MANIVELLE N°65 – QUENTIN

The first telephone interview with Quentin has just ended, and I already know that this project is going to be special. Quentin has very specific ideas about the functional specifications of his future bike. First, it will accompany him on his daily commuting ; he rides a lot and wants to enjoy it; then, in more long term perspective, it will take him on a European tour. Quentin likes to spend time looking after his bikes, understanding their components and optimizing their operation. For this project, he was looking for a transmission that would require no daily maintenance. We decided on the Effigear gearbox, the French equivalent of the Pinion gearbox, which meets the same standards for its interface with the frame. Quentin also wanted the bike to be able to be fitted with a conventional transmission.

Then he gave me carte blanche to design the project around it. From the geometry, to the lines of the bike, and for the full set of custom racks, it was absolutely delightful to think and crafting this Manivelle, which we proudly presented at Bespoked 2025 and which caught much attention (see The Radavist article and Brooks interview).

At the beginning of November, just under a year after we started talking, we meet at the workshop for delivery. The adrenalin is high as we unveil Quentin’s Manivelle. Lovely words come out quickly, and we’re all eager to get on with the first ride. His first impressions of the bike’s behavior are excellent, and he’s like a kid to test its reactivity or its handling at low speeds (we can see his mtb roots there). This first impression will be confirmed later on.