A surprise guest at NAHBS 2016 was Mr Valentino Campagnolo. He came to the HBG photo studio for some portrait shots and we asked him his impressions of the show. He paused for a moment as if searching for the words in English that would do justice to his thoughts. "These frame builders, they are so creative and their work is so fine and beautiful. This is the soul of the industry," he said. 

Only a few seconds later, Steve Potts, one of the pioneer builders of the Marin mountain biking revolution of the 1980s, stepped into the studio to join Valentino. One of the Steve Potts bikes was a place-getter in a NAHBS event, the Best Campagnolo Equipped Bike contest, the brainchild of Quality Bicycle Products.

The meeting of these two kind souls provided a beautiful moment as they expressed their mutual admiration: frame builder and components manufacturer. This intimate moment somehow represents the spirit of the handbuilt bicycle world.

Article edited 2016-02-29, 14:01 PST