EXCLUSIVE: Inside Nigel Sylvester's Bespoke RIMOWA Bike Case
Nigel Sylvester is fashion's favorite BMX athlete, and for good reason. Sylvester has excellent taste, befitting a guy who's released a Rizzoli book, collaborated with Levi's, and reps companies like Mercedes-Benz and Jordan Brand, the Nike imprint's first BMX pro.
No surprise that Sylvester would crave top-tier travel gear befitting a man perpetually on the move, and no surprise that he'd align with the luxury luggage experts at RIMOWA to make it happen.
Thus, Sylvester's bespoke RIMOWA Bike Case, a purpose-driven piece of luggage formulated exactly to Sylvester's specifications that's the first of its kind.
"I sat down with the RIMOWA team in early 2022 with the primary objective of solving a problem that many BMX athletes and myself have faced for years: seamlessly traveling with a bicycle," Sylvester told Highsnobiety.
"For riders and athletes like me who believe in representing their style through fashion, this was a significant moment."
Sylvester used to make do with a repurposed golf travel bag for taking his bikes on the go, a DIY solution to a universal problem. Let's just say that this custom RIMOWA case is more than a slight upgrade.
Handmade by the artisans in RIMOWA's German atelier, Sylvester's bike case is fitted with the grooved aluminum exterior one expects of RIMOWA, but also sports a hinged door, webbed straps for securing Sylvester's ride, and even a small aluminum toolbox for (dis)assembling bicycles as needed.
"The toolbox is perfectly designed and placed on the inner front door of the case; my prior bike bags didn't have a designated place for my tools," Sylvester explained.
"We also allocated extra space at the top of the case, giving me the ability to pack my sneakers and my bike seamlessly in the case is key. I usually travel with multiple pairs of sneakers, and now I have all the space I need for my Bike Airs."
This is merely the latest in a long line of wonderfully niche, RIMOWA cases that've come out in recent years, like the cases RIMOWA designed to tote precious bottles of wine (or just one) and Daniel Arsham's turntable-toting carryall.
The difference is that this case was built to specifically meet Nigel Sylvester's needs, making it one of the only times that RIMOWA has made a special, one-off case for an athlete.
"The case solves all of the issues I've always wanted in a bike travel case, with several intentional design elements and references," said Sylvester.
"When RIMOWA expressed interest in this project, it was an honor. I've traveled with RIMOWA luggage for years and couldn't imagine doing this project with any other brand. Their trust and this design, I believe, will cause a ripple in the design and travel space."
