Welcome to Velolechien!

Bicycles

Velolechien stands for used vintage bicycles that are in a good running condition with a clean look. The bicycles do not seem very likeable when I get them – they are mostly old, dirty, rusty and do not run properly. I will give them a complete makeover so afterwards ‚les velos ont du chien’!

Workflow

The process starts with the search for the bicycle. I usually buy used bikes on ricardo.ch or I get them as a gift from people who heard that I like to fix bicycles. As soon as I get myself a project, I strip the whole thing down, clean everything in my bathtub and check if any of the parts are broken. After that, I buy all the new items I need for the renewal. I do all the reassembling in my livingroom. Most of the time I exchange the braking and shifting cables and the housings as well as the brakepads. Since I live up the hill in Zürich, it is absolutely necessary that everything regarding braking and shifting runs perfectly. If the wheels have an eight, I center them and if the tires are bad, I replace them. I often change the handlebar, the grips and the breaklevers so that the bicycle looks the way I like it. Depending on the project there are other items I replace. At the end of the makeover I make sure that everything functions the way it is supposed to.

Motivation

I am a bicycle enthusiast. First of all I love the design. A nice clean bicycle, with good proportions and a fancy color is just the best. So just seeing a nice bicycle makes me happy. Secondly, I like the way of transportation. In a city like Zürich there is no faster, cooler and more flexible way to get around town. Moreover the environment is something I care a lot about and there is no cleaner mode of transportation. I want people to be more considerate about our nature and therefore to ride more bicycles. Thirdly, I like the craftmanship. Building something with your own hands is really rewarding. You can be creative, try out and learn new things and at the end be proud about the product. That is probably one of the reasons why it is always hard for me to pass on the bicycles I worked on.

Warranty

Since I am a private seller or rather an enthusiastic hobbyist and these are all used bicycles, I cannot give any warranty. I am not a trained bicycle mechanic, so everything I know, I have learned by doing. Before I pass a bicycle on, I ride it for several days in order to check if everything works properly. I only hand bicycles over that I feel save to ride!