Arising out of my passion for cycling and cyclists, I started Santos in 1998 after owning a mountain bike store for six years. I have helped many riders in making the right choices, and I have built thousands of bikes myself.
I am currently to be found in our showroom every Friday during our weekly "drop by Santos and get informed" afternoon.
Robbert Rutgrink
Founder of Santos Bikes
Welcome to Santos
To make it easier to navigate, we have divided our information into chapters. When the text is very long I have put it on a separate page, such as the pages dealing with Rohloff, the belt drive and travel stories.
What do you want, what are you intending to do with your bike and what do you need to be able to do that? Only when we know the answers to these questions do we begin to build. That is important, because everyone has their own wishes and requirements.
At Santos building bikes is our craft. The Santos factory is in the Netherlands, and every bike is hand built here by a mechanic so that we can deliver the quality we are renowned for - such as handmade wheels with glued spokes and stainless steel steering bearings (which we have developed ourselves, as they were unavailable). That is the Santos way.
Santos: Your Bike, Our Quality
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Santos in 2 minutes...
Your Bike...
What do you want and what do you need?
In this world of creative ideas you cannot expect anything other than for Santos to build special bikes. Bikes designed primarily around the abilities of the rider, bicycles created according to the wishes of the customer. Ultimately, a bike is more than a set of tubes. It is the beginning of a journey, a trip, a race, a way of life.
Because every customer's requirements are different, Santos has been building the CustomBuilt for over 10 years. Put simply, we listen very carefully to what you want as a cyclist and then build one hell of a bike - especially for you. From the first spoke to the last nut, everything is assembled by one mechanic. The best bicycle is individually created for you!
Your bike, our quality
We have listened to cyclists who want to be on the road quickly, and therefore we have also developed the Santos Specials - the results of countless stories from customers. In partnership with our technical knowledge, these stories are brought together in a bike you know that you can rely on when you are out on the road. A Santos, ready to go, directly from our available stock.
Be on your way quickly with Santos
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Our Quality...
Building bicycles is art.
At Santos in Sassenheim everything revolves around cycling, from the first idea to the design, from the design to the prototype, and from the prototype to the building of your bike. We do everything ourselves so that we can guarantee you have the best quality, and so we know for sure that your first idea is not compromised in the journey to becoming a real bike. Maybe that's a little cocky, but as Santos we fully stand behind this.
All the people who work at Santos are cyclists - people who know what it feels like to climb a mountain, people who know the joy of a bike ride through the rain. People who are involved themselves in mountain biking, cycle racing, bike holidays or just touring the countryside. People who know how it feels to ride a really good bike. In short: people who know what they are talking about - this is something we strongly believe in at Santos.
Santos works with a variety of riders, all of them cyclists who have their own ideas. Cyclists who know exactly what works and what does not - headstrong people. We appreciate that at Santos - headstrong people with a passion for cycling. At Santos we fully encourage you expressing your needs and desires in a bike.
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Santos Custombuilt
The best bike, specially made for you
Tight through the corner, mud on your legs, drops of sweat making blind spots on your glasses. Pushing yourself to take the lead - this is the race of your life. It's got to happen right here, right now – switch it on, power up and win. Adrenaline is flowing through your body, and as the trees flash by you feel it - cycling is truly awesome!
Bags packed, three weeks vacation - freedom beckons. The good life awaits you - pedalling every day from village to village, from camping ground to Bed&Breakfast. With every kilometre ridden you feel your body becoming more energised - and with every kilometre on the bike you feel more relaxed. You experience it deeply, the magnificence and joy of a cycling holiday.
At Santos we know that this is what it's all about. It's about the bicycle tour, the upcoming race, the ride into town, the ride to work - the bicycle as a means to reach your goal.
For every person that goal is different. Every person has their own dreams, their own way of life.
For these reasons Santos is not an ordinary bike manufacturer, but a bike builder who looks beyond the machine - who listens to the customer first and only then begins to construct. This is what we call Custombuilt.
Santos Quality
The Santos dealer listens to your dreams and works together with you to build your own bike. You will not do this alone - this process involves specialized professionals who not only know what they are talking about, but are also able to convert your wishes into a stunning bike.
Naturally, the possibilities are endless. Fast racing bikes, sturdy and durable touring bikes, powerful mountain bikes, smartly designed leisure bikes and beautiful tandems. Piece by piece, bikes are constructed completely according to your wishes. Santos is known for their self-designed frames that are fitted with the finest components, and naturally you will choose the colour yourself. Each bike is built by one mechanic and every bike receives a passport with the signature of the technician. That way you know straight away that this is not just any old ordinary bike, but a Santos Custombuilt Bicycle - or better put: it's your bike!
Already looking?
Of course you can begin preparations by exploring the possibilities on our website. We have an extensive description of all our bikes here, so you can immediately see which bike fits best with your dream. If you then want to take it further, that is also possible - put your own bike together by selecting the option "customize". The possibilities are numerous - choose your own frame, your own wheels, your own gears and even your own saddle. You can create endless variations until your perfect bike stands before you. Print out the list and take it to your dealer.
And now?
While Santos builds your bike for you, you only need to answer one question. Which race, which country for your next bike holiday, the best route to work, where do you want to go cycling? What do you dream of? To each his own dream, and to each his own bike.
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What type of bike do I need?
Het complete Santos assortiment
Below you will find a brief description of our bikes - that will give you an initial idea. Using the menu on the left-hand side, you will discover detailed information on each one of our bikes. Here also is a comprehensive description of the Santos Custombuilt and Santos Special programmes.
Touring Bikes
The bike to explore the world with - whether you are going to your local countryside or to Africa, the Travelmaster is your bike. It is known thanks to its many enthusiastic users and from winning the "On Road Test". The Travel Master is available with a steel or aluminium frame and 26 or 28 inch wheels. ...read more >>Cruiser bikes
The cruiser bikes made by Santos carry the name Trekking. Back and forth to work, a weekend touring in the country or a comfortable alternative to the road bike. We have three models; the versatile Trekking, the comfortable Trekking Comfort and the lightweight Trekking Lite ....read more>>Mountainbikes
Mud eaters, bush bashers, mountain goats. The top model in our mountain bike range is the Marathon Carbon, the first hard tail frame developed specifically for marathon use. And then there are also the SCC02, SCC03 and SCC03 Carbon. Already tested many times and renowned for their driving. ...read more>>S.U.B.
The S.U.B.; a bike for going to a trendy cafe, riding on meandering bike paths around town, or down to the beach for the day – hanging out in the hip places. A "cool" bike, mellow - and of course absolutely top quality! ...read more>>Tandems
You start together, you end together – you are literally cycling together. Communicating, changing gears, braking and pedalling – you are a team. Once you have tried this once you will never again want anything else. The Dual Travel is strong: mountains have been climbed with it and races have been won with it. ...read more>>
Racefietsen
Tight, fast, light and beautiful. Many races have been won on Santos racing bikes. The SRR05 has a geometry developed especially by Santos. This geometry combines an extraordinarily comfortable ride with razor-sharp steering. ...read more>>...Back to top ^^
Santos Special
Be on your way quickly with Santos
Sometimes you cannot wait - sometimes you do not want to wait. The sun is high in the sky, the wind is blowing in the right direction - it's got to happen now. Now you want to be out clocking up kilometres. Through the countryside, into the woods, on your way to the trendy café in town or climbing the highest peak – you are ready for it. You want to be off to the Santos dealer and as quickly as possible on the road.
Santos makes hand-built bikes – genuinely built to order. Customers explain their wishes and dreams and we make them into a bike. This is a beautiful process, but also a process that takes time - this is time that you need to have, time that you must make free. For cyclists who cannot make the time to undertake this process, or who do not want to wait to get on the road, Santos has the solution.
The Santos Special. A real Santos readily available!
What is it?
The Santos Special is the result of countless stories from customers - stories about their journeys, stories about the pleasures of a cycling holiday, about cycling in traffic jams on the way to work. These cyclists told us what was good and what could be better.
All these stories and experiences are reflected in an extremely strong frame and the right choice of components - a ready-made bicycle that you can trust on the road, because you can be sure that it has everything you need.
Thus, the Santos Special takes a load off your mind - you do not need to consider what mix of components is best for you, Santos has already done that. You do not need to study the latest techniques - Santos has also done that for you.
A bike for those who want to be on the road.
Absolutely no choice?
Santos would not be Santos if there were no choices even with the Santos Special. So we have developed a Travelmaster Special for people who like to go on cycling holidays, a Trekking Special for people who love touring and a Mountainbike Special for the mountain bikers.
And now?
Order the Santos from your dealer and within a few days you will be riding off into the sunset with the wind in your back. Be on your way quickly with Santos!
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Be on your way quickly with Santos
A Summary of the Specials
Travelmaster Special
The Santos Travelmaster Special is a real holiday bike, created for making beautiful trips and readily available! (We aim to supply the Specials within a week).
The permanent range of components has been determined through the intensive contact Santos has with its customers. These are the parts that are appropriate for a cycling holiday and also for a grand world trip.
The bike is available in two sizes, namely the 2.6 frame and the 2.8 frame. Both frames are made of aluminium. Besides the choice of frame there are two groups of components to choose between - the group "Deore-LX" and the group "LX-XT-HS33".
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Trekking Special
The Trekking Special is designed for riders who like recreational cycling and also occasionally want to do a cycling holiday. There is a rear carrier, mudguards and lights. You can – with no problems – transport twenty to twenty-five kilos of luggage, but you can also use the same bike to ride to work. The Trekking is the type of bike that has been described as a 'hybrid' for the last few years, but then constructed with Santos quality. And like all the Specials, you will bring it home within a few days!
The Trekking Special is available in three different frames; a gentlemen's, a mixed and a ladies frame. Besides the choice of frame there are two groups of components to choose between - the group Deore/LX and the group LX/XT.
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Mountainbike SCC 02 Special
The SCC 02 Special incorporates a few different models, all built with the new SCC 02 frame. The SCC 02 has the Santos Anti Scratch cable conduction and the same Santos XC rear fork as the well-known SCC 03 frames. Therefore you will always have smooth gear changes and plenty of room for wide tyres and mud.
The black anodized mountain bike specials are available in 7 different versions.
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Custom Paint in 24 colours
Your Santos, in the colour you like best
What colour will it be? Sporty red, metallic blue, trendy white or maybe black ...
It is a great thing to be able to choose your own colour - but also quite difficult. Some people spend hours thinking on it, and I think it that is only logical because colour is important. Nothing defines the appearance of your bike as much as the colour, and naturally you want your own bike in your own colour. Therefore at Santos we have a range of 24 colours!
Not easy, but satisfying :-)
Santos frames are lacquered by hand, each in its own colour, with personal care - pre-treatment, primer, coloured lacquer, transfers, and transparent lacquer. Because I also would not want to choose my colour from a piece of paper, we have made the Santos colour display - here you will find all the Santos colours displayed on frame tubes of half a meter long. You can then take them outside to look at your favourite colour in the sunlight - except....don't forget to take it inside again.
Here you will find the Santos dealerships where you can see all the colours in the Santos range.
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Your Bike
Put together your own bike
The Santos Customizer helps you in making your choices. You can "customize" your bike, as we call it – or alternatively adapt one, choosing what you need and what you really want. It can always be cheaper or more expensive – and naturally we always take care to ensure the famous Santos quality! (which we are well-known for). Click here to go to the Santos Customizer
Do not worry if the Santos help wizard appears – it will help you to customize your bike. The help wizard appears when your choices do not work together and he offers one or more solutions. Easy, huh?
And if you cannot make up your mind, please call or email a Santos dealer or Santos directly on 0252-426123 - or come and visit us if you are in The Netherlands. We are open every Friday afternoon, when an experienced staff member will be happy to help you with your inquiry and you can immediately see for yourself how we construct all our custom-built bicycles.
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Rohloff Speedhub
A Santos with Rohloff hub
Indestructible.
I am often asked what the best components are. If you ask me to list my top three best bike parts in existence, then I come to this list (in no particular order): Chris King headsets, Magura HS33 hydraulic rim brakes and the Rohloff Speedhub 14 gear hub. All three are indestructible (do not take this too literally).
The Rohloff hub has been developing a good reputation over the last few years. I get a lot of questions about it and I have more than 10 years experience with Rohloff hubs. Therefore this explanation.
100,000 hubs.
To this point, almost 100,000 hubs have left the factory in the German town of Kassel (as of the end of 2008). The minimal maintenance and long lifespan are most often the reasons for choosing this drive system. I know from experience that the hub is still not worn out at 100,000kms!!
We have a wide selection of bikes with the Rohloff drive - here in the showroom are standing approximately 15 bikes with the hub. Touring bikes, mountain bikes, recreational bikes, the trendy S.U.B. and even tandems. Come and see us if you are looking for a bike with a Rohloff hub. Every Friday afternoon I am in the showroom and can tell you everything about this particularly special hub. The cappuccino and M&M's are ready.
Learn more.
If you want to know more about Santos bikes with the Rohloff hub, then check out our overview of the main features of the hub.
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Extensive experience.
Santos and Rohloff - the two belong together. Since 1997, I (Robbie Rutgrink) have been a user, and I understand the Rohloff hub well :-) and have a huge amount of experience with it. My first hub is still in my tandem. With the serial number 623, I was the first Dutchman with a Rohloff hub in his bike. I have ridden a lot of races, recreational rides and vacations with it.
Rohloff with belt drive.
Currently I ride a bike with the Rohloff hub and belt drive. I do not enjoy doing chain maintenance and am naturally curious what the limits are with this new type of drive. So I am riding with it myself so that I know what I am talking about.
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