“You can’t compare a Schindelhaur bike to a mountain bike or an ordinary carbon road bike.”
warns Tiffany Koh, one of the partners at Singapore’s elite Urban Bike outlet.
“They’re not competitive bikes, either. They’re not going to win you first place in the race. Schindelhaur individually craft lifestyle transport for the 21st century city. A Schindelhaur bike is a taste statement.”
Koh isn’t kidding. The red dot design and Bike Exo award-winning Schindelhaur Collection comes handmade on order from Germany and combines a rigorously formal aesthetic (think liquid silver and Arctic white frame bodies with a definite Victorian feel) with the highest of high maintenance-free durable hi-tech.
Thanks to Harley Davidson magicians at Gates Technology, the drive belt system across the range – Viktor (Fixed-gear/Single-speed), Siegfried (Single-speed), Lotte (8-speed for ladies) and the noble Ludwig-Family consisting of Ludwig VIII(8-speed), Ludwig XI (11-speed) and Ludwig XIV (14-speed Rohloff speed hub) – is whisper silent. Small wonder the company motto is “Pure Pleasure Riding a Bicycle”.
Koh says affluent Urban Bike customers fixated on both health and fitness and environmental impact have made the collection a must buy since its exclusive debut in August. With prices starting at US$2,668 and climbing up, up, up bikes are leaving the building at the rate of two per week with more on order.
“Depending on the model you can expect to wait from four to six weeks,” Koh says. “We have stock but there’s a lengthening list. But as one customer said to me, ‘I can wait. Perfection doesn’t come along very often…,”
