Joseph and We met last year at an event organized at the workshop, to explore the link between illustration and cycling. He was one of the guests, along with Tony Concret and Isabel Del Real. If his work (which we love) isn’t directly about cycling, a bike traveler will observe known feelings and sensations in Joseph’s books. Since that evening, we became friendson and off the bike, and that has allowed us to know better his way to cycling, and to cook for him his new travel companion, Manivelle N°61.
Joseph likes to ride fast and cover long distances. Not to win races, but to enjoy the lightness and freedom of cycling, to visit friends or family at the other end of France in 3 days, to go to an artist’s residency while taking time to discover what constitues the way and surroundings.
The Manivelle N°61 is an allroad made to be a light and dynamic long-distance rider, with front geometry and a tire clearance that allows him to go on the trails. Although the seat angle is 73.8°, the bike’s absorption capacity is enhanced by the quality of the Columbus Life tubeset, and the ovalisation of the top tube. We worked on classic lines with modern details. In particular, we took great pleasure in the junction between the seat stays, seat tube and top tube. The ovalized top tube reverts to a round cross-section at the seat tube, and the upper stays come to a tangent to encompass the seat tube. The seatstay interface is entirely hand-sculpted, after being bended.
The project is completed with a set of custom racks, to perfect the bike’s use and versatility when traveling. The custom stem incorporates a lamp holder that frees up the cockpit and fits neatly under the aerobars when setted up. The paintwork on the N61, with its beautiful manganese main paint and colorful details, matches the philosophy of the project: not to attract the passing eye, but know how to delight Joseph’s sensitivity and attention to details when he’s on his Manivelle.
Delivered on September 9, Manivelle N°61 and Joseph were already at the starting (and finish) line of the Vosges Express (450km and 7000m of ascent) 4 days later. Joseph alsoshared these words with us after a first test ride :
Today’s ride confirms what I told myself yesterday: it’s both incredibly comfortable and very maneuverable and responsive, and it’s almost a little disconcerting at first to have these two sensations combined in one bike! It’s going to take me a little time to get used to it and change my riding habits, but it’s very promising 🙂 . I set off for the Saint Odile climb in the middle of the afternoon despite a headache but I was too keen to spend some time on my new bike! I wanted to take the forest road that climbs into the forest after the vineyards, above Barr, to test it out on one of the bumpier roads I was already taking with my other bikes. The difference is so appreciable! You don’t have to worry about the smallest hole, a pebble that’s a bit too big or a stray branch. It’s so much better to be able to take your eyes off the road and look around 🙂 And then driving along the cobbled streets of Barr to buy a snack at the bakery was just great! I almost forgot I was sick 😉
I had a lot of fun on the descent: it’s just as enjoyable at 10km/h uphill on a broken road as at 60 downhill on smooth asphalt. I felt really confident on it.
The ride back to Strasbourg with the wind at my back was great, my headache was almost gone and I was very pleasantly surprised to find that my knee pain, which I thought was well established, was hardly felt at all during the whole ride!
Thank you for your confidence and all the thought you’ve put into this beautiful project. Bonne route Joseph!
Frame: Custom Manivelle, Columbus Life // Fork: Columbus Futura Cross+ // Groupset and braking: Shimano GRX 2x12s // Front wheel: Duke World Runner 25X 28H + Son Deluxe dynamo hub // Rear wheel: Duke World Runner 25X 28H + Hope Pro5 // Handlebar: Ritchey Classic Venturemax // Headset: Hope // Saddle: Ergon SR Allroad // Tire: Hutchinson Caracal 700×40 // Stem: Custom Manivelle // Seatpost: Ritchey // Handlebars : Ergon // Lighting: Sinewave, Busch&Müller micro, custom mount // Racks: Custom Manivelle//
Delivered at workshop on 09.09.24