Remember me
The Vancouver mountain bike scene has a long and colorful history of framebuilding innovators, and some of the most beautiful and unique bicycles to come out of Canada are on display at the Mount Pleasant Show n’ Shine. This annual event pays tribute to the originators, like Paul Brodie and Toxik Harald, but it’s more than just a vintage bike show – it’s a celebration of Vancouver’s current and future bike culture. Check out the scene from the show from Laur Galloway‘s perspective…
A figure of local and historical importance in Vancouver’s Mountain Bike heritage is Harald Strasser, better known to many as “Toxik Harald”. A legendary frame painter and artist, Harald is remembered as much for his community spirit as for his technical and artistic skill. Through his shop, Toxik Design Lab in Richmond, he organized local Show n’ Shines and rides that brought builders and enthusiasts together for years. When a neurological disease progressively eroded Strasser’s motor dexterity and mobility, his capacity to organize events also declined, leaving a felt absence within the community.
Similarly, while organizing an exhibition of Paul Brodie’s bicycle collection, Thomas of FirstLight Frames encountered such a strong response from folks wanting to be involved that it became resoundingly clear there was a significant unmet demand. “People kept reaching out wanting their Brodies to be included. We didn’t have space for all of them, so we were looking for a way to organize an event where people could bring their own”.
Recognizing the demand and driven to respond was Azlan Graves, whose appreciation for vintage mountain bikes began when his father gifted him his 92’ Rocky Mountain Summit. A few years after Harald Strasser’s last event, and in the same year as Paul Brodie’s Bicycle Show, Azlan joined forces with Thomas to organize the first Mount Pleasant Show n’ Shine in May of 2024. Motivated by a desire to honour the rich history that we have in Vancouver, Azlan believes in not waiting until people are no longer with us to do so. In a fitting reflection of that ethos, Toxik Harald was present alongside Paul at the inaugural Mount Pleasant Show n’ Shine before his passing the following year. Harald witnessed a gathering of community appreciation and vintage bicycles, including many he had painted himself.
Now in its third year, the Mount Pleasant Show n’ Shine has seen the reins passed from Azlan Graves to Matt Churchill of HMPL, who is more often found in his Chinatown studio, steadily working through a growing list of custom bike bag orders. Azlan described the transition as a natural progression and stated that “through Matt/HMPL, the event will succeed no matter what.” Matt has been a big sponsor of previous years, donating replica Roach pants and stem pads as category prizes. Azlan and Matt have a longstanding friendship, working on projects, playing in bands and even riding the BC Epic together 10 years ago.
In the lead-up to the event, Azlan playfully mentioned that Matt does a good job in bridging the gap between the “old heads” and the “young folks”. It came as no surprise when the community that showed up this weekend was as age-diverse as the array of bikes themselves, showcasing a new wave of interest in the Vintage Bike Scene here in Vancouver. Hosted outside Main Street Brewing in Mount Pleasant, blocks away from where Paul Brodie built his first bikes in his basement, generations mingled over a shared interest of history, restoration, and community. Perhaps one of the coolest examples of this was a father/son duo who were not only attending the event together, but had each entered their own vintage build to the show.
The permitted space featured local vendors including Fauna Components, Threefold Objects, MICA Cycles, NJF Export, Kissing Crows Cyclery, and BucketChan. Paul Brodie also set up shop next to Danielle Schon of Schon Studios/Frameset Supply. On the opposite side of the street, was the star of the show, the longest bike rack you’ve ever seen. Packed full of show bikes, each competing for a coveted title in the events recently expanded categories; Pure Vintage, Resto-Mod, Daily Rider, Best DIY, and People’s Choice. Azlan believes that as the definition of the vintage category evolves over time, it opens up to new demographics. “Lots of people have different relationships with different eras of bikes. A chance to show them off is kind of a fun thing!” The event drew a crowd so large, another street block or two wouldn’t have hurt.
In reflection of the success of the show, Azlan gives credit to the event’s accessibility as another one of the driving factors that has grown the crowd. “It’s free to attend, it’s a nominal fee to enter your bike”. In combination with this, all funds from bike registration are donated each year to a different community cause, making not only the event itself accessible, but something that promotes accessibility in the scene at large. This year, registration fees ($420, no joke) were given to “Gravel Buddies”, a local ride club for Women, Gender Diverse, and LGBTQIA+ folks led by Erika Stahl.
More than a showcase of bikes, the Mount Pleasant Show n’ Shine is a celebration of relationships. From Harald Strasser’s early efforts to bring builders and riders together, to Azlan and Thomas’s commitment to honouring that legacy, and now Matt taking it forward, the Show n’ Shine stands as a reminder that history is not something preserved in a museum, it is carried forward through community. On a sunny day in Mount Pleasant, surrounded by vintage bikes, good people, and multiple generations of riders, it’s clear that Vancouver’s mountain bike heritage remains very much alive. The Mount Pleasant Show n’ Shine has all the right ingredients to become written into the history it so beautifully celebrates.