Titanium Takes Center Stage: WERT Connects at Bespoked 2025

Handmade Meets High-Tech: WERT’s Standout Debut at the MADE Bike Show Reading Titanium Takes Center Stage: WERT Connects at Bespoked 2025 7 minutes

By Rico de WertNov 11, 20250 comments

Bespoked.cc is over, but the good vibes continue to roll. Dresden played host to Europe's largest handmade bike show this past October, and titanium was the star of the weekend. From precision-machined cranks to custom frames, the metal that defines WERT Cycling showed up in force—and our StW Ti cranks were right there in the mix, proving that Dutch engineering and artisan craft belong together.

The 14th edition of Bespoked brought together the framebuilding community's finest—small-batch builders, accomplished engineers, and passionate craftspeople who still believe in the power of doing things right. It's the kind of show where you'll find more external cable routing than proprietary standards, more Brooks saddles than carbon everything, and conversations about metallurgy that can stretch well into the evening. In short, it's our kind of crowd.

Walking through the expansive Dresden Flughafen, surrounded by some of the most meticulously crafted machines in cycling, we felt right at home. Bespoked isn't about flashy marketing or incremental spec bumps—it's about makers who obsess over details most people will never see, who choose materials for their inherent properties rather than their marketing potential, and who build machines meant to last decades, not seasons.

And that's exactly what drew us to work with some incredible builders who showcased WERT StW cranks on their creations.

Partnerships Forged in Titanium

One of the highlights of Bespoked 2025 was locking down partnerships with some seriously talented builders who share our philosophy on materials, craftsmanship, and performance.

Dangerholm needs no introduction to anyone who's spent time scrolling through cycling's most drool-worthy builds. Gustav Gullholm's pursuit of the world's lightest bikes has made him legendary, and his attention to detail matches our own obsessive approach to titanium machining. Seeing our cranks spec'd on one of his builds validates everything we've worked toward—when someone who can choose literally any component in the world picks WERT, that says something.

Light Wolf Studio, based in Dresden, Germany, specializes in high-end wheelbuilding and custom complete bikes. Their meticulous approach to lacing wheels and selecting components aligns perfectly with our precision-first philosophy. Felix and the team at Light Wolf understand that the best bikes are built from components that share the same uncompromising standards.

Bordure Cycles, operating out of Eperney, France represents exactly the kind of innovation that excites us. Pierre's approach to framebuilding combines custom geometry with 3D-printed titanium joints—a brilliant solution that allows for versatile tube replacement while maintaining structural integrity. His People's Choice Award at Bespoked 2025 proves that riders recognize innovation when they see it, especially when it's executed with this level of technical sophistication.

Kocmo Titan Bikes, operating out of Germany with decades of titanium framebuilding experience, creates custom Ti frames that embody the "buy it for life" ethos we champion. Their expertise with Ti-6Al-4V and commitment to made-to-measure geometry make them natural partners for WERT components. When your frame is built to last a lifetime, it deserves cranks engineered to the same standard.

These partnerships aren't just about putting our cranks on beautiful bikes (though that's definitely a bonus). They're about building relationships with craftspeople who understand why we chose aerospace-grade titanium, why we obsess over tolerances measured in microns, and why "good enough" has never been part of our vocabulary.

The Titanium Conversation

What struck us most at Bespoked was how many conversations naturally gravitated toward titanium. Not as a niche material or a retro throwback, but as the smart choice for riders who value durability, performance, and honest design. Framebuilders were talking about Ti-6Al-4V's exceptional fatigue life, its corrosion resistance, its ride quality—all the properties we've been championing since day one.

It's validating to see the handmade bike community embrace what we've known all along: titanium isn't just "nice to have," it's the optimal material for components that need to deliver uncompromising performance across decades of hard riding. Whether you're building a sub-6kg XC race bike or an adventure rig meant to cross continents, titanium brings properties that carbon and aluminum simply can't match.

Artisan Craft Meets Engineering Excellence

Bespoked showcased an incredible spectrum of artisan bike craft—from Avalanche Cycles award-winning paint finishes, to Curve Cyclings Best Gravel award to the to the wildly creative Good Grief capturing the Peers Choice all the Bespoked award winners proved you don't need six-figure budgets to make something brilliant.

Walking through the show, we kept coming back to the same thought: this is what cycling should be. Not planned obsolescence disguised as innovation, not marketing hype masquerading as engineering advancement, but genuine craftspeople making things that matter, built to standards that would make our collective grandfathers proud.

The builders at Bespoked aren't chasing quarterly earnings reports or trying to force unnecessary "upgrades" every model year. They're building relationships with riders, creating machines tailored to individual needs, and standing behind their work because their reputation depends on it. That's the kind of industry we want to be part of.

What Bespoked Means for WERT

For a young brand like ours, being part of the Bespoked community means everything. It's validation that our approach—meticulous engineering, honest materials, uncompromising quality—resonates with the people who understand bikes at the deepest level. These aren't marketing executives or product managers; these are people who weld, machine, file, and finish with their own hands.

When Dangerholm specs WERT cranks or Light Wolf recommends them for a custom build, that carries more weight than any magazine review or influencer endorsement. It's proof that we're earning respect where it matters most—from the craftspeople who've spent decades learning what actually works.

The Road Ahead

Coming off Bespoked, we're more energized than ever about the journey ahead. The partnerships we've formed, the conversations we've had, and the genuine enthusiasm from the builder community confirm what we believed from the start: there's a serious appetite for components that deliver on durability, performance, and aesthetic integrity.

We're heading home to the Netherlands with new connections, collaborative possibilities, and the kind of momentum that comes from finding your tribe. To everyone who stopped by to check out our cranks, who shared their build plans, who nerded out with us about material science and manufacturing processes—thank you. This is just the beginning.

The handmade bike community gets it: precision matters, materials matter, and craftsmanship matters. We're proud to serve builders and riders who demand nothing but the best.