“My name is Edouard, and I’ve been following your work with great interest for several years.
I’m planning to quit my job and cycle around the world next summer with my girlfriend. I’d like to replace my current frame for the occasion! This frame was brazed by me during an internship at Reilly Cycleworks in 2019, I thought it would be my “bike for life”. But with time and a bike fit, I realized that the geometry and certain choices made during the course no longer correspond to my current practice. I’d like my future bike to be better suited to my morphology, and to have intelligent solutions for carrying luggage (an element I admire in your creations)!”
Edouard lives (or rather used to live) in London. In my opinion, craftsmanship requires a meeting, so we organize a day’s work together at the workshop at the end of February. In these cases, when our customer comes from far away, the preparatory work is done by telephone. By the time we meet at the atelier, the project is mature enough to make all the choices, at least the most important ones.
So, on February 27, Edouard joins us for coffee at the workshop. We start with an exchange of ideas to get us into the swing of things: we pick up on the thread of our previous discussions, and validate the resulting specifications. Next, I show Edouard the 3D base I’ve already thought of, without talking about geometry for the moment. I share the lines I’ve imagined for his Manivelle, and the main design principles. This is followed by the taking of dimensions so that I can create the bike’s geometry.
It’s lunchtime, and Edouard joins folks of our great place Les Ateliers Éclairés for a meal together, while I get on with the 3D work. It’s a busy schedule, and I hope to be able to finalize as much of the design as possible while I’ve got Edouard by my side!
The result of this beautiful day is a project that I can’t wait to build: a light, rigid half-truss fork; a frame with internal cable routing from the top tube to the bottom of seat stays; a round-the-world geometry with retained liveliness because this bike will have a life after this first incredible adventure; and, as agreed, a complete luggage-carrying solution.
At the end of this moment, I let the geometry brewering for some days, to be sure of the choices. I send the drawing back to Edouard, we refine a few line details (we’ve talked a lot about parallels 🙂 ) and Manivelle N°65 is ready to go into production.
After many hours behind the torch, the benders, the milling machine, the jig, some episodes of Top Chef and the files, the framekit goes off to the painting workshop to receive a beautiful telegrey. Unfortunately, we won’t have the opportunity to meet Edouard in person again before he leaves. We send the Manivelle N°65 to La Chouette (gorgeous shop in Paris – thanks again to them!) so that he can receive his Manivelle, finalize the build and sew himself the custom-made panniers that go on the rear rack and fork.
Edouard has already set off on his round-the-world trip. You can follow his and his girlfriend’s adventures on insta @pasfacilestudios. Happy trails to you both 🙂
Frame, fork, stem and luggage rack: Custom Manivelle , Columbus Life + Spirit HSS + 25cd4 + Inox 316L
