handcrafted fixed gear bike by WLWC is wrapped in black crocodile skin handcrafted fixed gear bike by WLWC is wrapped in black crocodile skin
feb 05, 2014

handcrafted fixed gear bike by WLWC is wrapped in black crocodile skin

fixed gear bike by WLWC is wrapped in black crocodile skin
all images courtesy watch life with curiosity

 

 

 

originating from the concept of reclaiming mass produced and generic objects by re-issuing them as individual and unique pieces, paris-based watch life with curiosity – otherwise known as WLWC – have handcrafted a fixed gear bike using an unusual material selection for its cladding: four reclaimed crocodile skins. requiring over 90 hours to build, and priced at over 20,000 USD, recycled reptile scales wrap the facade of the lightweight aluminum frame, cinelli handlebars, carbon fiber saddle, hand machined titanium brakes and bespoke pedals.

fixed gear bike by WLWC is wrapped in black crocodile skin

the bespoke fixed-gear bike required over 90 hours to build

fixed gear bike by WLWC is wrapped in black crocodile skin

8 year old crocodile skin wraps the lightweight aluminum frame, handlebar, saddle, brakes and pedals

fixed gear bike by WLWC is wrapped in black crocodile skin

the artisan-crafted bike is priced at over 20,000 USD

fixed gear bike by WLWC is wrapped in black crocodile skin

detail of the skin wrap on the forks and frame

fixed gear bike by WLWC is wrapped in black crocodile skin

seat detail

fixed gear bike by WLWC is wrapped in black crocodile skin
detail

rodrigo caula I designboom
feb 05, 2014

  • Absolutely ridiculous. But then again, the person buying this will probably never ride it anyways.

    Marente says:
    Feb 05, 2014

  • for 20k i’d have expected carbon rather than ali…

    bigshape says:
    Feb 05, 2014

  • this is totally wrong, and not ok to be going about creating bikes. Isn’t the one of the points to be riding bikes eco friendly?

    Colvin says:
    Feb 05, 2014

  • always think these exotic leather wrapped bikes are pretty hilarious. you take a really crappy taiwanese aluminum frame, slap some non-matching, expensive components on it and mark it up 500%. 90 hours to build, eh? does that include the time to skin and process the gators?

    stevie says:
    Feb 05, 2014

  • what gets me about design blogs (really exceptional blogs too, such-as designboom) having posts about bicycles, is that 99% of the time the bike featured has little to nothing to do with the community of cyclist that are doing innovative and actually interesting bicycles.
    its a rather ugly frame, bad welds, bad geometry, cheap drop outs. and then the components on the bike (the 15 degree upwards stem and the 30mm offset seat post) totally negate the point of a track geometry.

    dune says:
    Feb 05, 2014

  • agree with above..20k and complete carbon fibre build? no disc brakes? and can’t say the croc skin add anything alluring either…90 hours to build.
    Fail

    carl.s says:
    Feb 05, 2014

  • Fetish bike.

    Miel says:
    Feb 06, 2014

  • Ask the crocodile to “watch life with curiosity”. totally wrong.

    Giovanni Mastroeni says:
    Feb 07, 2014

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