BORN IN THE FRENCH ALPS
We make steel bikes in the Alps because of a dream that refused to die. We dreamed of the mountains. Then dreamed some more. And then finally we ran. We chose to drop out of corporate life in return for bloody hands and scraped knees. For freedom from screens and spreadsheets. For the joy of creating beautiful functional machines. For the dream of cold winters buried in snow, summers riding through clouds of dust and the rest of the year pedalling up and down big hills. For a knackered old shed in the woods up a mountain. I say we, but Selwyn Bicycles is one man in a workshop. I don’t have a marketing budget, sales reps or a social media strategy. I don’t have a dedicated engineering team or a race division.
I am not interested in market segments or industry trends or price points. I really don’t care what other brands are doing with their e-bike batteries or sandwich holes or which bearings they are routing their cables through. That means I can build the best bike for you. It may not fit neatly into a market segment and it might not be the same as mine but it will be the best for you.
Call into the workshop* for a chat.
*The workshop is at the bottom of 1,000 vertical metres of singletrack heaven.
Frequently asked questions
Why Steel? Isn't steel heavy?
This steel is too heavy idea is bollocks. Yes a cheap supermarket steel bike is heavy. But I don’t make supermarket bikes. I make bikes for the mountains. For the roads, tracks and trails in the mountains. Bikes to be ridden, abused, put away dirty then taken out the next day for more of the same. I use double or triple butted steel tubes. The tube walls are thinner in the middle of the tube than at the ends. These walls are between 0.4mm and 0.9mm thick. Thin walled steel tubes do not make a heavy bike. They make a good bike. They make a bike that feels alive, that springs and responds. They make a bike that is comfortable to ride for hours. They make a bike that lasts. A bike that doesn’t wet its pants at the sight of a rock. A bike that can be dropped on the ground without developing a terminal crack.
I am not claiming that a steel frame will be lighter than a top end carbon road frame. But let’s be realistic about the difference a few grams makes. You won’t feel those 36 grams when you are riding one of my bikes. And you will be so busy enjoying the ride that you won’t care any longer.
What is fillet brazing?
Fillet brazing is a traditional method of joining metal. Using an oxy-acetylene flame the joints are heated and brass/bronze filler material is added to create the fillet between the two bits of steel. Since brass melts at a lower temperature than steel the steel tubes do not melt. With good heat control you achieve a solid, ductile joint and minimise any damage to the steel tubes from the heat. One test of good fillet brazing is whether the fillets can be left unfiled whilst still looking consistent and even. We choose to leave our fillets unfiled as standard.
I have seen some super smooth polished fillets - can you finish my frame like that? Of course. Doing a proper job filing and polishing fillets takes several days so we charge a bit extra.
Can I have my frame clear-coated over bare metal?
No, it will rust. I agree that it would look great. To begin with at least. But then you start to get lines of rust and it won’t look great. To protect our frames for as long as possible the best finish is a proper wet paint finish - primer, paint, then automotive grade clear coat.
What is the deal with Samoëns?
Samoëns is a small village in the French Alps. Tucked in a valley in between Chamonix and Morzine we have some of the world’s best bike riding on our doorstep. If you like tarmac you can tackle legendary climbs like the Joux Plane, the Ramaz or the Joux Verte. All straight out of the workshop door. If you like roots, rocks and loam you have just arrived in paradise. EDR stages, steep chutes, switchbacks, and loamers will have you hanging on for one more lap.
Gravel ride along the valley more your bag? Ride for miles next to the Giffre river. Climb 4x4 tracks up to high mountain refuges before crossing over a col to the next valley. Dream of just keeping on riding until the mountains run out. Finish your day at the lake with a swim and a beer. That’s why we are based in Samoëns.
Why can't I just order online?
We want you to come and see where this bike was created. Come and ride the trails it was designed to ride. I promise you won’t regret it.