Cover Benjamin Schultz (Photo: Benjamin Schultz)
Benjamin Schultz (Photo: Benjamin Schultz)
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Benjamin Schultz is the co-founder and chief experience officer of Bastion Cycles, creators of some of the most coveted high-performance custom bikes. He shares his love for Melbourne—the city Bastion calls home—as well as his go-to food spots and cycling routes
For Bastion Cycles co-founder Benjamin Schultz, the transition from automotive engineering to high-performance custom bicycle manufacturing was a turning point shaped by a series of pivotal events. Schultz discovered a passion for cycling in 2011, drawn not only to its health and social benefits but also to the technical complexities of bike design. By 2014, however, the collapse of Australia’s automotive industry left him at a crossroads. “The automotive industry in Australia imploded, and we found ourselves facing the loss of our jobs,” he recalls. This challenge, combined with emerging advancements in 3D metal printing technology, sparked an opportunity to innovate in an entirely new field. By January 2016, Schultz and his co-founder and chief technical officer, James Woolcock, launched the world’s first commercially available 3D-printed bike, transforming the cycling industry and establishing a thriving business proudly based in Melbourne.
“Cycling is highly personal, and for that reason many custom bike manufacturers existed before us. But when it came down to it, my co-founders and I couldn’t find anything that appealed to us. Most custom bikes are made using decades-old techniques and materials and you place a huge amount of trust in the experience of the builder to get the ride and handling you want. As engineers, that didn’t appeal to us,” explains Schultz.
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Above Bastion Cycles makes high-tech custom bikes
Bastion Cycles makes high-tech custom bikes
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Focused on creating premium, customisable bikes, Bastion embraces a design philosophy grounded in engineering precision and user collaboration. “We set out to build a luxury performance bike that not only fits you like a tailor-made suit, but also rides the way you want. We achieve this through engineering and simulation and engaging the client throughout the process, all backed by science rather than experience and feel.” Schultz’s technical approach ensures that every bike is as unique as its rider, combining advanced manufacturing techniques with tailored geometry and highly personalized design options. Whether it’s through Bastion’s state-of-the-art configurator or a bespoke design experience, each bicycle is crafted to be a one-of-a-kind masterpiece that balances form, function, and the rider’s story.
Today, Schultz’s Melbourne-based team continues to push the boundaries of cycling innovation while offering riders an unmatched blend of beauty, performance, and individuality. And where better to experience these exceptional bikes than in Melbourne itself? Renowned as one of the world’s premier cycling destinations, the city boasts a vibrant cycling culture and a wealth of diverse routes—from urban trails to scenic coastal paths and the challenging climbs of the Yarra Ranges and Dandenong Mountains. It’s a fitting home for Bastion Cycles, a brand that thrives at the intersection of technical excellence and cycling passion.
Below, Schultz walks us through his recommendations for Melbourne’s best cycling routes and how best to experience the cycling culture there.
Above The Bastion Amulet
The Bastion Amulet
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The best thing about Melbourne has to be…
The coffee. I have travelled the world and we really do have the best.
To meet new people in Melbourne, I usually…
Go to an event: cycling, music or food, there is always [something] on, and I always meet someone new.
A great spot for coffee is…
Maker Coffee in Richmond. Cyclist-friendly, great coffee, and the roastery’s on display behind glass partitions
Cyclists visiting Melbourne should definitely try...
Getting down to the Mornington Peninsula. You might want to stay a night there, but the ride out to Fort Nepean is truly incredible. If you are staying in the city and are up for a 100km+ ride then Arthurs Seat is reachable from the Central Business District (CBD) and is a climb with magical views. But expect head winds along the coast!
Customising a Bastion bike begins with...
the purchase of an Amulet. A titanium piece with your unique build number. From there, either directly with us or with one of our retailers, you’ll be granted access to our design portal which has the best photo-realistic bike configurator available.
A “secret” cycling route I regularly take is...
I don’t think this is a secret but living in Hawthorn, in Melbourne’s inner east, I ride a route known as the “3 Boulies” linking the Ivanhoe, Kew and Yarra Boulevards.
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Above Yarra Boulevard
Yarra Boulevard
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The best way to experience Melbourne’s cycling culture is...
To join a group ride. There are many each week that welcome anyone. All the apparel brands—like Rapha, MAAP and Pedla— run them regularly.
My favourite restaurants, bars or wineries are…
Attica in Ripponlea, Her Rooftop bar in the CBD, and Polperro Winery on the Peninsula.
The most inspiring local initiative is...
Lightscape in the Royal Botanical Gardens Victoria. Every winter, they create a light installation amongst the trees and it is breathtaking.
Something I love most about Melbourne’s cycling community is...
How varied it is. There is something for everyone, from serious athletes to social riders to kids and elderly people enjoying the bike paths and trails. We have some great infrastructure throughout the city that is quite rare in my experience.
Above Fort Nepean
Fort Nepean
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Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere feels unique because...
It is hot, so we tend to eat more seafood, and cook and eat outdoors.
This Christmas, I’m looking forward to...
Watching my kids open their presents.
Newcomers to Melbourne will love...
the food and beverages. Look for a line out front. Melbournians always [find] great places. It will be worth the wait.
For a perfect weekend ride, I like to...
Do about 70 to 80km with a small group of close friends, with a coffee stop halfway, and a meal and a beer afterwards.
A weekend market you must visit is…
The South Melbourne Market. [There’s a famous dumpling shop called] South Melbourne Market Dim Sims if you are game!
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Credits
Images: Bastion, Benjamin Schultz
Nafeesa Saini is the Features Editor at Tatler Singapore, where she shapes long-form stories on culture, business, philanthropy, wellness, and the people driving change in Asia. With a deep interest in storytelling that intersects meaningfully with identity and impact, she has profiled a diverse range of visionaries, from scientific pioneers in AI and health to creative trailblazers and literary minds.
Nafeesa’s writing includes cover stories and profiles that spotlight influential voices, alongside commentary on the trends reshaping our world.
Off the clock, Nafeesa unwinds with fiction, a good thrift hunt, and ‘brainrot’ TikTok scroll—while always keeping one eye on her next cultural getaway, usually to Indonesia.
