Homes & Estates

THE LAST WORD IN… HAUTE CYCLING BY ROGER GRODY REPRESENTING A RESURGENT LUXURY BICYCLE MARKET IS MAISON TAMBOITE, A LEGENDARY BRAND WITH A COMMITMENT TO ARTISANAL PRODUCTION.

F ounded in Paris in 1912, Maison Tamboite bicycles were favored by the likes of Édith Piaf and Maurice Chevalier. The company was shuttered in the late 1980s — a time when many consumers were abandoning artisanal craftsmanship for mass-produced products — but current owner Frédéric Jastrzebski, the great-grandson of the company’s founder, reclaimed the family tradition. Young Frédéric was encouraged to pursue a more practical career and entered the financial indus- try, but he always harbored a sentimental appreciation for the workshop he spent so many hours in as a boy. “It was important to me that this tradition of craftsman- ship not be lost,” says Jastrzebski. In 2014, he and

his brother resurrected the venerable company — the name Maison Tamboite still commanded considerable goodwill in the City of Light — and opened a workshop in the 12th arrondissement near Place de la Bastille. Committed to creating products worthy of the family brand, Jastrzebski and his brother began produc- ing luxury bicycles with a commitment to old-fashioned handcraftsmanship, even taking some of their great- grandfather’s vintage tools out of mothballs. “Today we use some more modern tools, especially computer- assisted programs for design, but the techniques to build them have not changed, and we rely on an extensive ecosystem of Parisian artisans,” explains Jastrzebski. Only a distant relative of the Schwinn or Huffy

Marcel: Designed for sport use

©BENOÎT TEILLET

Photographed at Paris’ exclusive Plaza Athénée hotel is an electrical version of Maison Tamboite’s handcrafted Henri, featuring rich leather and polished wood accents.

products most Americans grew up with, Maison Tamboite bicycles are custom-fitted to their owners, whether it be at the Paris workshop or anywhere in the world convenient for customers. “The product is bespoke, executed precisely to the dimensions of each client,” says Jastrzebski, who explains that no fewer than 15 measurements ensure maximum comfort and efficiency for the rider. The wheel rims and mud guards on Maison Tamboite bikes are crafted from honey-hued beech- wood, while hand-burnished buffalo leather envelops the handlebar, cables and seat. With this attention to detail and craftsmanship, every bicycle takes about three months to build, and the result is not only engineering excellence, but a product that is aesthetically exquisite. Like any custom-made, artisanally crafted prod- uct, these bikes do not come cheap, and with prices starting at about $12,000, Maison Tamboite might be viewed as the Louis Vuitton of bicycles. “The quality speaks for itself,” states Jastrzebski, who insists it is difficult to describe or even convey through photo- graphs. “The product really needs to be seen and touched to be appreciated,” he says.

©MAISON TAMBOITE

• Maison Tamboite, www.maisontamboite.fr

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