Le Chuque

Le Chuque is one of the three show bikes I took to Bespoked. Thanks to Bikepacking.com, the beautiful photos from Stefan Hähnel, shared here in this article, and great coverage by Josh Meissner, this bike already had some exposure. Please support bikepacking.com to continue sharing more inspiring stories, tracks and photos.

The idea was to create a throwback to the 26" MTBs of the 90s, which we used for pretty much everything back then (mountain biking, touring, everyday use). I rode a bike like this from my home town Magdeburg to Naples in 1997. However, I wanted the geometry to be a little more relaxed and optimized for touring and commuting. Hence the long chainstays (450 mm) and a fairly long wheelbase.

I had already built the frame about a year ago with the idea that it would be a bike for my son. Bespoked was a welcome opportunity to complete the work. I built the matching fork and asked my friend Jean-Michel from TimTas to build me a set of bags that would be suitable for long tours. I wanted the bike to be colorful, hence the bright orange bags. The rainbows and colorful buckles were Jean Michel's idea. I powder coated the frame in bright purple to make it pop.

Otherwise, everything related to the drive and brakes is mechanical for easy maintenance and solidity, leaving cables and wires external (with the exception of the rear light cable running through the down tube). Electronics are only used for the lights and the Forumslader, so you don't need to rely on power plugs when you're on the road. Except for the Paul brakes, most of the parts have been collected from other older bikes to keep the budget manageable. The link to my 1997 tour of Italy is the XT rear derailleur, which was already part of the tour back then.

The name of this bike is “le Chuque.” Chuque (or “le Chuque du Nord”) is the name of a candy that is available in northern France. A little candy from time to time to sweeten your life, just like a short or long bike ride does ;)

Components:

Wheels: Velocity Cliffhanger 26”, SON 28, Hope RS4, Sapim Race, Rene Herse Rat Trap Pass

Transmission: 3x10, front derailleur IRD, rear Shimano XT (199x), Stronglight cranks and BB, Mircroshift 10-speed down tube shifters mounted to the handlebar with IRD adapters, MKS Lambda pedals

Brakes: Paul Touring with short reach brake levers

The rest: Nitto seat post and stem, BLB handlebar, Honjo H80 fenders, Berthoud Aspin saddle, Forumslader, SON DC 6-75V front light, Busch & Müller Mü rear light,