What’s the most “you” part of the award winning MTB?

That's a difficult question to answer. The whole bike is a mirror of myself, but there's one small, yet completely unimportant detail which I’m incredibly proud of: the two pilot holes in the seat tube/seattube sleeve for the silver brazing rod, which align perfectly with the seat clamp slot. It was super unnecessary to put this level of accuracy into the process, but this small detail always makes me smile when I see the two circular golden dots shine through the clear coat.

If your bike had a soundtrack, what would it be and why?

Definitely Freak by Lexy & K Paul, because similar to the track you really need a freaky bike like the Bügeleisen in your life if you want to make love to your body. (By shredding it hard on the trails.)

Which part of the build nearly broke you and which part gave you a grin every time you looked at it?

What does winning Best MTB at BESPOKED mean to you personally and what does it mean to the younger Bennet who first picked up a tool?

Wow, that’s a hard one to answer. During the build process I was certain this bike would be worthy of an award, but all that certainty vanished during the Friday of the show. All of a sudden there was only one thought on my mind:
What was I thinking? How could I possibly have thought I could win against all those amazing builders like Paul from BTR or James from Creature?
But surely, I thought I could be in the top three.
When Hanna (Singletrack Magazine) read out third and second place and my name wasn’t part of it, I got nervous…

She told a story of the build process, and it took me a while to realise she was talking about my bike.
In all honesty, I felt super overwhelmed that I was able to pull off both my thesis and my build in such a short time and with all the obstacles in my way. I’m so grateful for everyone who supported me during the build.

One time my dad even brought some dinner over, although they had guests at home, just so I could eat and continue brazing without a break.
Every now and then while working on a new frame or simply working away on other projects, it strikes me that after almost 12 years since the thought of wanting to become a framebuilder first crossed my mind, I’ve actually made my way to where I’m at now. It’s quite a surreal feeling.
You can really shape your dreams into reality, and then being topped off with such an award would make my younger self really proud.

If only the younger Bennet had been aware of the fact that you won’t get reasonably well paid as a framebuilder though. But I guess none of us are into framebuilding because of the money. It’s a deep passion and I’m grateful for all the connections and friends I made along the way, which go a lot further than money.

You’re not just a builder, but also part of the BESPOKED crew. How do you balance being a creator and a curator of this scene?

Well, I wouldn’t see myself as a curator of the scene, more as an enabler. I’ve got a deep connection to the cycling scene and love to see all my friends come together to celebrate each other and their shared passion.

Since working with Bespoked, the show really reignited a feeling that had been lost in the German cycling scene for a while. To be more specific, since the Berliner Fahrradschau disappeared in 2018 or 2019.

During the first edition of our Dresden show the vibe and energy reappeared, and I just knew I had to help keep that energy going and put my heart into it.
I hope that we’re able to give something back to the community, and by keeping Bespoked alive, we're able to create a space for people to connect, show their craft, and just celebrate their shared love for bikes.

Sometimes balancing running the show (alongside Petor, Rosie, and Konstantin) and exhibiting can be quite challenging, because I always put the show first. But I managed to put up a good team of people who help us during the show, which enables me to enjoy it a bit more and actually talk to people about my brand and bikes without feeling like I’m neglecting other exhibitors.

What’s the weirdest or most unexpected reaction you got at the show?

Maybe not directly at the show, but I got quite a funny reaction to my bike from Hagen Wechsel, who introduced me to framebuilding and guided me through my first steps.
He gave the frame the glitter clear coat the night before the show and his only reaction to 70 hours of blood, sweat, and tears (plenty) was:
“Na, meins ist es nicht.” (“Hmm, it’s not my cup of tea.”)
Just what you want to hear after making the seemingly impossible possible.

What does a more inclusive bike culture actually look like to you?

If the cycling world had a “reset button,” what’s one thing you’d change right away?

Full suspension gravel bikes!Just order a Bügeleisen and enjoy a proper mountain bike for once!

If your framebuilding style were a cooking style, what would it be and what’s the dish?

Definitely a stir fry. Quick, dirty, but insanely delicious, and if served right, quite appealing to the eye too.

What’s something people always assume about you or your work that’s completely wrong?

People assume I would eventually take a break, which I don’t.
Never not BALLERN.

What do you do when you’re not building bikes that helps you build better bikes?

Well, every now and then I work on non bike related fabricating jobs, like building designer furniture or a recent project which involved welding roughly 600 V4A stainless pipes together as water subdividers. These kinds of jobs, although not bike related, give me an eye for detail and the time necessary to really dial in my welding.
Unfortunately, the stainless job came in after the build of the Bügeleisen, which was my first welding project on thin materials (as if pulling the bike off wouldn’t have been challenging enough already…)
These kinds of jobs really helped me to stay afloat and allowed me to set up my workshops with the tooling needed for the job.
Ah, and I recently finished a two year course for automotive design and construction, which taught me some handy CAD skills. Pretty useful for bikes.

If your workshop could talk, what would it say about you?

I think firstly it would scream: Clean me please!
I do think my workshop reflects my character pretty well. I strive for perfection, but during the process I clutter myself in tools and emery cloth, which I leave lying around everywhere. I’ve even bought like 20 Sharpies (no joke!) and at least 5 calipers, and still have to look for one every time…
I think as soon as I enter the creative state, cleaning up slows down my brain, so I solely focus on my work and blank out my complete surroundings.
Much to the dismay of my workshop mates…
Whenever I finish a project and give the shop a thorough clean, I say to myself I’ll try to keep it as tidy as it is, but my workshop knows that’s a biiiig lie!

Follow Ballern Cycle Works: @ballern.cycles