Porsche 911 GT3 RS inspires a matching seven-kilogram custom bicycle
Swiss bicycle builder Leon Baldinger has created a bespoke road bike inspired by his Olive Black Porsche 911 GT3 RS, right down to its carbon-fibre construction and Speed Yellow details
There are matching watches, luggage sets and driving shoes, but Leon Baldinger has taken colour coordination with his Porsche 911 GT3 RS considerably further. The Swiss bicycle specialist has created a custom carbon road bike inspired by his GT3 RS, replicating everything from its Olive Black paintwork and exposed carbon-fibre elements to the Speed Yellow accents found across the Porsche. And this isn’t merely a styling exercise either – at around seven kilograms, the bicycle follows much the same lightweight philosophy as the car that inspired it.
Porsche 911 GT3 RS brings Baldinger’s two passions together
Cars have been a part of Baldinger’s life practically since birth. His parents brought him home from hospital in his father’s Porsche 911, but bicycles would eventually become just as important. Baldinger competed in downhill mountain biking and even made it into Switzerland’s national youth squad before a spinal injury brought his ambitions of becoming a professional rider to an end. He later trained as a bicycle mechanic and rediscovered his interest in performance cars during his recovery. In 2020, Baldinger sold his bicycles, his car and much of what he owned to establish Leon Bikes in Mellingen, Switzerland. Conceived as something closer to a boutique for cycling enthusiasts than a conventional bike shop, the company specialises in highly personalised bicycles, allowing customers to specify components, materials and even bespoke paint finishes. The business subsequently grew to employ around a dozen people, and its success eventually allowed Baldinger to return to another long-standing ambition – Porsche ownership.
His first Porsche was a 911 GT3, and it provided the obvious opportunity to bring his two interests together. Baldinger commissioned a bicycle finished in the same Arctic Grey paint as his car, starting what would eventually become something of a theme at Leon Bikes. Customers now regularly approach the company wanting bicycles inspired by automotive colours and specifications, with classic Porsche shades proving particularly popular. Leon Bikes works with specialist painters in the United States and Italy to recreate bespoke finishes while adhering to the specifications laid down by the bicycle frame manufacturers. For Baldinger, the personalisation process is much like configuring a sports car – the details are often every bit as important as the finished machine.
Baldinger subsequently replaced his GT3 with a Porsche 911 GT3 RS, and its specification immediately provided the blueprint for another bicycle. The GT3 RS is finished in Olive Black and combines the colour with exposed carbon-fibre elements from the Weissach Package and bright Speed Yellow highlights. His carbon bicycle frame and fork were painted in precisely the same shade, while the GT3 RS model designation found on the Porsche’s doors was recreated on the bicycle’s down tube. The detailing stretches to components such as the rear derailleur hanger, brake levers and handlebar wrapping, which was selected to mimic the texture of the GT3 RS’ seat upholstery.
Speed Yellow provides the final link between the two machines. Just as the GT3 RS uses yellow brake callipers and a yellow 12 o’clock marker on its steering wheel, the bicycle features yellow brake hardware and a matching stripe on its custom-painted bike computer. Even carbon-ceramic brake discs feature on both machines. The similarities go deeper than their colour schemes. Lightweight engineering sits at the heart of both projects, with Baldinger’s carbon road bike tipping the scales at roughly seven kilograms. It is an approach that mirrors the philosophy behind the GT3 RS, where extensive use of carbon fibre and other weight-saving measures is employed in the pursuit of performance.
Porsche 911 GT3 RS even doubles up as the bike transporter
And when Baldinger wants both machines with him, the GT3 RS itself becomes the support vehicle. A suction-mounted bicycle rack allows the lightweight road bike to travel on the Porsche’s roof, while its front wheel is carried inside the cabin. Baldinger admits some care is required around the Porsche’s lightweight glass, but says the arrangement otherwise works perfectly. For Baldinger, the matching Porsche and bicycle aren’t a marketing exercise but simply the meeting point of two lifelong passions. Given the choice on a sunny day, his ideal plan involves driving the GT3 RS through the Black Forest in the morning before swapping four wheels for two in the afternoon. When your garage looks like this, choosing between the car and the bicycle is apparently unnecessary – you simply take both.
