I arrived in Roubaix almost exactly a year ago. Not the first time I’ve been to France but the first time to settle down. It was definitely not for the weather and neither for the great variety of admittedly awesome beers of the region. Roubaix is the Mecca for cyclists with a beautiful velodrome and the finish line of the famous Paris-Roubaix race, the highlight of the Spring Classics and one of the oldest cycling races. I couldn’t imagine a more appropriate place to build bicycles the traditional way.
I’m originally from Germany where my friends call me Beere (= berry), hence the name LaFraise, the strawberry. Before moving to France I had been living in Asia for 6 years. I take a lot of inspiration from the Japanese cycling culture. Coupled with influences by the great French constructeurs I take pride in building lugged and fillet brazed steel bicycle frames.
Turning my passion for cycling and beautiful bikes into a profession has been a dream I cherished for a long time. This past year was about setting up the workshop, establishing the supply chain to source the best possible materials and components, researching designs and gathering ideas. And after months of welding, brazing, and building prototypes LaFraise Cycles is up and running.
If you’re in the area, come by and check it out. I’ll be happy to work with you on creating your perfect bicycle.
