Belle Cycles: Enrico Belle - Craftsman
“I think the bicycle for many people is a way of life. It’s not just a sport or passion. It defines your life and personality and I think it’s good to have an object that talks about you.”
Enrico ‘Kico’ Belle was born in Northern Italy - a place rich with food, wine and cycling culture. From a young age, Kico knew he wanted to work with his hands, believing it was the best way to express himself and eventually to earn a living. When he was 19 he joined the Italian Army, learning blacksmithing and farriering (specialising in horse shoes) over two years of immersion in metalworking, forging and welding. When Kico left the army, he continued working as a blacksmith, but knew his passion was for welding.
Between 2000 and 2004, Kico worked as a metal fabricator in Italy, moving to Barcelona at the end of 2004 to set up a workshop in an artist warehouse, working with steel and stainless steel, fabricating for cinemas, museums and commercial interiors. From 2006, he spent two years travelling to the UK to study artistic foundry (creating sculptures using liquid metal and moulds) and at the same time began working on important public commissions - huge jobs involving long hours and demanding clients.
In 2009, he was offered the chance to learn how to build bicycle frames for Barcelona manufacturer Rabasa, making steel-frame urban bikes with 20-inch wheels for getting around the city. Over the next six years, Kico made over 350 bikes for Rabasa and as time progressed he began experimenting with his own creative ideas. As a lifelong cyclist, he knew what he was looking for in a bike, and so in 2016 he took over the workshop space and started his own dream: Belle Cycles.
“I remember saying to a customer of mine; ‘the graphic I created for your bike is attached to a very particular moment of my life’. Maybe for the customer it didn’t make any sense but for me when I see that bicycle I think wow…. I remember that moment in my life. So I try to put a lot of humanity into the process.”
For the past four years, Kico has worked hand in hand with customers from all around the world. He’s a calm and thoughtful character - you can sense his philosophical side whenever he speaks. But Kico is a natural listener, focussing intently on what his clients are saying, reading between the lines and gradually building a picture of a frame to match a feeling, whether that be for a particular race, ride quality or aesthetic.
In 2017 Kico met Christian Meier on a group riding trip in Slovenia, of all places. They began chatting about steel (Christian was riding his Speedvagen) and when they returned to Spain the relationship between Belle Cycles and The Service Course quickly blossomed. Kico’s first frame for us was a Belle GRAR; a gravel bike made from Columbus tubing, painted beautifully with a ‘Catalan Sunset’ by Kico’s trusty frame painter, Kilian Ramirez Caballero. It was an instant head-turner, and since that first project, every frame we’ve worked with him on has been finished to perfection - a true testament to Kico’s talent and craftsmanship.
When Kico isn’t designing and building bikes in his workshop, he’s usually out riding. He’s a regular fixture at our rides and special events in Girona, both on and off the road, and has quickly become a highly valued - and popular - member of The Service Course family. For us, the beauty of working in partnership with craftsmen like Kico is being able to freely and openly collaborate to create brilliant bikes that are truly unique to each and every customer - their pride and joy for many years to come.
“At the end of the process, you’ve finished the circle. What was a drawing on your computer is now a bicycle. And the bicycle is such a beautiful instrument because it’s so simple but it permits you to go around the globe using your own body.”
DREAMING OF A BEAUTIFUL CUSTOM BIKE?
Belle Cycles are available to purchase through The Service Course as complete builds only, with each bike built specifically for the needs and wants of its owner. We’ll guide you through the entire process which is surprisingly simple and a lot of fun. Road frames are priced starting from €2,600 and gravel frames from €2,760, with plenty of options and extras to choose from to create your final build. All you need to do is get in touch and we can get the conversation started in no time!
For more information on pricing and our road and gravel build kits click here.
