As they say in the classics… Now for something completely different. There’s plenty of antique and vintage frames to be found in Europe — the birthplace of the bicycle — and they’re fair game for the ingenuous and engineering mind of Teun Timmermans.
Teun has been tinkering with bikes all his life and has, over the last three years, turned that favourable hobby into a full-time occupation under the banner of Timmermans Fietsen — ‘fiets’ being the Dutch translation for ‘bike’
Motorcycle riders will know that scrambler-style motorbikes are a hot topic right now, and it’s a genre that Teun has managed to tap into very successfully. In fact, this electrically-powered bicycle exists in the grey region between our two sites.
Teun has built original bikes himself, but the mainstay of his business is to take frames of a particular vintage and reinterpret them. A strip and repaint here, a new set of wheels there, resulting in a fun and functional new bike with a classic aesthetic.
The addition of an electric motor is a bit of a departure from his usual style, but one that utilises the same formula. The twin top tubes and front end is all that remains of this scrambler’s original donor bike.
The seat post and lower half of the frame was fabricated by Teun to accommodate the Gates carbon belt drive, which requires the frame to be split — allowing the continuous belt to be installed, and also the Bafang 750 watt mid-drive motor.
If you’re unaware of DIY eBikes, they can be a bit of a rabbit hole, but Teun has basically created what could be the freshest version you’ll lay your eyes on today. The Bafang motor is key — start reading about them here and you’ll quickly become inspired.
The Bafang is the optimum mid-drive e-motor on the market. It only weighs 8.5 pounds and can be used with proprietary gearing, so you can climb in an easy gear or really mach it in a heavy gear. The mid-drive makes for fantastic powered off-road riding.
It’s going to be a while before eBikes are accepted into the mainstream consciousness, but Teun has certainly made it easier for us to visualise the possibilities with his scrambler. It will be an evolutionary process, but this is a big step.
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