Above Category to host the AC Invitational bike show

Above Category, a custom bike shop located in Marin County, has announced the ‘AC Invitational’, a street-fair-meets MOMA celebration of cycling’s best builders and makers from four continents, taking place on Saturday, August 31, from 11am to 5pm.

Set amidst the seaside of Sausalito, a stone’s throw from the Golden Gate Bridge in a closed-road setting in and around the AC studio, the AC Invitational is an opportunity to meet and chat with the artisan-engineers behind brands such as Sarto, Baum, Prova, Bastion, Pinarello, Mosaic, Scarab, English Cycles, No.22, Partington, Lightweight, Enve, Open and more.

Speaking about the event, AC’s co-founder Chad Nordwall said: “The AC Invitational has been a dream of ours for some time. We have some of the world’s finest riding on our doorstep and a unique, global collection of friends who build some of the most beautiful bikes in the world.

“How does it get any better than bringing the two together? If you love handmade bikes and the ethos and people behind them, then the AC Invitational is your chance to chat with the makers themselves and admire their newest and best creations in a welcoming, closed-road setting. And it’s even free to attend.”

During the show, visitors can take advantage of special event-only offers and a raffle with the chance to win a custom-painted Open.

Above Category was founded by Nordwall more than 17 years ago to be “an unapologetic champion” of handmade, individual products and cycling culture.

Nordwall’s passion can be traced back to 1989, when he purchased his first custom Land Shark.

He obsessed over every single aspect of it: sketched frame diagrams during 10th-grade geometry. Agonised about paint. Called the staff at Campagnolo USA on a weekly basis to grill them about arcana like how the grease ports in the C-Record bottom bracket worked.

Fast forward 35 years and Above Category is a destination retailer in California, described by the team as part custom bike studio and part art gallery.