Broadly speaking, bicycle and furniture design aren’t too distantly related, as both rely on successful ergonomics. But while the Dutch were very accomplished in the design of both, their bicycle design stopped evolving at the Omafiets while they continue to make very beautiful furniture. Dick Zonderman is an expert in both fields and his quirky roadster looks perfectly at home against the backdrop of vintage Dutch armchairs and sideboards.
Dick named his creation Kopfjager (German for ‘headhunter’) — built using a handmade Koga Miyata frame from 1970 as a base. Koga Miyata is actually a Dutch brand, a portmanteau formed from the names of the founder, Andries Gaastra, and his wife, Marion Kowallik, in 1974. The Japanese Miyata brand were brought on as a partner to facilitate construction and parts from Shimano. Kopfjager is a conglomeration of NOS, new and vintage parts to become an experiment in texture and form.
Perhaps the inspiration for the name comes from the practice of scalping, as grotesque as it sounds: the Maison Martin Margiela tail hanging from the vintage Brooks Colt saddle certainly gives a tribal impression. Dick turned a Titan handlebar and stem upside-down to achieve more of a path racer geometry and trimmed it with NOS Bakelite grips. A Parisian porteur rack was incorporated, with handmade elastic straps and clips and it’s all rolling on NOS Rigida rims with Continental rubber.
