Five Distinctive Bikes and Builds from Bespoked Osaka 2026

At Bespoked Osaka 2026, five builds showed how much character can come from rethinking familiar bike forms. A titanium 32er pushed frame geometry into sculptural territory; a bright commuter put everyday utility on display; and three all terrain machines drew on vintage mountain bike design, gravel versatility and Japanese framebuilding. Their details offered plenty for builders and riders to consider.

Equilibrium’s titanium Giza Giza 32er

Tokyo based Equilibrium Cycle Works builder Vladimir Balahovsky brought the Giza Giza, or “Zig Zag,” to the show. The 32er’s oversized wheels catch the eye first, followed by the frame’s sharply unconventional shapes. Balahovsky set out to question the bicycle’s familiar outline and explore titanium in its raw state.

Born in Latvia, Balahovsky has lived in Tokyo for twelve years. His interest in framebuilding began after he saw a track bike moving through the city and wanted to build one himself. He learned the craft in Tokyo with Masami Ohtaki of Ohtaki Cycles, a master Japanese NJS framebuilder.

The Giza Giza combines 3D printed titanium parts with traditional bending and welding. Balahovsky also worked through the geometry from scratch for clients who typically ride a medium. His calculations led to a lower trail figure than is usual for an off road bike. The result turns a familiar question—what should a bicycle look like?—into a machine that invites a closer look at both its construction and its proportions.

Grepp brings its tape to a daily commuter

For Grepp co founder Jan, the most natural way to show handlebar tape at a handmade bike show was to bring the bike he rides most: his commuter. The Helsinki based rider, who describes himself as a hardcore metalhead, built a brightly colored vintage Giant mountain bike into a basket equipped daily ride. The playful color scheme was a step into unfamiliar territory for him.

Grepp’s tape is designed for repeated use, with Jan describing it as durable through bike swaps, wash cycles and miles of riding. Its soft, cushioned feel and grip also make it easy to appreciate by hand. To extend the color story beyond the bars, Jan worked with Polish bag makers Baby Legs on bags made from leftover tape. The scraps became a handmade display for the bags and the material that inspired them.

Scolarian paints its home into an ATB

The Rewinder from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, brings vintage mountain bike cues together with a vivid portrait of the city. Scolarian co owners Somy Sridas and Sachin Kishore worked with local artist Theertha Nair, whose hand painted scenes trace local traditions, forests, wildlife, rivers and the Western Ghats along the frame’s tubing. The imagery connects those elements in a continuous route through the builders’ home city.

The Rewinder’s bullmoose and alt bar inspired cockpit gives the bike a distinctly old school stance. Its biplane fork and Reynolds 725 frame continue that theme, while custom couplers made in house make the bike easier to travel with. Tire clearance is 26 inches by 2.8 inches or 27.5 inches by 2.6 inches. The mix of personal art and practical travel details makes the bike’s story part of its design.

Significant Other blends gravel and mountain bike traits

First shown at the 2025 Made Bike Show, Significant Other’s titanium flat bar gravel hardtail explores how capable a bike can be with non boost spacing. It uses an MRP Gravel Fork on a titanium chassis, with a road width bottom bracket, a 142 mm rear end and clearance for a 2.4 inch tire. The combination borrows suspension fork travel and mountain bike tire room while keeping a road bike foundation.

Ashley’s build adds an all metal drivetrain and aluminum Velocity wheels, along with San Util bags fitted to OMM Flip mounts and Silca gravel tires. The setup is presented as a versatile option for commuting, gravel rides, city riding and mountain bike routes where a lighter, simpler bike suits the outing. Its finish is just as distinctive: Bridle Customs applied Cerakote, then hand burnished the frame with a ScotchBrite pad to reveal the material underneath. The bike won Builder’s Choice at the 2025 Made Bike Show.

Toxic Works revisits early mountain bike style

Shizuoka City based Stomp Lox and Toxic Works displayed a Toei ATB project at Bespoked Osaka, combining new Toxic Works components with a frame made alongside Toei, the Japanese framebuilder. Mamiya presented the parts on a modern interpretation of an early 1980s mountain bike.

The build uses a traditional lugged frame, truss fork and level top tube. Vintage White Industries hubs sit alongside a new Toxic Works crankset, fitted with White Industries self extracting crank bolts. The new pedals take inspiration from MKS BMX 7 pedals, with larger teeth for added grip.

The project draws on Japan’s place in mountain bike history. The source points to the Univega Alpina Uno, a mass produced mountain bike handmade in Japan in 1981, a few months before the Stumpjumper. Toxic Works’ new parts carry that vintage influence into a current build. Across all five bikes, the show’s strongest ideas came through in the specifics: unusual geometry, useful travel features, local art and components shaped by cycling history.