Homes & Estates

216 | Homes & Estates

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

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.

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

©BENOÎT TEILLET

©MAISON TAMBOITE

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,

www.maisontamboite.fr

Photographed at Paris’ exclusive Plaza

Athénée hotel is an electrical version

of Maison Tamboite’s handcrafted

Henri, featuring rich leather and

polished wood accents.

Marcel:

Designed for sport use