It’s a pretty simple phrase which embodies so much. “Enjoy the Ride” sums up what Santucci Cycles stands for. We love bicycles and how they improve our lives. Continue reading
2018 Retropsective
January 8, 20192018 was a great year. I made 28 individual bicycles based on 6 unique designs. which was your favorite?
Slow Season
November 15, 2018The bicycle business is very much seasonal. After changing the clocks back, things slow down a lot. Like ice cream, there is little demand for a new bicycle in winter. As a result of this, I adjust my opening hours to allow myself more time to prepare for the next season, ride my bicycle a bit, and to hang with my family.
By looking at the dates on the posts around here there can be no mistaking that I don’t blog frequently. Managing the shop, all the projects, and a family are enough to keep me busy most months.
Framing the issue
December 2, 2016Step into the Santucci Cycles showroom on Danziger Strasse, or browse the rest of this website and you’ll notice a number of different styles and designs on display. You’d be forgiven for thinking Santucci bicycles are all about refurbishing and reviving classic frames – rebuilding from classic elements into something new and fresh – but that’s only part of the story. Santucci is just as much about new bespoke bicycles – designed and executed in house. To get a sense of the different styles on offer, and how he sees his vision for the business developing, we caught up with him for a bit of Q&A.
– Riders –
November 15, 2016Next up in the Riders series is Paula G who rides a custom-built Santucci Cycle she bought late last year. Those living in Prenzlauer Berg in Berlin may have seen it around, and it also sports a unique sign advertising Bekarei – the awesome bakery on Dunckerstraße that Paula runs.
unknown gem from the bicycle renaissance
September 18, 2016It isn’t often that I come across a frame for which the origin is unknown. Thanks to the world wide web so much information has been shared and collected that it is virtually impossible to not find any info about even the rarest of collectors items, be it a record, a stamp or a bicycle frame. That is what makes one of my recent projects so special.
– Riders –
August 16, 2016Next up in the Riders series is Magdalena Beljan. Magdalena rides a custom built Santucci, which she has had since November last year. Continue reading
– Riders –
August 1, 2016In the second edition of the Riders series, we catch up with Felipe Burattini, the Berlin-based design-thinking specialist born in Brazil. Felipe founded his own advertising boutique BrandishAd in 2006, and in 2015 he became the Founder of a Berlin-based start-up ‘Apps 4 Gaps’, which also operates in London and São Paulo.
– Riders –
June 6, 2016As Santucci Cycles grows, we love meeting people from all walks of life. Our customers share our passion for great design and practicality – and so we thought it would be cool to introduce some of our community via our new “Riders” series.
First up is Stewart Walker, the Berlin-based electronic music producer. We caught up with Stewart by email during his tour of Japan, and chatted about bikes, beats and Berlin.
2015: a retrospective
December 30, 2015The calender year is almost over and most people see this as a time to reflect on the past and think about the future. I’m no different in this respect. 2015 was a big deal for me.
Sunday ride
November 16, 2015On Sunday I missed the group ride because I set my alarm incorrectly and overslept. I deliberated trying to join the group somehow, checking the next train connections, trying to figure out a way, but in the end gave up. It was one of the best decisions I’ve made in a while too. Because while riding in a group is fun, I also like riding alone. And for the first time in a long time, I got to do that this past Sunday.
I really, really enjoy riding alone. You ride at your own pace, stop when you want, and go where you want. And it’s that last bit which reminds me the most about why I love riding a bike. It’s the trill of discovery. One of my favorite quotes is from Hemmingway “It’s good to have an end to journey to, but it is the journey which counts, in the end.” Sometimes I’ll set out with no destination and just let the streets and my intuition guide me. Other times I’ll have a destination, but be directionless. Indeed I set out on this gorgeous autumn day with a destination. The rest was open.
on pulling fender dents
May 14, 2015My bikes see lots of use, mostly as commuters. They spend time outside subjected to elements which I cannot control. Often times I’ll leave my bike parked at a bike rack and return hours later thinking “strange, i could have sworn that my headlight lens wasn’t cracked” . The same goes for unsightly fender dents. I have no idea how they happen, but for me they are one of those things which make a bike look very used. Even more than scratches.
desperation leads to ingenuity
October 11, 2014Most of my builds are used in and around Berlin with no real distance traveling. Berlin is mostly flat with the token hills, like Prenzlauer Berg or Temeplhofer Damm, but nothing too serious. For this reason many of my builds have little or no gearing systems. Gears are useful, but they require attention and maintenance. Most people who have ridden a geared bike would attest to this and that’s why some customers opt for one gear. But there are also the customers who just know they need gears and want them.
Santucci Cycles in Gala MEN Magazine
June 24, 2014Recently I was contacted by Gala MEN Magazine to do an article on vintage bikes. Continue reading
Presenting “WINTER BIKE”
May 11, 2014A while ago I began thinking about the perfect bike for winter commuting. Growing tired of cleaning and replacing chains and having brakes which didn’t work on rainy days, I came up with the recipe for WINTER BIKE.
#019… Julia in the making
April 5, 2014The new website and blog are giving me inspiration and I’m going to try something different . Occasionally, when I think about it, I also take pictures of projects in the making, meaning before they are finished.
Project #015
April 4, 2014Project #015 was finished just in time for the Berliner Fahrradschau. Like most of my projects this was commissioned by a customer. It’s a been a while in the making, but it’s safe to say that we are pleased with the final result.
My biggest fans
March 25, 2014At the bike show this weekend I got a visit from my biggest fans. When I came home later that evening there were some surprises waiting for me. After a hard day on my feet these things made me smile.
Berliner Fahrradschau
March 24, 2014This weekend I had the distinct pleasure of exhibiting a selection of my custom built bicycles along with my colleague Yuji from Klovesradeln at the Berliner Fahrradschau.