recently...

Tube size matters. Designing a frame is as much about functional proportions as it is about making them look good together. To my eye the subtle ovalized tubes, gentle curves and uninterrupted lines work great together. Let's see if it rides as well as it looks!

Trust is not an acronym. It's a very important word to me and I feel pretty strongly about that. Then someone told me it sounds very harsh and even 'right' and I started doubting if that is actually true. Anyways, it's engraved on the head tube so I can't go back anymore 😅. Typographically the U is actually a stylized butted spoke, and the R and T are borrowed from Roundness & Trueness. You fill in the rest!

Details matter. It's basically why designing a frame is so much fun. The seat tube, top tube, seat stay cluster is a tricky thing to get right. Joining the seat stays at the widest point both allows for a strong bracing and nice visual continuity. The seat tube is also locally reinforced to handle all the forces in this area. Lastly the double bolt #binghambuilt seat post collar truly ties it all together. Oh, and did I mention the velvety purple anodisation of the frame?! 😍

The 3d-printed chain stay yoke and T47 bottom bracket makes use of every bit of space available to clear the large tire and chainring while keeping a narrow q factor. All while retaining a stiff pedaling platform. If that doesn't sound like bike nerd marketing 😅 In all seriousness. This part of the frame turned out pretty nice ;)

The Process is a bike designed for bikepacking and adventure. It takes what I've learned and enjoyed on my cycling journeys and adventures. This exploration together with my clients and peers pushes me further every time. With Trust I want to share what I've learned in the process and the many roles I had as a bikefitter, advisor, consultant, mechanic, quality engineer, teacher, designer and most of all bike enthusiast. Next few days I'm going to build up this stellar looking Process #1, with my students. Stay tuned!

What's in a headset cap? I guess you have to ask @kapzguru. I just wanted some branding and he turned it into a deep etched, black oxide, titanium bit of bike jewellery. How is that for exceeding expectations!

Sometimes I think I'm stuck trying new things. Experimenting endlessly. Now I'm starting something new, again. Even though it's been a long time in the making. A brand with a story of my own. It's called TRUST, as for every challenge, hiccup or delay there is a driving force that overcomes it. I love the process of iteration, fine- tuning and continuous development and with TRUST I'd like to invite my clients to join in on that. This custom titanium flat bar gravel frame -being built right now- will hopefully be a long lasting testament to that pursuit.

People often ask me if I have any other interests than bikes. I dabble in designing and crafting other utensils too! Like this stainless steel self defence shark shank (sssdss) for a very special lady. Don't get anywhere near her! ;)

This one kind of speaks for itself. This beautiful handwritten note was pasted on our door handle. Who is it directed to? How come I find it hopeful? #notesonnotes

Custom designed and one-off manufactured titanium handlebar based on @cyclingabout Denham bar, with a few mods to make it just right for this discerning customer!

Exciting (?) things coming up with a training I'm designing about application the identification and service of bearings and threads. The picture shoes the first bike hub to use ball bearings back in 1869. It's hard to not go full nerd on this subject!

Yes, I caved in.. Let to design my own titanium flat bar gravel/touring frame. It took me a while to finely balance the strength, stiffness, weight, looks and geometry, all while trying be patient with myself as a client. 🙄 After all that I'm super curious and a little nervous 😬 to ride the result and find out where this bike will take me.

Rehandling an abandoned hammer head with my student Georgie. Love the dedication she put in/on!

replaced my actual 90's atb with a new one. This frame was found in the trash (!) and looked like it was even my size too. So it had to be built. My students helped me install the new fork, build wheels, set up brakes and fine tune the fit. Tomorrow I'll ride the longest night, to test the ride and to fight some demons along the way.

exactly 9 years ago I had this crazy idea to organize an annual gravel event called 'Essays of Gravel'. Today I passed by one of the highlights of edition #4 (out of 5) from Nijmegen to Maastricht. From the first edition from Antwerp to Waterloo, using cross, mountainbikes and barely fit roadbikes, we told each other we should keep this low key and a little messy. Today is also the 2nd world championships Gravel so I guess some of it stuck.

Got a great assignment to design and source a one-of-a-kind titanium bike for a bike enthousiast with a CNC-machining background. We met at a training I gave about taking care of your bike while travelling. I guess he didnt fancy it much, since this bike would be as low maintanance as it gets. 😁

Serious haul by my buddy Leo at @devakantiefietser

Wheelbuilding masterclass with Ben. We planned some soundboard sessions to figure out what Ben was looking for and then went ahead and started buildig towards that goal. Making it look easy and fun to boot with the right tools and equal parts patience and preparation. With both wheels done in a matter of hours, we're well on our way to building his #veloheld path. #veloheldpath #wheelbuilding #masterclass #roundnessandtrueness

Sometimes, it takes a while for a project to come to fruition This #lesterbikes is a full size hand made gravel bike that fits in a suitcase. It's built for my friend and former colleague Heidi. We started off in 2019 when we sat together to work out the geometry and component spec on this very custom build. She'd traveled the world by bike but had been hindered by poor fitting bikes and found them to be both expensive and cumbersome to travel with. We tried to solve both issues with this de-coupled frame and bonded over all the nerdiness involved. The bike finally got finished in 2022, after many part shortages and maybe just life getting in the way. I'm still very proud of what came out. Thanks to Lester for his great craftsmanship and patience. All in all, a testimony to perseverance!

Just completed the 'Mean Green Klean Kanteen Machine' #foraging #gravelbike #kleankanteen #bike #cycling #offroad #travel #biketravel #travelbike #adventure #biking #lifestyle #antwerp #belgium #instabike #mountainbike #mntbike #salsabike

#essaysofgravel

#essaysofgravel As a lonesome cyclist organising an adventure endurance event is an awesome was to share some suffering with others! #adventurecycling #gravelcyclist #ultraendurance

An exercise in good looks as well as ultimate durability and balance is what makes wheel building so exciting! #roundnessandtrueness #sondynamo #rohloff #velocitychukker #wheelbuilding #panaracerpasela

#epicenduro #monstercross #kalmthoutseheide

We've build this stainless rim and vintage sturmey up proper with #nipplewashers #roundnessandtrueness #wheelbuilding #stainlessspokes