here. So yeah, I definitely think that what what the the kernel that is germinating here can be something really cool.

Adaptive Adventure For Everyone Outdoors

SPEAKER_03 55:10

We've heard a lot about the craft and technology behind cycling, but at the end of the day, it is also about the people who get to experience it.

SPEAKER_04 55:18

I'm Ryan Carlson and I am with Waypoint Adventure.

SPEAKER_03 55:22

And our regular listeners are gonna know about you all because they have listened to your episode before. So you have a location here, but you're also up in uh Boston, Massachusetts. We were founded there in 2010. Perfect, perfect. Why was it important for you all, for Waypoint Adventures, to be here as part of this? Hopefully, it's just an inaugural. Hopefully, there'll be a second edition of this coming along.

SPEAKER_04 55:43

Yeah, well, I've been part of the outdoor and adventure industry in Western Carolina since 2008 and uh part of Waypoint doing adaptive adventure uh for people with disabilities uh for the last three years since we opened our doors. One uh the crafted uh bike show here is celebrating the craft of bike technology and engineering, the artisans. Hey, uh adaptive sports, many of our adaptive uh uh pieces, like these off-road wheelchairs, adaptive cycles, are built on the backs of uh bike technology. And and the reality is the more we're thinking about innovating uh the technology to get people outdoors, whether it's hiking, rock climbing, we use this stuff on every one of our adventures. And so uh to be able to have collaborations and really let the community know that uh that all folks belong in the outdoors, whether it's cycling, hiking, climbing, kayaking, and uh so we want to be part of this.

SPEAKER_03 56:41

I love what you just said, and you named all those different ways that we can get into the outdoors and experience it. One of the things that has come out of this is that it's been more than just a bike builder's, it's been more than just a component builders. There's this lifestyle that uh really the this lifestyle message that's come out of this whole thing, and that's been from the from the crafted, you know, from the builders themselves, from the craft makers. And when we first started this, we thought it was going to be just about the people who are building things. But the people who are building things are always pointing back to you all. And they one of the things that they said is they love the fact that they have people like yourself here, and they love the fact that they have dirt skirts and they have you know Old North Cycling Company, the Acoustic Trail, all these kind of things. So it really is this whole environment, this whole ecosystem of outdoors.

SPEAKER_04 57:24

Well, look, when uh when I want to go do something fun or adventuresome or something hard, I go for a mountain bike ride, a gravel ride, I go rock climbing myself, uh, I go for a trail run. When I want to reflect or kind of just kind of clear my head, I go sit by the creek. Uh when I want to have an adventure uh with my family, I I go out for a hike in the woods or uh go see a local waterfall. Look, uh one in five people uh in our country are people with disabilities, and uh they every every person should have the opportunity for access to have that adventure, to do risky things, hard things, beautiful things, awe-inspiring things, and so that's why we're here and that's why uh we think that we should be part of Crafted.

SPEAKER_03 58:08

I love that from a personal level. What has being here meant for you personally, Ryan?

SPEAKER_04 58:14

Gosh, uh I would say every, yeah, like every minute, every hour of the day for the last two days, I've had uh folks from the community, both near and far, local from Asheville, folks from Florida, Greenville, Nashville, that have said, I have a family member that needs to know about Waypoint, or I wanna I want to come and join a Waypoint program as a volunteer, or can I donate? Do you need actually resources to do what you're doing? So being here, uh there's been multiple points of participating in what we're doing, and that that's just meant the world to be a part of this.

SPEAKER_03 58:49

You just put a bow on this whole event for me and this whole experience. Ryan, thanks so much for what you do. Thanks so much for who you are, number one, and I think what you do just kind of rolls out of that.

SPEAKER_04 58:58

Thanks a lot, Mike.

Cane Creek On Belonging And Vibe

SPEAKER_03 59:00

That idea of bringing people into the outdoors is a fitting way to round out these conversations. I'm closing with Brent from Kane Creek, bringing us back to the people and community behind Crafted.

SPEAKER_06 59:11

Throughout the weekend, there are so many people that have come up, visitors that are into cycling, visitors that are not necessarily into cycling, but just live locally. And they they came in and they said, Wow, I had no idea you guys were here. I had no idea about your history, your product. And then many of them just thanked me, thank Kane Creek for putting on this this show, right? It's great that you guys did this because there's been nothing like this in this area. And so that was really fulfilling to hear those compliments and those thanks. So to answer your question, you know, am I satisfied? Yeah, I mean, we've got great weather and the feedback's been positive, and there's just been a really good positive energy, a vibe, right? Matter of fact, one anecdote, yesterday, there's this young gal, she's in her late 30s probably, and she walked up to me, and I know her a little bit, and she said, I normally don't come to events like this. I don't feel comfortable with large groups of people, I get anxiety, and I'm thinking, this is interesting to share with me. And she goes, but I was here all day today, this was yesterday, and I really feel comfortable and invited and a part of the group, and she's a rider, recreational, but not a cyclist, right? And so to hear that from her, that you know, she was invited because a lot of times, to be honest, you know, cycling is is uh not all that inviting, right? You know, we're this club, this tight tribe, and if you don't know the secret handshake and a special jargon, then maybe you don't feel comfortable. So to hear that from this young gal was really fulfilling as well. So you wrap all that up, yeah. I'm super stoked. Um great event, and it really there's no way it would happen without the show director, Dorino Malley. She did a freaking fantastic job. I mean, I can go on and on and on, she's driven me crazy, but it's turned into a fantastic result. Yeah. Oh, that's good, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:58

And uh, so some of the other experiential-based people that are kind of here too, that are all part of this lifestyle, and you and I are outside of a booth right now, and we just kind of talked about them feeling like this is more of or less than just a bike show and more of a lifestyle event. That seems to be really what has been pulled off here.

SPEAKER_06 1:01:16

Yeah, I don't know if that was the the uh the focus that we were trying to say, hey, this is not just a product show, um, but we did go into it thinking that uh we wanted to have a more 360-degree uh experience for people. So, I mean, there's a tattoo artist, there's dirt skirts, which is like a thousand-member women's mountain bike group, um, some outfitters, and there's a young guy over here that draws trail maps by hand, free hand. Matter of fact, we just commissioned him to do do a big trail map in our experience center. So, yeah, that whole 360-degree thing, like I said, it wasn't by plan, it was just sort of natural, and a lot of it was to do with Doreen's work with some of these groups people for bikes, asphallone bikes, dirt skirts, right? Where she's constantly, dare I say, forcing me, Kane Creek, to, you know, get out there and participate in the larger cycling community, right? And that's what we you know ended up happening here. Yeah. Perfect, man. Perfect, perfect, perfect.

Final Thanks And How To Connect

SPEAKER_03 1:02:15

Thanks for tuning in to hear more about the inaugural crafted bike show. I wish I could have shared every conversation, but I hope these stories give you a feel for the creativity, the craftsmanship, and community that came together at King Creek. A big thanks to Dorian and Malley and everyone who took time out of their day to talk with me and share what they're working on. It was a great reminder that behind every bike, every component, and every idea, there are people who care deeply about what they do and the community they're a part of. So thanks for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share Exploration Local with someone who loves the outdoors as much as you do. You can also follow Exploration Local on Instagram and Facebook, and if you have an idea for a future episode or you know a story that deserves to be told, I'd love to hear from you. Feel free to email me at mike at explorationlocal.com. Until next time, I encourage you to wander far but explore local.