We care for the big picture as much as we have an almost obsessive attention to detail.
How it all started
St Joris Cycles was founded by Alex de Kraker out of a love of cycling and a lifelong fascination with materials and craftsmanship to create something exquisite with one’s own hands.
As an avid cyclist and amateur racer in road and cyclocross competitions, Alex wondered why he actually didn’t design and construct his own bike frames? He was riding bikes, racing competitions and had his ideas about bike design and geometry. And frankly, he was missing out the act of creating stuff with is own hands. Something he was doing when he was a kid and teenager, but what was lost during his first jobs after his study in Engineering Mechanics at Eindhoven University of Technology. After having worked for almost a decade as a researcher in the field of Mechanical Engineering, both at Delft University of Technology and at a renowned Dutch research institute, he realized that the act of creating something tangible gave him the ultimate feeling of fulfilment.
The act of creating the ideas in his head with his own hands gave way to his innate sense for perfection and his almost obsessive attention to detail. A personal trait that he now exploits every day while designing and building custom bikes for his clients.
What started as a side project finally turned into an evening- and weekend business in 2010. Alex started to work on a 50-50 basis by the end of 2011 before he decided to give it a go and further grow St Joris Cycles on a full-time basis in 2013.
We don’t exist in a vacuum
Despite being a one-person company, we do not exist in a vacuum.
Building the ultimate bike for our clients involves more than just welding a frame set. We have specialized in designing and constructing – what we believe to be – the finest bikes for our customers. But we can’t do this without the help of the best experts in bike fitting and paintwork.
That’s why we have been collaborating with Joep from Pedaalkracht for already ten years. Joep has been dedicated to perfecting cyclists’ bike positions for many years, ranging from beginner cyclists to professional athletes. His extensive experience allows him to effectively advise on the most optimal riding posture.
That’s why we also collaborate with Jacco. A self-made man who creates the best paint jobs you can imagine, both in terms of paint quality and artwork.
What stands out about our collaboration is that all of us have been running our own one-man businesses for a decade. We are all passionate enthusiasts of our craft and have been focusing on honing our skills for a long time. Each of us still strives every day to become just that little bit better at what we excel in.
