hartley cycles creates bespoke bikes for city cyclists at homo faber

celebrating the importance of craftsmanship, homo faber: crafting a more human future is an exhibition held in venice running until the 30th september 2018. by showcasing that all across europe passionate artisans are working with new technologies to push the boundaries of what’s possible in the field of transport, the ‘workshop exclusive’ exhibit highlights that craftsmanship and technology are not opposites but rather the meeting point of new creations.

an example is london-based artist turned bicycle maker caren hartley from hartley cycles who creates bespoke bikes for the city cyclists who are as passionate about two wheels as she is.

founded by caren hartley, hartley cycles is an award-winning bespoke bicycle company in south london. with jewelry and silversmith training as a background, hartley worked in a variety of metalwork disciplines including sculpture and large scale public art before deciding to focus her creativity on the bicycle. the result are beautiful steel and stainless steel bicycles tailored to each client.

made with a variety of metalwork techniques, hartley cycles are fully customized to each customer, resulting in a design that perfectly fits them and their riding style. fabricating, bronze brazing, silver soldering, piercing and wax carving are some of the processes hartley uses on her bikes.

the bike pictured on this article was made for the ‘cycle revolution’ exhibition held at london’s design museum. ‘with this build I had the chance to make my dream bike. the bike, a fully stainless build made from reynolds 953. I wanted to celebrate the UK’s heritage of cycling, craft, manufacture and engineering, whilst giving it an understated contemporary style. it is built from many bespoke british made materials and components including, reynolds 953 tubing, hope tech hubs, brooks c13 carbon saddle, michaux club handmade leather bar tape and bentley components bespoke art deco dropouts.’

about homo faber:

homo faber is a major cultural exhibition in venice, italy, dedicated to the very best in european craftsmanship running from september 14th to 30th 2018. organized by the michelangelo foundation, it aims to put fine craftsmanship on the global map and increase recognition and visibility for master artisans. the exhibition will bring together a range of materials and disciplines, from jewelry to bespoke bicycles, from the rare artisanal techniques to some of the most iconic examples of the finest european workmanship. created by a hand-picked team of world-class designers, curators and architects, the exhibition stretches over a number of spaces throughout the fondazione giorgio cini.