Loïc is the younger brother — he's the one who got his older brother Christophe into long-distance cycling. Since then, they ride together, a lot, and stop as little as possible. The brief was clear: a fast, enduring bike capable of chaining brevets without sacrificing speed for comfort. The idea was to start from a sporty base (stainless steel frame, carbon wheels, electronic shifting) while integrating touring elements (rack, bags, dynamo lighting) cleanly. Both projects were developed in parallel: same material, same philosophy, but each with its own personality. Loïc's n°588 is bold and colourful, inspired by late-80s mountain bikes, while Christophe's n°589 plays it cool with a more subdued Aston Martin green.

The frame is built from Columbus XCR tubing, the stainless steel tubeset from the Italian manufacturer. Grégoire assembled the frame with brass brazing, visible at the main junctions: bottom bracket, seat collar, and chainstay joints. Brass brazing works at lower temperatures than TIG welding, which preserves the mechanical properties of stainless steel in the joint areas. Stainless steel offers a stiffness and responsiveness well suited to sporty riding, while its corrosion resistance means the main triangle needs no paint: the tubes remain raw, simply polished. The rear rack is also stainless steel, integrated into the frame with the same brazing technique, as on François's n°568 where we had already explored this approach.

The bike is equipped with the latest SRAM Force AXS wireless electronic groupset, double chainring, with an integrated power meter at the crankset. The absence of cables simplifies integration with the cockpit. The blue-coloured chain fits into the overall colour palette. The bottom bracket is a Chris King ThreadFit in purple, a choice also found on Marie's n°582, also in Columbus XCR with a Force groupset and Chris King bottom bracket. The wheels are carbon ENVE SES, laced with a front SON dynamo hub to power the lighting, and fitted with Schwalbe Pro One tubeless tyres. SRAM Force hydraulic disc brakes complete the build.

The cockpit is an integrated Deda Elementi carbon unit with internal cable routing and an integrated GPS mount. The purple bar tape completes the colour palette. The front light is a Sinewave Cycles Beacon, powered by the SON dynamo hub. The light body has been anodised in a pink-to-turquoise gradient matching the fork — a bespoke detail that gives the bike its character. The Beacon includes a USB charger for topping up a GPS or phone while riding. At the rear, a light is integrated into the derailleur hanger, also powered by the dynamo through internal wiring. No visible cables — a level of integration in line with what we have been developing since the 2022 Concours Machine, using the electrical connectors designed by our friends at Rouge mécanique from Jolie Rouge.

The bags were custom-made by Pop Pin's to meet a simple requirement: reach the contents quickly, without stopping. The top-tube bag is long, running from the stem to the seat collar, and its top opening allows rummaging while riding (gels, bars, phone). The rear bag attaches to the rack via the Rouge mécanique quick-release system, developed by Julien from Jolie Rouge, our favourite framebuilder: a hinged aluminium plate with a cam lever. Clip on, clip off, in seconds. For Loïc and Christophe, who spend as little time as possible at checkpoints, this was an essential feature. The same system is found on Christophe's n°589, with sand-coloured bags.

Max painted the head tube and fork in a vivid turquoise blue, with a magenta stripe on the inside of the fork blades. The inspiration comes from late-80s mountain bike colourways, an era when bikes weren't afraid of colour. The contrast with the raw stainless steel of the main triangle is bold and unapologetic. On the head tube, the Victoire sprig in gold relief. At the seat collar, two small pink and blue triangles mark the junction between the stainless steel and the chainstays. On the seat tube, the usual inscriptions: bike number, craftsmen (Grégoire for fabrication, Max for paint, Antoine for assembly) and Columbus XCR tubing. The saddle and seatpost are supplied by Deda Elementi, in carbon. The saddle, short and flat, was chosen by Loïc for the long hours in the saddle that define his riding. The purple bar tape and matching Chris King headset caps complete the palette.

Loïc came to pick up his bike with his brother, and then set off for four days to explore the roads of Auvergne.

"I think the bike is superb; the integration of the hoses, the dynamo, and the luggage, along with the clean lines of the fenders, gives it a sleek look despite all the features it offers. The bike highlights its intended purpose: “fast and far,” and it does so with a touch of fun and a 90s-style anachronism (where the fork’s geometric offset really comes into its own).

The bike now has just over 4,000 km on the odometer, including some mountain riding as well as 1,000 km on rides exceeding 200 km, which allowed me to test and validate its intended use."