My California Bike Adventures with Founders and Designers
Hello, Shayla here from ORA Engineering! I’m thrilled to share my first blog post with you all. I’ve been part of the ORA family for about five years now, focusing on our North American market. This year, I had the amazing opportunity to visit some of our fantastic customers during the Sea Otter Classic in California. Emily, our Sales Team Director, and I took off on a journey to connect with Slug Bikes, Neuhaus Metalworks, and Sklar Bikes this April. We explored their workshops, rode some incredible trails, and deepened our partnerships through our shared passion for titanium craftsmanship and cycling.
Kicking Off with Slug Bikes: Crafting Excellence Together
The first highlight of the trip is our fun hiking time with Slug Bikes, based in the Bay Area. Slug is dedicated to producing durable, long-lasting titanium frames with a focus on simplicity, quality components, and serviceability. They are also deeply committed to community - they not only host riding events every other month, they also donate a portion of their sales to non-profits annually to give back.
This April, Emily and I met with Steven (Founder of Slug), Kay (Steven’s girlfriend), and Tato(pet dog) on a beautiful historic trail in San Francisco. Steven welcomed us warmly, and we had an engaging discussion about the technical aspects of frame design and the joys of riding. Steven, a seasoned bike builder, shared insights into their design process, which benefits greatly from Byron’s 10 years of 3D printing experience. Steven praised our frames for their smooth bottom brackets and overall superior quality. The final highlight was a scenic hike to Twin Peaks. Steven told us about their community monthly rides, often involving collaborations with Neuhaus and Sklar, which are set to expand into outdoor activities such as mountain biking and camping. I’m super excited and hope to join sometime next year.
If you’d like to know more about Slug and the community, feel free to check out their Instagram @slugbicycles and website.
We enjoy the beautiful trail with Steven, Kay and the cute dog Tato.
Is it legal to put stickers on a public sign? Let’s just say you might spot a SLUG sticker there…
Exploring Innovation with Neuhaus Metalworks
Next, we visited Neuhaus Metalworks, located in Novato, California. Neuhaus combines handcrafted and 3D-printed elements in their bike designs. They produce a mix of titanium and steel frames, known for their meticulous design details like water bottle capacity and inclusive sizing and geometry. Their most popular bike, the Hummingbird, caters to cross-country and trail riders.
This time, we spent the day with Nick and Daniel at their workshop. Daniel walked us through their production process, emphasizing their unique approach to quality and efficiency using 3D-printed parts. Daniel also highlighted their smaller sizes are designed with asian riders in mind, providing better control for riders. I personally tested one of these bikes and found it offered excellent control and comfort for a 5'6 rider like myself. For 2025, Neuhaus aims to bring their high quality chromoly frames to a broader audience while maintaining the handcrafted charm. Our collaborative workshop session was particularly productive, allowing us to exchange ideas and learn from each other. We will bring this excitement back to our facility and incorporate Neuhaus’ uniqueness into each frame we build for Nick and Daniel.
If you are a rider all about meticulous details, you must check them out on website and Instagram @neuhaus_metalworks.
Group photo of Nick, Daniel, Joe and Mr. Yang from Leeche International, Emily, and me.
Daniel demonstrating how he ensures the angle is right.
Internal cable routing must fit closely to the tube to meet Neuhaus standard
Building Dreams with Sklar Bikes
Our final stop was with Sklar Bikes, originally from Montana and now based in California. Sklar specializes in creating unique, handcrafted titanium bike frames with a focus on custom geometry and frame shaping techniques. Their frames are easily recognizable by their distinct curved top tube, a signature design element that instantly identifies a Sklar bike.
We visited Adam and his team at their workshop. Adam shared his vision and passion for bike building, which aligns perfectly with ORA’s commitment to quality and innovation. We toured the workshop, marveling at the precision of their welding and bending molds and the integration of 3D printing. Later in the afternoon, Adam invited us to ride through California’s trails on their bikes, which was so much fun. Adam’s enthusiasm for scaling production with ORA while maintaining the high quality his customers expect was a key takeaway from our discussions.
For those of you who want to find a bespoke bike, make sure you check out Sklar Bikes. Here’s their website and Instagram @sklarbikes.
Sample bike frame we made for Sklar with their signature top tube design
Adam is showing us his work bench and demonstrating their molds for chainstay.
Group ride on the California trail. The comfort and smoothness of the Sklar and Neuhaus bikes are truly impressive.
Final Thoughts
Our trip to the Sea Otter Classic was more than just a business venture—it was an opportunity to deepen our connections with some of the most innovative brands in the bespoke bike industry. Each meeting, ride, and workshop tour reinforced our dedication to excellence in titanium craftsmanship.
If you’re a bike maker or an individual designer passionate about creating high-quality, custom bikes, we’d love to hear from you. Let’s work together to push the boundaries of what’s possible in bike design and manufacturing. Contact us to explore how we can collaborate on your next project!