The workshop
Two benches, one brazing hearth, and no shop window.
Rondsel (Dutch for a small toothed gear, the kind that turns the big one) started as a weekend repair corner and became a full-time workshop in 2014.
How it started
We are Joost and Mireille, a former instrument maker and a former bicycle courier. We met fixing a neighbour's cargo bike on the pavement and spent the next year swapping tools and opinions about tyre pressure.
The first frames were built for friends, brazed in a borrowed garage with a hearth we made from firebricks. Ten years on, the hearth is better, the garage has become a proper workshop, and the waiting list is mostly made of people we have never met.
What we believe about bicycles
A good bicycle is one you stop thinking about. It should fit, carry what you need, and be repairable by any decent mechanic in any town, in twenty years' time. That is why we build in steel, use standard threads and sizes, and avoid parts that only one company makes.
“Build it so the next mechanic says thank you.” — written in chalk above the truing stand
We also think the most sustainable bicycle is usually the one already in your shed. Roughly half of our work is repairs and restorations, and we are happy to talk you out of a new frame if your old one simply needs some love.
- Founded2014
- People2, plus a workshop cat
- Frames builtaround 140
- Wheels lacedwe stopped counting
- LanguagesNederlands, English, some Deutsch
Visiting the workshop
By appointment
We are often out riding a test bike or at the powder coater, so please write first. We answer within two working days.
Repairs drop-off
Tuesday and Saturday mornings, no appointment needed for small jobs. Bigger jobs get a short check and a written quote.
Getting here
A short ride from Utrecht Centraal along the canal. There is space inside for your bike, and the kettle is usually on.
Write to hello@example.com, or have a look at recent frames and our prices.