Bram Moens (Vlissingen, the Netherlands, 1956)

• 1976-1981 Academy of Arts, Tilburg, the Netherlands
• 1981-1982 Royal Academy of Arts, Copenhagen, Denmark
• 1982-1983 Alternative service for foundation “de 12 Ambachten” (ecological foundation and publishing company), Boxtel, the Netherlands. Contributes with numerous publications and products. (for example composting toilets, mass-stoves, underground housing etc.)
• 1982 Co-inventor with Sietz Leeflang of the SOLAR Chimney
• 1983 Worked as an art teacher at a secondary school
• 1983 Founded M5 Recumbents starting a comprehensive range of bike and parts inventions and innovations. Dozens of students have also studied at M5 throughout the years. M5 exports to over 55 countries
• 1984 and all the way up to 2005: winner of numerous HPV championships in the Netherlands and Europe
• 1985 and beyond: co-operated frequently with rowingbike inventor and producer Derk Thijs of rowingbike.com which resulted in the design of numerous products (carbon disc-wheels, record fairings etc.)
• 1985 co-founder of HPV-club in the Netherlands
• 1992 European record 200 metres sprint, flying start: 72,4 km/h, by Bram Moens with unfaired M5 Carbon Medium Racer (28″/28″) in August 1992. Location: Yreka (USA) at an altitude of 900 metres. Unbeaten to this day!!
• 1993 Invention/introduction of M5 Handbike
• 1994 creation of M5 lounge chair (laminated beechwood on stone base*). *Stone base made by Manu de Hauwere.
• 1994 World hourrecord: 77.123 km, by Bram Moens in 1994 with fully faired M5/Thys Low Racer. Location: test track RDW in Lelystad, Netherlands. Record is unbeaten until 1996. In fact the record was broken in 1996 by a “professional cyclist”. Now we all know what they used in that time.
• 1997 World record 100 kilometres : 1 hour, 23 minutes en 46 seconds, by Bram Moens in September 1997, with fully faired M5/Thys Low Racer. Location: test track RDW in Lelystad, Netherlands.
• 1997 Bike of the Year Award of the Netherlands. M5 Recumbents is the only Dutch brand of recumbents which ever got the title “Bike of the Year” in the Netherlands. This contest was amongst all world known upright bike brands.
• 1997 Winner of the non-stop race Trondheim – Oslo 543 km with 3400 meters of elevation: 13 hours, 46 minutes, by Bram Moens in 1997, with partly faired M5/Thys Low Racer, no canopy (1,5 hour ahead of prof peloton).During this race the rules were changed… Price money was awarded to first finishing road race bike which came in 1,5 hour later. Additionally: after this race recumbents were banned to participate on this event until today!!
• 1997 First bike alone and legally on the highway from Middelburg to Goes during a promotion event with sponsor utility company “DELTA”.
• 1999 Building of new M5 location (design in co-operation with M.Sc, Raimond de Hullu)
• 2006 Winner of the European Aluminium Award with M5 Aluminium Brakeset
• 2006 Introduction of M5 Carbon High Racer. First FEM high tech serial produced full carbon recumbent i.c.w. Dr. Wout Ruiter, MSc.
• 2006 and subsequent years: introduction and production of various extreme minimal and lightweight bike components
• 2009 Exhibition in Arnulf Overlands Galleri in Kristiansund, Norway
• 2010 Exhibition in “de Drukkery “, Middelburg, the Netherlands
• 2010 Introduction of website www.m5pro.com . The place for extreme lightweight M5 made bicycle components
• 2011 Hour record attempt by Bram on extreme reclined M5 recumbent named “Moekôkèn” which means “That I want as well”. One year later Aurelien Bonneteau (F) used such a bike for his successful attempt to ride the last EPO upright bike record out of the books.
• 2011 Interview by IEEE about fastest bike in the world www.spectrum.ieee.org
• 2012 contributes to English/Dutch book: “the Dutch Bike” www.premsela.org
• 2013 co-exhibition on 25+25 in Amsterdam (NL) with www.heringavankalsbeek.nl
• 2009-2013 Exhibitions throughout Europe and Australia with the M5 Carbon Low Racer via www.yksi.nl
• 2014 M5 team (including Bram) takes part with M5 CHR’s in extreme bike climbing competition week among hundreds of road bikes in the Viking Tour in Norway.