Who I am
My name is Stéphanie, and I'm old enough to think about drinking water between each glass of alcohol and wearing glasses in front of screens, yet too young to stop sewing dinosaur patches on my holey clothes 🦕.
I was born and have never left Alsace 🥨 (probably because of the allure of sauerkraut, the sexy Alsatian accent, and the lovely Alsatian weather).
I've always wanted to do a hands-on job, but since I had the misfortune of getting good grades, I was only shown one path—the path of academic studies. So, I lost a few years wandering through the French school system.
To pay my rent, I delivered newspapers. 📰
I started collecting old skateboards 🛹 to transform and sell them in different forms (shelves, wall racks for keys, stools, etc.) and old bikes 🚲 to refurbish. I discovered that I was genuinely passionate about bike repair!
👩🎓 In 2016, I obtained my CQP Technician/Sales Certificate and got a permanent job at a small bike shop: Cityzenbike. Today, I'm still there, working part-time to dedicate time to Re-Cycle-On.
♻️ I've always loved repurposing worn-out things to give them a second life (my furniture was salvaged from the street, my bookshelf is made from two industrial wooden crates, my dog's kennel is an old sauerkraut barrel, etc.).
Naturally, I felt guilty about throwing away so many used bike tires, especially since there's no recycling or valorization system for them. They're either burned for energy recovery at best...
So, I wondered if I could somehow revalue these tires. And that's how I made my first belts!
It's a laborious process for each belt (cutting hard rubber, tightly weaving the tires, washing, trimming edges, measuring, drilling, and finally placing and securing the buckle and eyelets), but the result is fantastic (and durable)!
Later on, I started using other "bike waste" for my creations.
And since I have an insatiable need for novelty and creation, I quickly began using other materials initially destined for the trash.
🚜 Like tractor inner tubes (thicker and more robust than bike tubes) supplied by my little brother, who is passionate about repairing tractors. This material allows me to make wallets/cards or handlebar bags.
🛵 And more recently, scooter aprons (the waterproof "blankets" we put on our knees when riding scooters to protect ourselves from the rain). A scooter rental company contacted me in 2023, asking if I'd be interested in 180kg of old, worn-out scooter aprons. I said yes! It's a fantastic material that serves as an excellent leather substitute: it's very resistant, waterproof, and allows me to make wallets.
The design and development of each new product take a lot of time because I'm very perfectionistic. I like to create, undo, and redo until I achieve a perfect result. I always test my products for several months to improve them if necessary before offering them for purchase.
In short, I love my job—creating objects that are useful and pleasing, aesthetic but above all durable, while feeling like I'm contributing a little to reducing waste. My job makes sense, and that's the most important thing for me.
Otherwise, what else can I say?
🐈🐈🐕🐕🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲 I'm the proud mom (crazy about them) of 2 dogs, 2 cats, and 7 bikes 😅
I spend most of my free time tinkering and creating for Re-Cycle-On. And when I manage to relax,
📚 I read a lot of comics and speculative fiction novels,
🍻 I go out for pints,
🚵♀️ I travel by bike,
🎞️ I watch dystopian films,
💚 I cuddle my 4 furry friends, and
🔧 I pamper my bikes!
I've never taken a plane ✈️, commute daily on one of my cool steel road bikes from the '80s and '90s that I refurbished 🚴♀️, and mostly go on vacation by train 🚂.
Another important thing about my lifestyle: I haven't bought anything new for almost 6 years (except for bike consumables).
I'm clearly passionate about my work and find it challenging to slow down. ⏲️ During the Christmas period, I hover around 75 hours of work per week (combining my salaried job and Re-Cycle-On), and during "normal" times, it's a brisk pace, not always restful, but I love what I do, and that's motivating!
There you have it, you know everything (or almost)! If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to contact me =)
