The collaborative world of bicycle building
- Sébastien makes bespoke bicycles using heritage French techniques from the 1950s
- He is known for his fine finishings, customised details and creative designs
- He took up his craft after an initial career in computer engineering
Sébastien Klein is a computer engineer for whom cycling has always been a true passion. His engineering background helped him learn to build bikes with artisans from the Royal College of Art. “The artisan bike making community is still quite small in Europe and I actively wanted to engage in this,” he shares. Winning an award in the Rookie category at a French bike making contest in 2015 encouraged him to open his own workshop. A firm believer in sharing knowledge, Sébastien works with local artisans who make some of the leather and metal parts used in his bikes. He was also selected as a Homo Faber Fellowship master to teach his craft to a young fellow in 2023. "Each one of my bikes is made using traditional techniques revisited with modern technology and materials as well as crafted details to suit the owner’s physical needs and aesthetic taste," says Sébastien.
INTERVIEW
After spending a few days with an artisan bike maker who showed me the basics of brazing and machining, I got hooked. I shared a workshop with this bike maker and gradually transitioned to working full-time, investing in tools and machines for my own workshop.
I use brazing and silver brazing techniques the most, but bike making involves other techniques such as metal bending, polishing, painting, machining. With every new bike, I seek to improve these techniques and finishings to give a timeless soul to each one.
I welcome opportunities to exchange and learn from other artisans in metalwork, painting and machining, for instance, but also from designers. The knowledge and experience needed to become skilled in your craft does not sit within one small area.
French bike makers in the 1930-1950 era were really creative, making beautiful, high-performance bicycles at a time of economic scarcity. It is also part of my family history. My grandfather shared a lot with me as a child about life in Europe during the Second World War.
