About us → Who we are
In the beginning
We are two designer-engineers, Silvin Kutsch and Thomas Kieber, with a passion for the bicycle, this formidable social tool and splendid travel partner. We created Manivelle to invent our own craft, to bring our convictions to bear, often in opposition to what the cycle industry has to offer, and to develop strong artisanal know-how to nourish our creative sensibility. Our aim is to offer one-of-a-kind bicycles and accessories. Our DNA is definitely that of a craftsman. That’s where it all began in 2017, when the idea for créé Manivelle came up in a discussion. Producing bicycles with our own hands was then a mixture of dreams and convictions, before becoming our profession. Then, encounters along the way created new perspectives, such as making our brand more accessible by offering a range of accessories produced in France.
Un atelier d’artisans
Our handcrafted products are fueled by our passion for cycling: adventure and travel in all its forms, whether on the road or on steep trails. This is the natural context for most of our handcrafted bikes, from ultra-distance bikes to gravel bikes, randonneuses and bikepacking bikes. We like atypical specifications that give free rein to our creativity: we only produce one bike a month.
Around textiles
Although textile design came later, it too now plays a major role in our passion. Each bag is designed and prototyped by us at the Atelier Manivelle before going into production with our partner. We are developing our own re-use material supply chain, directly involving a number of companies in the Grand Est region of France. Our aim is to move away from the technical aesthetics of bicycle accessories and offer you practical, durable and desirable luggage. All handmade in France, naturally!
Free Object
Libre-Objet and Manivelle have been working together since 2019 and the creation of our “La Musette” bag. Today, our two structures have progressed hand in hand. On the Manivelle side, we have more and more ideas, and are learning the necessary sewing skills to prototype each new product in our workshop. At Libre Objet, the team has grown and talented designers have joined the group, enabling us to mass-produce increasingly technical bags, always handmade in France.
Around steel (CADDIE)
The adventure with Caddie began in 2021. The meeting was simple: we had the idea of asking them to produce a bicycle basket, by “hijacking” their know-how. We called the switchboard, and a week later, we met the Caddie team at the factory, 20km from our workshop. It wasn’t the easiest route (which is rarely the most responsible route), and we worked patiently to adapt to their know-how, drawing inspiration from it to imagine our products. Today, we work with a new European partner for our steel wire products.
