Should your next superbike be made from stainless steel?

If you’re going to spend top dollar on a road bike, why get one of a million Specialized SL8s, Cervelo S5s or Colnago C68s when you can get something entirely unique? That’s the view of Kurt Stallaert, co-founder of Jaegher bikes, a Belgian brand producing stainless steel bikes that are customised from the ground up.

In a small unit in Gent, Belgium, which Stallaert calls the ‘atelier’, Jaegher produces about 100 bespoke bicycles a year. These are not ‘retro’ bikes for misty-eyed sentimentalists. They are high-performance road bikes, with stiff bottom brackets, seamless welds and cutting-edge 3D-printed technology.

Crucially, every aspect, from the ride characteristics to the paint job, is unique to each customer.

Jaegher is one of only a handful of brands producing stainless steel bikes, a material that is notoriously difficult to work with for welders. The question is, if stainless is so uncooperative, why do they bother with it?

We visited Stallaert at the Jaegher atelier to find out.

Custom beats carbon

“Carbon is good for the pros,” explains Stallaert. “They need to go at the limit and they don't mind if it breaks. Every race, they have their mechanics change their bikes, so they don't care. But as a rider, a daily rider, you just want to be on your bike and have comfort and speed.

“It's so strange to me that while nobody is riding a Formula One car on the street, all cyclists want a Formula One bike to ride on the street, like the pros,” he says.

The price of a Jaegher bike varies depending on how they’re built and specced, but Stallaert says around €12,000 is typical. For that kind of money, you could get a top-end race bike. However, Stallaert says that if you’re going to spend a lot of money on a bike, you’re best getting one that is made for you, not Jonas Vingegaard.

“When someone says they’re interested in a bike, first of all, we talk to them to find out what their level of experience is; what is the reason they came to us. And then, we find out which will be the best bike for this person. And it's really all personal. We don’t do mass production.”

Everything, from the steel alloy, to the tyre clearance and seatpost diameter, is determined by the needs of the individual customer. It means Jaegher customers walk away with a perfectly fitted bike designed for them, and the satisfaction of having something entirely unique.

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A model of a 3D printed bottom bracket

To take their customisation even further, in January 2024, Jaegher developed a frame joined by 3D-printed stainless steel parts. The new tech means Jaegher can adjust the ride characteristics of their bikes for each customer.

“We can completely control these parts to make the bike more stiff or more comfortable. As a function of how much material we add, we can change how your bike rides.”

• Read more: Are steel bikes still relevant in 2024?

Modern steel

Steel bikes are typically regarded as the traditional choice. The ‘retro’ choice, even. Stallaert makes it very clear that that’s not what Jaegher is offering.

“In the beginning, our bikes looked like old-fashioned bikes. That's not what I wanted. I was riding with fast groups, and I wanted to be able to ride with them. I didn't want to be the fancy guy, with people saying, ‘Oh, look at his old bike.’ So instead, we developed the brand more like a modern brand.”

That means Jaegher bikes have disc brakes, electronic gears and modern geometry. They have tapered head tubes, internal cable routing and thru axles.

However, Stallaert says the biggest difference between classic, ‘retro’ steel bikes and Jaegher bikes is the stiffness of the frame. In part, that’s because they have large, chunky bottom brackets and tubes. But it’s also because the bikes are made from stainless steel, which is stiffer than normal steel.

“For us, stainless steel is the best material to make a bike from,” Stallaert explains.

© Jaegher

A beautifully finished Jaegher Ascender FL.X

Although titanium has stolen the limelight as the material to beat, the Columbus XCr tubes in Jaegher’s bikes can be crafted to be just as lightweight as a Ti frame. Even so, Stallaert is keen to talk about stiffness and comfort, not weight.

“The weight can go from 7.2kg and up, depending on the size and components. We’ve even made bikes under 7kg with very light components. But lately, weight isn’t the question anymore. It’s more about comfort and riding capabilities. And there, we are on top.”

The reason hardly any manufacturers use stainless steel, says Stallaert, is because of how difficult it is to weld.

“Stainless steel turns when you heat it,” he explains. “That’s the reason that there aren’t so many brands making stainless steel bikes — because it’s much more difficult to work with.”

As a result, Jaegher’s stainless steel bikes stand out. When unpainted, the material is pure silver, much brighter than titanium. Whether left as raw metal or decorated with one of Jaegher’s custom-designed paint schemes, these bikes turn heads. They are luxury, zero-compromise machines for people who want something a bit different.

“Recently there was a guy who is a goldsmith. And he made some parts in pure gold. It was beautiful,” remembers Stallaert.

© Jaegher

Gold badge, stainless steel frame

There will always be that small section of cyclists for whom money is no object, and for whom the best of the best is the only thing that will do. If you are fortunate enough to fit within that category, the latest Tour de France machine will be tempting, but a custom-made bicycle like this seems a far more interesting choice.

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