Not every dream bike is sitting on a shelf. I’ll build yours: a vintage-spirited bicycle from period-correct parts, fitted to your size and style. Most builds stay well under €500, far below typical custom prices, and every one is made to actually be ridden.
This all starts with your dream. Tell me about the way you (want to) ride, your size and fit, and the kind of bike you have in mind, whether that’s a clear picture or just a feeling you haven’t quite put into words yet. Be upfront about your budget too: I build for every budget. Around €300 is usually the minimum starting point, and most finished bikes stay under €500 in parts and labour combined, unless you’re after something truly rare or collector-grade, in which case the price simply reflects the parts themselves.
A few photos of bikes you love, or details that caught your eye, help me understand your taste from the very first message.
We talk it through, in person or remotely: frame geometry, era, groupset, finish and the overall feel you want from the bike. This is where your idea takes real shape.
I’ll tell you honestly what’s realistic within your budget and timeline, and we’ll land on a concept we’re both genuinely happy with.
Velolove is not a full-time bike shop. It’s something I do after hours because I love vintage bikes and giving quality bicycles a second life.
Every build is a small way of keeping good bikes on the road and out of the waste stream.
With a plan in place, I start sourcing the frame and components.
More often than not, this starts right in my own collection: years of buying, restoring and trading vintage bicycles means I’ve built up a substantial personal stock of parts, which usually makes for a faster build and a fairer price than starting from zero.
When something specific is needed that I don’t already have in stock, I go looking through my network of collectors, shops and markets across the Benelux until I find it.
Every part earns its place for the same reason: it has to work properly, not just look right.
Once everything is in hand, this is where the real work happens.
Each part is cleaned, restored or replaced where needed, then hand-assembled and tuned, frame by frame, bolt by bolt, by me, in my own time.
Any specialist work I don’t handle myself is entrusted to André, a lifelong bike builder whose experience I fully trust.
Every bike I put together is meant to be ridden, enjoyed and cared for for years to come.
Your bike is ready.
You can pick it up, or I’ll ship it to you, whatever works best. Before it leaves my hands, I do a final check to make sure it rides, shifts and brakes exactly the way it should.
If you pick it up in person, we can also fine-tune the fit together so the bike feels right from the first ride.
Because a well-built bike only really proves itself once you’re actually on it.
I treat every build, no matter the budget, exactly the way I’d treat a bike for my own collection.
