BERLIN: Although it is almost winter I still take my bike wherever I have to go. Moving keeps me warm during cold winter days and takes me fast to the place I have to go. In November I will receive my new ultra-lightweight carbon fiber bicycle by Hermès, which takes me even faster to my destinations in a very handsome way. Le Flâneur d’Hermès and Le Flâneur sportif d’Hermès, a unisex leisure and a sporty city bicycle, will be available in three sizes – S, M, L – and two colors – charcoal and blanc d’Espagne (Le Flâneur sportif d’Hermès will also be available in a sporty shade of red). Both of the bikes which have been hand-made in France by TIME, a French manufacturer of bicycles and cycling equipment founded by Roland Cattin in 1987, will feature a shock-absorbing monobloc frame, belt-driven transmission, bull leather on contact points such as the handlebar grips, saddle and carry handle, hydraulic disc brakes and a choice of 8 or 11 gears integrated into the rear wheel hub.
The bicycle design reflects the craftsmanship that one has invariably come to be expected of a luxury house of this standing. Of course, due to its origins as a master saddler, I am looking forward to my first ride and I am sure that the saddles on these bikes are going to be the most comfortable in the world! Combining exquisite, elegant lines with cutting-edge technology, Le Flâneur d’Hermès bicycles are as light as a feather albeit with a rather hefty $8,000 price tag! Because at the end of the day, Style as beautiful as this simply doesn’t come cheap.
