I have fond memories of my grandfather in his workshop where he used to practice his love for woodwork. I can smell the lacquer and feel the shavings even now. He was forever fervently restoring bentwood chairs, turning wooden apples for gifts or making me billy carts or swords. As a result, after a long day sitting at a computer, I occasionally regret not following more closely in his footsteps. I can only respect the skills of Arnolt van der Sman, who crafts these incredible wooden bicycles.

Arnolt began working with wood when he was 15, in 2001, and pursued his passion through school to study furniture making. He graduated in 2005 and now works as an interior builder for Contest Yachts. He diverted his skills into building bikes as a hobby and challenge, no doubt as a result of the Dutch obsession with bicycles. This model is his current pièce de résistance, the culmination of eighty hours of work and around twelve layers of lacquer — constructed from solid beech and ash.

If you’re after the perfect vehicle for cruising around the marina or traversing the streets of your seaside village, contact Arnolt through his website. There’s nothing quite like a matching bike and yacht… if you have the means, I highly recommend it.

Special thanks to Stefan Warnar for the beautiful photography.















