Project 33 — A company bike like no other
Sometimes, two worlds meet with effortless synergy.
Ceratizit is a Luxembourg-based group specialising in high-precision cutting tool solutions. Their daily reality revolves around materials, precision, and industrial rigour. What intrigued them about Zafi was not just the bicycle itself; it was the process.
They sought to understand how a wooden frame could achieve such exacting levels of precision—to see just how far their own tools could go when placed at the service of craftsmanship pushed to its absolute limits.
They commissioned two gravel bikes from us: one in walnut and one in ash. The one featured here is the walnut model.
Engineering the organic
Walnut offers a unique visual depth—dense, dark, and expressive. Beneath the gloss clear coat applied by Simon, the grain truly comes to life. The Ceratizit logos have been discreetly integrated into the front of the top tube.
For the build, the selection focused primarily on Ritchey components:
Ritchey Carbon Gravel fork
Zeta Comp wheelset
Ritchey Ergomax handlebar
SRAM Rival 1×11 drivetrain. Vittoria Terreno Dry 700x35c tyres. No unnecessary flourishes—just a reliable, well-balanced build.
Ceratizit already has a foothold in cycling through its women’s team and its events. This project went further: proving that cutting-edge technology and craftsmanship can share a common language.
One of the two bikes was given away in a competition. Because a bicycle isn’t meant to be kept behind glass. It is meant to be ridden.
For Zafi Cycles, this partnership reinforces a core conviction: innovation is not the opposite of craftsmanship. It is its natural evolution.
Technical Specifications:
- Model: Zafi Roots
- Frame: Ash with decorative black walnut inlays
- Finish: Matte clear coat
- Handlebar: Ritchey Ergomax
- Drivetrain: SRAM Rival 1×11
- Wheelset: Ritchey Zeta Comp
- Pneus : Vittoria Terreno Dry 700x35c
- Framebuilder: Simon