Boston, Mass. - (February 28, 2020) - The 9th annual New England Builders' Ball, the region's only annual bicycle show, will host many of the country's best bicycle framebuilders at Boston's historic Innovation and Design Building (19 Drydock Ave in the Seaport), on May 9, 2-10 pm. Sponsors are Velo Orange and Narragansett Brewery.
The Ball has played host to a who's-who of American bicycle framebuilders, from world-renowned (Richard Sachs, Peter Weigle, Parlee, Seven) to the new vanguard (Firefly, Chapman Cycles, 44 Bikes). Exhibitors include custom framebuilders, makers of bicycle components, accessories, and garments, and artists showing original pieces. The Builders' Ball is a unique bike show in that it eschews traditional expo settings in lieu of unique rooms and intriguing music, creating a mood much like a gallery opening. This year's growing roster and other show details are found at newenglandbuildersball.com.
New England has brought much bicycle innovation to North America. Pierre Lallement patented the bicycle while in Connecticut in 1866. Albert Pope started the American bicycle industry with Columbia in Hartford, in 1878. Titanium frames were pioneered by Merlin in Massachusetts (in 1986), and that same year, the world's first carbon monocoque frames were made by Aegis, in Maine. American bicycle framebuilders continue to turn out some of the world's best and most beautiful bikes, in steel, titanium, aluminum, carbon fiber, and even wood. Custom bicycle fabrication is to the bicycle what a bespoke, tailored suit is to an off-the-rack set of clothes: a perfect fit, using the exact materials that the consumer wants, made expertly by an artisan at the top of his or her game.
The event raises funds for the East Coast Greenway Alliance and MassBike. The Builders' Ball is a production of Cogent, a Providence-based consulting firm focused on bicycle infrastructure and events planning (www.cogentservices.org).
Contact: Eric Weis, eric@cogentservices.org, 401-450-7155.
