Image 1 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 2 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 3 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 4 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 5 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 6 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 7 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 8 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 9 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 10 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 11 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 12 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 13 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 14 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 15 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 16 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 17 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 18 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 19 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 20 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 21 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 22 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 23 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 24 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 25 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 26 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 27 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 28 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 29 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 30 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 31 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 32 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 33 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 34 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 35 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 36 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 37 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 38 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 39 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 40 of 152 The mostly carbon fiber construction on the prototype THM-Carbones rear derailleur uses very few fasteners. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 41 of 152 Brake arms are directly integrated into the fork blades on THM-Carbones' Scapula F fork. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 42 of 152 The KCNC cranks on Fairwheel Bikes' Shimano Dura-Ace Di2-equipped Titus titanium 29er hardtail uses a threaded collar to fine-tune the bearing preload. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 43 of 152 Fairwheel Bikes repurposed an unused water bottle braze-on to run the Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 wire. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 44 of 152 The front end of Fairwheel Bikes' Shimano Dura-Ace Di2-equipped Titus hardtail includes a lot of red anodizing. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 45 of 152 Fairwheel Bikes' Titus titanium 29er would be an impressive rig on its own but what really makes it special is the re-engineered sequential shifting Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 system. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 46 of 152 The KCNC headset used on the Titus 29er is very low-profile. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 47 of 152 Fairwheel Bikes outfitted the Shimano Dura-Ace Di2-equipped Titus 29er with KCNC's new X-7 disc brakes. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 48 of 152 KCNC's platform pedals are superlight but also super small. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 49 of 152 KCNC pulleys replace the stock units on the Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 rear derailleur on Fairwheel Bikes' special Titus 29er. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 50 of 152 Just the right amount of red offsets the othewise endless sea of grey on Fairwheel Bikes' Titus 29er. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 51 of 152 An ultralight Tune carbon fiber tops the KCNC aluminum post on Fairwheel Bikes' Titus 29er. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 52 of 152 Fairwheel Bikes retasked a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 satellite shifter for its special sequential-shift mountain bike project. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 53 of 152 Fairwheel Bikes' consultant created his own Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 'brain' and hid it inside the Enve Composites stem. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 54 of 152 Fairwheel Bikes stocks a diverse range of Tune components and accessories - and now you can see them all in one place at the shop's new gallery in Portland, Oregon. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 55 of 152 Tune's new Bigfoot cranks are proudly on display in Fairwheel Bikes' new gallery. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 56 of 152 Fairwheel Bikes not only has an impressive collection of Tune hubs but even has the company's brand-new model with the ultralight magnetic driver mechanism. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 57 of 152 THM-Carbones developed this ultralight rear derailleur but remarkably, ultimately decided that it was going to be too expensive to introduce to the public. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 58 of 152 The mechanism on the prototype THM-Carbones rear derailleur is unique, too. The carbon fiber linkage moves the cage in a linear fashion along the titanium post. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 59 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 60 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 61 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 62 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 63 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 64 of 152 Soul-Kozak's aluminum headset spacers are heavily machined inside and out to remove as much material as possible. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 65 of 152 The custom Schmolke bars on this ultralight - as in around six pounds! - custom carbon bike project are barely padded to save grams. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 66 of 152 Full ceramic bearings are pressed directly into the bottom bracket shell on this insanely light Spin carbon frame. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 67 of 152 Prototype Myth machined aluminum cranks are used on Fairwheel Bikes' ultralight Spin carbon project bike. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 68 of 152 Fairwheel Bikes says this cost-no-object ultralight road bike project weighs just six pounds. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 69 of 152 The Campagnolo Record rear derailleur on Fairwheel Bikes' ultralight Spin carbon road bike has been heavily massaged - though Campagnolo's newer Super Record unit might even be lighter. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 70 of 152 The carbon-shelled saddle is bonded right to the top of the seatpost on Fairwheel Bikes' Spin carbon bike. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 71 of 152 About the only things in this image that aren't carbon fiber are the cables, housing, tires, stem bolts, and brake pads. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 72 of 152 THM-Carbones' Clavicula is definitely one of the rarest mountain bike cranksets currently available. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 73 of 152 THM-Carbones' new Clavicula M3 crank has a removable spider so it's now compatible with an SRM power meter. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 74 of 152 Short aluminum barrels are used to pull the ends together on the THM-Carbones crankarm clamp. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 75 of 152 The THM-Carbones Fibula brake is almost entirely carbon fiber, including the arms, linkage, and even the return spring. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 76 of 152 Tune has long been a favorite for the weight weenie crowd. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 77 of 152 Yes! Tune now offers a 15mm thru-axle version of its ultralight skewer. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 78 of 152 This Ira Ryan lugged steel road bike (with Shimano Ultegra!) may seem like an oddball among the sea of carbon fiber but the gallery will also be used as a showcase for local builders. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 79 of 152 Fairwheel Bikes stocks virtually every widget in KCNC's catalog. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 80 of 152 The pin and slot on the rear of KCNC's road caliper increases the leverage while allowing for even movement between the two arms. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 81 of 152 Want to see all of KCNC's available brake caliper colors? Check them out at the Fairwheel Bikes gallery. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 82 of 152 Claimed weight on a complete KCNC K-Type road crankset is 680g. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 83 of 152 Mcfk is an obscure German carbon fiber parts company whose products Fairwheel Bikes has decided to offer for sale. Claimed weight on this seatmast topper ranges from 69-79g depending on size - Ritchey's aluminum version is around 140g. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 84 of 152 Fairwheel Bikes in fact offers several varieties of alternative seatmast toppers for weight weenies looking to shave grams. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 85 of 152 New Ultimate uses a simple head design but the result is superlight weight. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 86 of 152 Geoff McFetridge cleverly used the bottom bracket shell itself as part of the graphics scheme. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 87 of 152 This Parlee 'cross bike is fitted with a rare THM-Carbones carbon crank. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 88 of 152 This Parlee 'cross bike is chock-full of exotic carbon componentry. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 89 of 152 Fairwheel Bikes' Geoff McFetridge-painted Parlee track bike is fitted with a Tune crank. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 90 of 152 Fairwheel Bikes contracted famed graphic artist Geoff McFetridge to put his stamp on this Parlee track bike. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 91 of 152 Fairwheel Bikes' Jason Woznick says Geoff McFetridge included a self-portrait somewhere on this Parlee track frame. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 92 of 152 Geoff McFetridge even painted the inside of the seat stays. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 93 of 152 Winner! (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 94 of 152 The Sturmey Archer multi-ratio fixed-gear rear hub is shifted via this bar-end lever. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 95 of 152 Extralite's HyperRear disc hub is said to weigh just 168g. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 96 of 152 Note the intricate machining work on Extralite's QRC-2 road cranks. Claimed weight is just 475g per set without chainrings. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 97 of 152 ADA and Lightweight wheels are notably similar in design and construction but while you see quite a bit of the latter, ADA creator Cees Beers mostly does design work for others now. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 98 of 152 Need to add some color or cleave a few grams? Fairwheel Bikes' new gallery includes lots of aggressively machined and color anodized aluminum bits. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 99 of 152 Recon's new all-aluminum mountain bike cassette features a domed construction somewhat similar to SRAM's setup. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 100 of 152 Having trouble finding AX Lightness bits to look at in person? Head over to Fairwheel Bikes' new gallery in Portland, Oregon. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 101 of 152 Fairwheel Bikes has perhaps the most comprehensive collection of boutique exotica not only in stock, but now available to view in person via the shop's new gallery. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 102 of 152 Some of Franco Ballerini's team logos decorate the chain stay. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 103 of 152 Underneath the Franco Ballerini tribute livery lies a standard BMC SLR01 TeamMachine. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 104 of 152 Franco Ballerini was successful as a cyclist himself but also as coach for the Italian national team. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 105 of 152 Mad Fiber wheels grace the Franco Ballerini tribute bike. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 106 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 107 of 152 In addition to the panoply of exotica, the Fairwheel Bikes gallery also includes several pro riders' bikes, such as the 'cross racer of local Portland, Oregon racer Sue Butler shown here. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 108 of 152 Carbon fiber bolts? Non-metallic fiber cables? Both are avaiable for inspection at Fairwheel Bikes' new gallery. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 109 of 152 Sitting on display in one corner of the gallery are the 'cross machines of Ryan Trebon, Todd Wells, and Jeremy Powers. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 110 of 152 Dromarti shoes and gloves are also included in the gallery display. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 111 of 152 It's not all that often that Enve Composites bits are considered mid-range in a shop's collection of goods. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 112 of 152 Extralite's chainring setup allows the fitment of a smaller inner ring than what a standard 104mm BCD would normally allow, making for more usable two-ring crank conversions. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 113 of 152 Extralite cranks, anyone? Take a look for them yourself at the Fairwheel Bikes gallery. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 114 of 152 Geoff McFetridge's graphics work would normally be very expensive but luckily, some personal connections earned Fairwheel Bikes a favor. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 115 of 152 Local Portland, Oregon builders Ira Ryan and Tony Pereira both collaborated on this Rapha Continental bike. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 116 of 152 Tucson, Arizona boutique Fairwheel Bikes offers a wide range of lightweight bits to shave grams off of your ride. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 117 of 152 This clever Soul-Kozak one-piece headset cap and bolt is said to weigh just 4.5g. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 118 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 119 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 120 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 121 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 122 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 123 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 124 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 125 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 126 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 127 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 128 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 129 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 130 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 131 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 132 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 133 of 152 Het Fairwheel Podium is the Tucson, Arizona shop's foray into a unique gallery to showcase its wares. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 134 of 152 The AX-Lightness stem is painted to match on this Ruegamer. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 135 of 152 This head tube badge reveals the builders, the model, when it was built, where it was built, and even the frameset weight. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 136 of 152 The logos of Ira Ryan and Tony Pereira decorate the seat tube. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 137 of 152 Cables are fed into the top tube on this Renovo. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 138 of 152 This Renovo frame uses chunky two-piece aluminum dropouts. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 139 of 152 Renovo is another local Oregon builder that is currently being featured in Fairwheel Bikes' Portland gallery. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 140 of 152 A close-up look at the Renovo's wooden construction. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 141 of 152 Far and Near is a relatively new company offering a wide range of lightweight components. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 142 of 152 The Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 control box is neatly tucked up inside the custom stem on this Rob English road bike. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 143 of 152 Oregon builder Rob English built this fantastic-looking steel road racer for the gallery opening. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 144 of 152 Rob English says he had to ovalize the seat tube himself on this road bike. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 145 of 152 The rear brake line is routed through the top tube on this Rob English bike and exits right behind the seat tube. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 146 of 152 A rare Dash saddle tops the custom seatmast head on this Rob English bike. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 147 of 152 This Rob English bike is fitted with Shimano's new Dura-Ace Di2 sprint shifters. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 148 of 152 Fairwheel Bikes' Ruegamer showpiece is outfitted with a rare prototype eecycleworks eecrank. The design looks slick and we're looking forward to testing one. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 149 of 152 The prototype eecycleworks eecrank on Fairwheel Bikes' Ruegamer showpiece features an aluminum non-driveside arm and spindle that's machined as a single piece. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 150 of 152 Ruegamer has mostly left the bicycle frame business but that hasn't stopped Fairwheel Bikes from using one for display at its new gallery in Portland, Oregon. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 151 of 152 The Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 wire is fed into the side of the head tube on this Ruegamer. (Image credit: Jonny Irick) Image 152 of 152 (Image credit: Jonny Irick)

Fairwheel Bikes – the Tucson, Arizona boutique shop known for its comprehensive selection of high-end exotica – has ventured into new territory with the opening of a new bicycle gallery in Portland, Oregon. Occupying a space roughly the size of two cargo containers and covered in off-white paint and wooden floors, Het Fairwheel Podium will showcase a wide variety of the shop's extensive wares but also a rotating collection of bikes from local builders and pro riders.

"[We want] to show parts to people that they're not going to regularly see – to bring a little boutique gallery to physical presence, to pull it off of blogs and web sites and things into a space where people can actually check it out," said Fairwheel's web developer and gallery co-owner Emiliano Jordan.

Though the gallery is expected to draw a strong local crowd in proudly bike-crazy Portland, Jordan also expects the appeal of the gallery to extend far beyond the greater metro area, mirroring the international clientele of the mainstream Fairwheel shop. One recent customer flew to Tucson from Switzerland specifically just to go over details of a bike purchase.

A single tour through the gallery – even in its early state – is enough to prove that the shop has accomplished its goal. Littered throughout the modest space are (open!) glass cases filled with carbon and machined aluminum components from the likes of THM-Carbones, AX Lightness, Tune, Extralite, Schmolke, New Ultimate, Soul-Kozak, Enve Composites, KCNC, Far and Near, eecycleworks, and countless others – items many people may have seen pictures of but few have ever seen in person, never mind handled.

There are even extremely rare finds such as THM-Carbones' prototype carbon fiber rear derailleur – estimated to cost around US$3,000 – Tune's new magnetic rear hub, and ADA carbon wheels.

Fairwheel Bikes has also earned a reputation over the past few years for some remarkable project bikes that have occasionally made the rounds in online forums and the trade show circuit. Included in that mix is an insanely light complete road bike weighing just 2.7kg (6lb), a Titus 29" titanium hardtail with a thoroughly re-engineered sequential-shifting Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 transmission, and a variety of special paint jobs.

It's those amazing Di2 reworks that have earned the shop the most visibility in our eyes, though. What started out as more basic adaptations for mountain bike use has now morphed into something much more complex and ambitious. Fairwheel has enlisted the aid of an elite computer engineer and former high-power hacker who operates in the shadows from his home in Hawaii and normally charges US$1,000 for his consulting work.

"We can't really say much about him," said Jason Woznick – better known as "madcow" on forums and essentially the public face of Fairwheel Bikes. "He's a computer engineer that writes kernels and lives in Hawaii and is a bike fanatic. He just likes doing this kind of fun stuff – I think it breaks up the monotony of his day job. He's been a friend of mine for a long time and donates his time – we otherwise couldn't afford him."

Woznick says the Di2 projects that the company's secret developer has created thus far are only just the tip of the iceberg, too. Supposedly, there's much more potential given the right programming. Woznick adds that there are some patents pending surrounding the development work that may be sold or possibly put into a limited production run. After riding the sequential-shift Di2 system for ourselves – albeit very briefly and gingerly on account of non-glued tubular tires – we'd love to see something like this more widely available.

Still, "widely available" is a relative term here as much of Fairwheel Bike's inventory and work caters heavily to the very well heeled. Included in the company catalog are US$1,500 cranksets (without chainrings!), US$580 rear hubs, US$700 seatposts, US$140 water bottle cages, US$1,200 road brake calipers, and US$825 road handlebars. In all fairness, there is also a wide variety of less expensive machined aluminum and color anodized bits under US$50 but even so, we're generally not talking about the everyday consumer here.

Amazingly, though, Woznick says Fairwheel's numbers are still steadily climbing.

"We actually continue to increase in sales," he said. "Not that all of our customers are ultra-rich but for the guys that have money, when there's a recession and they lose 20 percent, they're still well off."

Moreover, Woznick sees no end in sight to what some folks are willing to pay to have the very best.

"There's absolutely no upper limit. I know of companies that have done jewel-encrusted head tube badges. As you move up in that price, the clientele shrinks with each step in price so at some point, there's only going to be handful of people that would want a jewel-encrusted head tube but they're out there. They're the same guys that want a US$30,000 watch or have a Ferrari collection or just prefer bikes to Ferraris."

That sort of casual commentary can sound like utter lunacy to most people but some perspective is needed here. General consumers may consider a US$15,000 bike (or more) to be total fantasy but for buyers who are typically more concerned with whether or not their yacht is fueled up for their next trip, it's the difference between owning something that is truly among the finest of its genre in the world or a used Honda Civic. And in relative terms, even high-end bikes are a cheap hobby.

"You'd be surprised how much goes to upper-middle-class guys that aren't rich, that aren't making over six figures a year," Woznick said. "You can put together a bike with the upper end of all of this stuff for 14, 15 thousand dollars. So it's really not that big of a jump over the eight, nine, ten thousand that you'd be looking for a Di2 whatever."

Woznick says it all started out very slowly. Contrary to the shop's online persona, its brick-and-mortar presence is decidedly more humble in nature and it was a slow start getting into the high-end business.

"It's a sixty-year-old building that was a grocery store in the forties," he said. "It looks like any other bicycle shop in middle America. It's filled with Treks and Specializeds. There are a few of our projects hanging up on the walls but 99 percent of what's done there is just day-to-day, regular bike shop stuff. Some people fly in to build project bikes but most of this kind of work is done off-site.

"We had a customer that wanted a really light bike a decade ago and we had to start purchasing from some really exclusive companies in Europe to do it and then we started adding a few more pieces to the order and then adding more. Over the years we've built the clientele and built our relationships with the manufacturers so we've been able to increase our volumes both in terms of what they'd allow us to buy and what we could sell. Nowadays our biggest problem is that we can't fill the demand."

Whether or not you can afford any of it, Het Fairwheel Podium is still worth a visit if you're in the area if only for the overwhelming selection of 'bike porn' available for viewing. The gallery will hold regular public hours on Saturdays but it will also be open by appointment during the week.