Custom bicycle brand Stijl Cycles is aiming to change the biking industry with their handmade, personally fitted designs. Made in the USA, the Virginia-based Stijl (which means ‘style’ in Dutch and is pronounced ‘shteel’) team consists of founder/co-owner Hinmaton Hisler and a group of architects, industrial designers, and fabricators. What started as a weekend project to make their ideal frame, Stijl has turned into a full-size company with a clientele of casual enthusiasts, professional race teams, and even Cirque du Soleil performers.
Wanting to combine style with functionality, Stijl bikes uses “computer controlled fabrication equipment and parametric modeling software to create purpose driven tubes, brackets, and dropouts.” They have several different frames to choose from, which were created for specific clients, like the Lear’s All-Fast-Mountain 29’er. Created for Mike Lear, a freerider who wanted something that shared characteristics with the big mountain bikes he used to ride, but was also good for cross-country riding in Virginia.
The end result is “a 29”, single-speed, custom fillet-brazed steel framed bike with lightweight components, a slack head angle of 69 degrees for comfort in descents, and a very tight rear triangle for incredible cornering.” Weighing just 20.7 pounds, Stijl promises that their Lear cycle (costing around $7,888) is super responsive and can climb hills like a goat.
If you want something completely new and all yours, contact Stijl and let them know what you’re looking for. The customization also doesn’t just stop with Stijl, because their sister company Loco Machine (which was also founded by Hisler) offers bike components to finish the overall look.