Pim's Jaegher Hurricane FLX: a classic look with modern handling

From a cool idea to reality: Pim's Jaegher Hurricane FLX

Our colleague Pim has a soft spot for classic bikes. When it turned out he could put together his own Jaegher, he pretty much knew straight away what he wanted: a bike with a genuinely classic look, but with the handling of his modern gravel bike. He's now been riding his Hurricane FLX for a while, and we asked him to look back on the whole process.

Jaegher is the Belgian brand recently added to BikeSuperior's range: road and gravel bikes, handbuilt in a workshop in Ghent, in stainless steel. Every frame is made entirely to measure, from geometry to finish, built specifically around the rider who's going to ride it.

His first encounter with Jaegher was at the bike show in Düsseldorf. The choice of model was settled quickly after that: the Hurricane, for its classic look and the option for wide tyres. At the time Pim was riding an OPEN U.P. (1.0). He was determined to keep that playful handling, combined with some more modern options like wider tyres. "The classic look, the material and the craftsmanship really spoke to me," Pim says.

Fully custom, right down to the handling

At Jaegher every frame is built with a fully custom geometry, not from a standard size chart. What makes this project different from Pim's earlier bike projects goes beyond just the components. The sizing and the handling are entirely tailored to him too. As the starting point for the geometry he used his OPEN U.P. (1.0), which he was already well set up on. A bikefit at BikeSuperior, carried out by our colleague Jasper, established the measurements he needed to get the right riding position and make sure everything lined up.

"Because the designer really listened to what I wanted, the bike turned out exactly how I'd asked for beforehand," Pim says. "While going through the sizing we made a few more adjustments to get the handling even closer to what I was after."

Pim normally falls between what most brands would call a size 56 and a size 58, exactly the kind of in-between size where a standard frame always forces a compromise. Thanks to Jaegher's custom geometry, that wasn't necessary this time: his Hurricane FLX got the top tube length of a size 58 combined with the stack of a size 56. Exactly the combination that fits his body, rather than the nearest standard size.

From bikefit to a handwelded frame in Ghent

After the bikefit and the first conversations about what he wanted, the welding plan went to Jaegher's workshop in Ghent, where the frame was handwelded piece by piece. For Pim that was a special part of the process: having a say in every tube, every angle, every measurement. Watching the whole thing come together step by step.

As soon as the frame came back, Pim built the bike up himself with the components he'd chosen. As a mechanic at BikeSuperior, that was obviously well within his skills. From the first conversation to the finished bike, the whole process took several months. A custom bike like this isn't a project to rush: every step gets the time it needs to be done right.

Modern classic in candy copper

Pim also had complete freedom when it came to colour and finish. He'd already had the design in his head for a while: a modern classic look, not too flashy, but not boring either. For the colour he was torn between British racing green and candy copper. Since green comes up more often on bikes, he eventually went with candy copper, a colour that also matches beautifully with the polished stainless steel.

"A classic look with modern specs," is how Pim sums up the bike's appearance. Exactly the balance he was after.

Campagnolo, Cane Creek and Rene Herse

For the build, Pim quickly settled on the new Campagnolo Record X groupset with Bora X wheels, a combination that fits perfectly with the classic look he had in mind. Campagnolo was, after all, a major name in cycling's earlier years. Alongside that he chose a Cane Creek HCR stem, which has a classic look but is still compatible with internal routing, paired with a 3T handlebar.

For tyres he chose the Rene Herse semi-slick. "The combination of the smooth tread and the tall sidewall makes this a tyre for any terrain," Pim says. The skinwall sidewall completes the classic look. As the centrepiece of his build, though, he mainly points to the new Campagnolo Record X gravel groupset: "That's really taken a huge step forward, and I'm really happy with it."

First impression and first ride

When the bike was finished, it matched exactly what Pim had pictured beforehand. "The picture is complete," he says about it. The classic look in particular felt like his own straight away.

The feeling was right from the first metres too. "I could tell straight away this bike was made for me," Pim says. "The riding position was spot on immediately. The playful handling was noticeable right away." What surprised him most was the comfort: even better than his previous gravel bike, while the bike still feels fast and playful at the same time.

From a cool idea to reality

For Pim, this project means one thing above all: seeing his dream bike become reality. "Every ride feels like a celebration," he says. "I sit on it beautifully. It rides like a dream." His wish list is now fully ticked off. As Pim himself sums it up best: from a cool idea to reality.

Curious whether a Jaegher would suit you too? Stop by or get in touch, we're happy to think it through with you.