# Laurent Fignon tribute from Cyfac



## Fignon's Barber (Mar 2, 2004)

I had always been a fan of Fignon, hence the moniker. Forget about the "stylish Parisian" stuff, I liked Fignon because he competed. Hard. Whether it was a grand tour or spring classic, he went for it.
After reading an article about how Cyfac's founder, Francis Quillon, had built all of fignon's bikes under other sponsor labels (gitane, raleigh for example), I came up with an idea: why not build a fignon tribute bike?
I contacted Eric at Cyfac, and four weeks later, the finished product arrived at my door. Incredibly quick turnaround for a custom, one off frameset. The whole process was great, we went back and forth with a few renderings, and came up with something that I think is quite special. 
The frame is Cyfac Proxidium aluminium. I chose alum because it was light and had a modern look to it. Plus, there is a certain pro-ness associated with a well built aluminium bike. 

As you can see, the paint is of the super U era. "le professeur" with the french tricolore on one side of the top tube, and signed by Mr. Quillon himself on the other side of the top tube. I can't get over the look of the welds. Nice.









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## merckxman (Jan 23, 2002)

Hats off to you and Eric...."outside of the box" bikes are fantastic. Like this one.


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## charlox5 (Jan 31, 2011)

wow that's a gorgeous bike.


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## Cinelli 82220 (Dec 2, 2010)

Chapeau! Fine bike.

Fignon was one guy who stood up to the Badger at his peak, and beat him.


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## steel rider (Oct 24, 2003)

Very cool. Hats off to anything unique and wel done. Your ride is both.


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## takmanjapan (Mar 24, 2004)

Nice! The color accents look good on the big tubing. I did something similar and made my own Super-U sticker set for my plain Ti Raleigh.


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## orange_julius (Jan 24, 2003)

Damn, that frame is beautiful. Hats off to you for the idea of the frame! How will you build it? I am eager to see the finished bike and to hear your impression of it.


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

That is amazing.
Eric is a great guy to deal with.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

Extremely cool.


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## Fignon's Barber (Mar 2, 2004)

orange_julius said:


> Damn, that frame is beautiful. Hats off to you for the idea of the frame! How will you build it? I am eager to see the finished bike and to hear your impression of it.


First off, thanks to all for the favorable comments. As for the build, its funny. I originally just wanted a simple aluminium frame for training, and was going to just transfer the chorus parts from a current training ride. But it morphed into something alittle more, so the training bike is up for auction and I think I will put a new record group on it.


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## burgrat (Nov 18, 2005)

What a beautiful frame. Gotta love Le Professeur!


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

Fignon's Barber said:


> First off, thanks to all for the favorable comments. As for the build, its funny. I originally just wanted a simple aluminium frame for training, and was going to just transfer the chorus parts from a current training ride. But it morphed into something alittle more, so the training bike is up for auction and I think I will put a new record group on it.


I'm not surprised. The Proxidium rides better than a lot of carbon frames I've ridden.


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## JoelS (Aug 25, 2008)

That's lovely. For what it's worth, my steel Cyfac Life is an absolutely incredible frameset with an equally sublime ride.


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## orange_julius (Jan 24, 2003)

Fignon's Barber said:


> First off, thanks to all for the favorable comments. As for the build, its funny. I originally just wanted a simple aluminium frame for training, and was going to just transfer the chorus parts from a current training ride. But it morphed into something alittle more, so the training bike is up for auction and I think I will put a new record group on it.


That's really great! The same thing happened to me when I was building my latest Cyfac the humble Zona. Initially it was supposed to be a winter bike, cheaper but well-made, so I won't even worry about cleaning it after each ride. 

Maybe I'll leave it in the basement to save some space. I have a box of 10 speed Chorus for it anyway.

Then the idea came to me to make it for with fenders, racks for commuting or even rando, 28 tires. Then how about a custom classics tribute paint job?

Finally damn, a beautiful bike was born so clearly I had to buy it a new Record set, new wheels, new parts, white saddle, the whole treatment. 

I hope you will be able to enjoy it soon!


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## Ventruck (Mar 9, 2009)

Very tasteful.


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

bravo
lovely ride
lovely sentiment from you and the mfr
bike is great and awesome choice on the frame material.


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## Yamilo (Sep 18, 2012)

Holy shittt thats awesome right there. Love the colors!


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## boneman (Nov 26, 2001)

Fantastic. So tasteful, well done!


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## Fai Mao (Nov 3, 2008)

:}

That frame makes me smile


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## bouge-bouge (Aug 10, 2004)

Fai Mao said:


> :}
> 
> That frame makes me smile


It made us smile making it! This is Eric with Cyfac. I came across a photo in our workshop showing a line of Super-U frames staged for pick-up by the team mechanics. It showed all of the frames for the team riders, Fignon, Riis (yes, he was on Fignon's 1989 TDF team), Thierry Marie, Pascal Simon...Charly Mottet, etc...That photo just stuck in my head and I was so glad when this client came along wanting something inspired by Fignon.

We've done another recent Fignon-focused project out of our new Cyfac Design Studios. It is a crank painted in the Renault-Elf team motif of Fignon's early years and features the title of Fignon's autobiography.

We love this unique touches and personalizations that renders the bike more than just a machine. 

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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

bouge-bouge said:


> It made us smile making it! This is Eric with Cyfac. I came across a photo in our workshop showing a line of Super-U frames staged for pick-up by the team mechanics. It showed all of the frames for the team riders, Fignon, Riis (yes, he was on Fignon's 1989 TDF team), Thierry Marie, Pascal Simon...Charly Mottet, etc...That photo just stuck in my head and I was so glad when this client came along wanting something inspired by Fignon.
> 
> We've done another recent Fignon-focused project out of our new Cyfac Design Studios. It is a crank painted in the Renault-Elf team motif of Fignon's early years and features the title of Fignon's autobiography.
> 
> ...


eric, it is so cool that you and the rest of the folks @ Cyfac are doing such things. I wish you and your company continued success


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## bouge-bouge (Aug 10, 2004)

Many thanks!
We love these types of projects and look forward to more of our clients' ideas that we can turn into reality.


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

bouge-bouge said:


> Many thanks!
> We love these types of projects and look forward to more of our clients' ideas that we can turn into reality.


I'm hoping to order something cool for the shop/me this year too.


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## bouge-bouge (Aug 10, 2004)

Great! We'll look forward to making it.
I'll try to track down that Super-U team photo to share with you all.


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## framesti (Jan 26, 2009)

What is Proxidium aluminum? by Columbus? Also, do you know what his 1989 bike was made of: steel lugged, steel/aluminum raleigh bonded, etc? Did he use same material in hills?


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## bouge-bouge (Aug 10, 2004)

Proxidium is our own alloy material. In our hierarchy, it goes Proxidium and then Nerv on the alloy front. We do use some Columbus tubing as well.

The 1989 Raleigh was steel. It used a combo of filet-brazing and lugged constructing. The same bike was used throughout and is also an iteration of what he used the entire season. 

We did publish a little story about his 1989 Milan-San Remo bike so I'll give you the quick story there:

The Wednesday before the race, Fignon was out motorpacing when he over-cooked it around a turn and crashed, busting up his race bike. Cyril Guimard called Francis Quillon (our founder and now honorary president), saying that a team car would come by the workshop on Friday to pick up a new frame. Francis built the frame that day, painted it the next, and handed it off to the mechanics so that they could build it up on their way to Italy. Fignon won his second back-to-back MSR on the frame the next day.

Here are a couple of shots from the race that I just love.

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## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

Love. This. Thread.

Super project. Congratulations to all involved.


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## orange_julius (Jan 24, 2003)

bouge-bouge said:


> The 1989 Raleigh was steel. It used a combo of filet-brazing and lugged constructing. The same bike was used throughout and is also an iteration of what he used the entire season.


Is my Zona frame built in similar fashion? Lugged around BB area but filet-brazed elsewhere? 

Interesting that he used exactly the same frame throughout that season, wasn't there a time when he tweaked the frame for different types of races?


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## bouge-bouge (Aug 10, 2004)

That's right - it was similar to this but there was also a lug portion at the top tube/seat tube cluster. 

He did have different bikes for the cobbled classics but his "regular" race bike and giro/tdf frames were the same. I do remember Francis telling me about Fignon getting a great 3rd place at Paris-Roubaix in 1988 on a frame built specifically for that. He liked the bike so much that he wanted to use it at Liege-Bastogne-Liege. But, given that a cobble bike of that era was built with much more stability in mind (longer trail, for instance), Francis recommended against it, citing a pretty harsh turn in the finale of Liege that would be tough to negotiate on the less-dynamic cobble bike. Fignon persisted and, when he hit that turn at speed, he went straight instead of negotiating the turn!

This is an era when riders didn't go through 10 bikes in a season, though...These frames didn't break quite that easily!

I just love his two-arm salute!

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## orange_julius (Jan 24, 2003)

bouge-bouge said:


> That's right - it was similar to this but there was also a lug portion at the top tube/seat tube cluster.
> 
> He did have different bikes for the cobbled classics but his "regular" race bike and giro/tdf frames were the same. I do remember Francis telling me about Fignon getting a great 3rd place at Paris-Roubaix in 1988 on a frame built specifically for that. He liked the bike so much that he wanted to use it at Liege-Bastogne-Liege. But, given that a cobble bike of that era was built with much more stability in mind (longer trail, for instance), Francis recommended against it, citing a pretty harsh turn in the finale of Liege that would be tough to negotiate on the less-dynamic cobble bike. Fignon persisted and, when he hit that turn at speed, he went straight instead of negotiating the turn!
> 
> ...


Nice stories, thanks!

There is something Boonen-esque about his two-handed salute! :-D


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## bouge-bouge (Aug 10, 2004)

Yes, a little Boonen-ish.
Who is the last TDF contender who had a top 3 placing at Paris-Roubaix?


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## cbk57 (Aug 12, 2009)

I read Fignon's book this year as well as "Slaying The Badger" and I have a whole new appreciation of those riders and that time. A beautifully made bike like this and a great story really give this sport meaning.


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## Fai Mao (Nov 3, 2008)

bouge-bouge said:


> It made us smile making it! This is Eric with Cyfac. I came across a photo in our workshop showing a line of Super-U frames staged for pick-up by the team mechanics. It showed all of the frames for the team riders, Fignon, Riis (yes, he was on Fignon's 1989 TDF team), Thierry Marie, Pascal Simon...Charly Mottet, etc...That photo just stuck in my head and I was so glad when this client came along wanting something inspired by Fignon.
> 
> We've done another recent Fignon-focused project out of our new Cyfac Design Studios. It is a crank painted in the Renault-Elf team motif of Fignon's early years and features the title of Fignon's autobiography.
> 
> ...


I should point out that I normally don't like welded aluminum frames with hidden headsets. So it is really rare for a frame like that to make me smile.

Who was the American racer that cheesed Figon off by rolling up beside him and asking "How ya doing Larry?" Or is that just a cycling myth?


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

bouge-bouge said:


> Proxidium is our own alloy material. *In our hierarchy, it goes Proxidium and then Nerv on the alloy front.* We do use some Columbus tubing as well.
> .....
> .....


What does this mean Eric? That the alloy of the Proxidium is better than the alloy of the Nerv? Could you give more detail what you meant there? I'm very interested in knowing.

And regarding the welds of the Proxidium and Nerv. I'm also curious as to how you guys make the welds so smooth? I assume that some sanding of welds had to be done, but wouldn't this weaken the welds? I'm sure there must be additional steps/methods taken to still keep the welds strong? Really curious to know.


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

aclinjury said:


> What does this mean Eric? That the alloy of the Proxidium is better than the alloy of the Nerv? Could you give more detail what you meant there? I'm very interested in knowing.
> 
> And regarding the welds of the Proxidium and Nerv. I'm also curious as to how you guys make the welds so smooth? I assume that some sanding of welds had to be done, but wouldn't this weaken the welds? I'm sure there must be additional steps/methods taken to still keep the welds strong? Really curious to know.


Proxidium is the "entry level" while the Nerv is the next step up.

As for the welds, Cannondale has finished their welds in a similar fashion for decades without any issues.


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

PlatyPius said:


> Proxidium is the "entry level" while the Nerv is the next step up.
> 
> As for the welds, Cannondale has finished their welds in a similar fashion for decades without any issues.


When I compare the welds of a Caad10 to a recent Nerv DS2, I can see that the welds of the Nerv is a cut above the Caad10 in the aesthetic department, meaning, welds of Nerv are so smooth that when I run my hands over them, I feel no lumps at all, and other guys actually ask me if the Nerv is carbon because the whole frame looks that smooth. So Cyfac certainly seems to sand the welds much more than C'dale does. 

But sanding the welds down too much make them weak, and I'm sure Cyfac is well aware of this. So I can only think Cyfac must have used some special method to compensate for the sanding of weldings.. technique that perhaps C'dale doesn't (or else C'dale would be making their welds smooth as Cyfac too).

Interested to hear what Eric have to say about this.


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## bouge-bouge (Aug 10, 2004)

aclinjury said:


> What does this mean Eric? That the alloy of the Proxidium is better than the alloy of the Nerv? Could you give more detail what you meant there? I'm very interested in knowing.
> 
> And regarding the welds of the Proxidium and Nerv. I'm also curious as to how you guys make the welds so smooth? I assume that some sanding of welds had to be done, but wouldn't this weaken the welds? I'm sure there must be additional steps/methods taken to still keep the welds strong? Really curious to know.


The Nerv is better than the Proxidium. We had developed Airplane tubing for Columbus. They said that we'd have it exclusively for some period of time and then they quickly started selling it to everyone! So, we came up with the Proxidium and Nerv series thereafter. Nerv is quite close to Airplane (a slight bit more advanced over the years now). All of our alloy frames received a special ramped heat treatment process. While it's expensive, it homogenizes the frame material post-welding and renders it so much stronger.

The welds are so smooth (a signature of ours) because Francis Quillon developed a special double-pass tig weld process through the 1980's and 1990's. The first pass is the real structural part. It's at a higher amperage and fuses the two tubes together. The second pass is at a lower amperage. It certainly has some structural component but nothing sufficient to lend durability. This is the layer that is then painstakingly sanded down. We use a mix of hand tools on down to the actual fingertips of the "limeur" (sander) person who simply has what, to me, is some supernatural skill at doing this to ensure that the weld itself is not imperiled. 

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## bouge-bouge (Aug 10, 2004)

I'll say this - with the 3-4 hours spent finishing each weld by hand, I would say that a large company just wouldn't see the "value" in this from a commercial standpoint. For us, it's the aesthetic. And, it underscores the time and attention that we put into each frame. Most alloy welds are the chunky, "toothpaste" style ones done by a machine (on the real mass-produced stuff), by unskilled workers that are just doing the same bb weld over and over and over again (again mass-production), or by smaller builders who may not have the experience with the technique that we've developed. We certainly aren't going to disclose all aspects of it but I can say this - the Cyfac staff that hand-finishes the welds is trained for more than a year before they are allowed to work unsupervised. So, you can imagine that it's not a simple process!


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

So that's how my 2 Nerv are made to be so smooth!

I have always wondered if Cyfac might have somehow "trick" my hands by applying some "bondo" stuff to acheive that smoothness. But looks like I was wrong and it puts a huge smile on my face now that I know what my Nerv's look like in the raw and how the smoothness is achieved.

I think you guys are the only player left (and maybe the only player ever) to make aluminum frame like that.

Regarding the Nerv, I really love how you guys put in a cross-link member at the chainstays. That stiffen up the rear triangle, like a track bike. I know a crit buddy who want the Nerv after I pointed this out to him. 

Eric,
I remember asking you if a Zipp 303 Firecrest would fit the Nerv rear end. At the time you said you've tried Hed Jet and those fit, but you haven't tried the 303 FC yet. Well, I have since tried the 303 FC with 23mm tire, and they fit the Nerv rear end with NO rubbing (but i'm only 130 lbs and even my strongest hammer can't get the wheels to rub). But it would be nice to see that future Nerv frames get just a tad wider clearance at the chainstay area near the bb (maybe 2-3mm at most) for more clearance since a 180-200 lb guy would make more strength then me. I'm only mentioning this because the Nerv is a prototypical crit bike and some crit guys (my buddy is 220 lbs!) are like animals.


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## Matt_Wood (Mar 8, 2013)

Firstly, wow, what a tribute to the great man.

Now apologies a little for hijacking the thread somewhat. I have just been lucky enough to get my hands on a 'Raleigh Castorama', having regretted selling one a few years ago. I say 'Raleigh' as it's not Raleigh. If I am lucky enough for it to be Cyfac made, what should I be looking for on the frame to identify it as such?

Thanks
Matt


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## bouge-bouge (Aug 10, 2004)

Matt_Wood said:


> Firstly, wow, what a tribute to the great man.
> 
> Now apologies a little for hijacking the thread somewhat. I have just been lucky enough to get my hands on a 'Raleigh Castorama', having regretted selling one a few years ago. I say 'Raleigh' as it's not Raleigh. If I am lucky enough for it to be Cyfac made, what should I be looking for on the frame to identify it as such?
> 
> ...


That's great! We also made the Maxi-Sport framesets that Castorama was on thereafter. Those were some of the first entries into the light alloy and they were pretty nice framesets. 

If it's an actual team bike then it should be from us for sure. Does it have a rider's name on it? You could also look at the serial number stamped on the underside of the bb shell and pass that to us along with a pic and we could probably identify for sure.

If you see this TT frame, you can see that the gusseting almost looks like it's carbon, such is the finish.

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## Matt_Wood (Mar 8, 2013)

bouge-bouge said:


> That's great! We also made the Maxi-Sport framesets that Castorama was on thereafter. Those were some of the first entries into the light alloy and they were pretty nice framesets.
> 
> If it's an actual team bike then it should be from us for sure. Does it have a rider's name on it? You could also look at the serial number stamped on the underside of the bb shell and pass that to us along with a pic and we could probably identify for sure.
> 
> ...


Wow, that was quick!! I am not sure if it's an actual team bike, all I know is that it's not a Raleigh (I am from Nottingham and had a Raleigh Castorama previously). The frame is in transit at the moment, the only pics I have are from Ebay and I am not yet able to post links on this site.

Matt


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## Matt_Wood (Mar 8, 2013)

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Matt_Wood said:


> Wow, that was quick!! I am not sure if it's an actual team bike, all I know is that it's not a Raleigh (I am from Nottingham and had a Raleigh Castorama previously). The frame is in transit at the moment, the only pics I have are from Ebay and I am not yet able to post links on this site.
> 
> Matt


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## PaxRomana (Jan 16, 2012)

Makes me like my Gothica even more!


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## bouge-bouge (Aug 10, 2004)

When you get it, see if the deco is paint or decals. That'll help determine too. Paint = Cyfac. Decals = the Raleigh-made frames sold to the general public.


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## Matt_Wood (Mar 8, 2013)

Thanks, will do. It's had a bad respray though!!


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## T0mi (Mar 2, 2011)

bouge-bouge said:


> I'll say this - with the 3-4 hours spent finishing each weld by hand, I would say that a large company just wouldn't see the "value" in this from a commercial standpoint. For us, it's the aesthetic. And, it underscores the time and attention that we put into each frame. Most alloy welds are the chunky, "toothpaste" style ones done by a machine (on the real mass-produced stuff), by unskilled workers that are just doing the same bb weld over and over and over again (again mass-production), or by smaller builders who may not have the experience with the technique that we've developed. We certainly aren't going to disclose all aspects of it but I can say this - the Cyfac staff that hand-finishes the welds is trained for more than a year before they are allowed to work unsupervised. So, you can imagine that it's not a simple process!



Éric, I recently purchased an old alu bike with very smooth welds that really look like cyfacs welds. It is branded as cycles Leuleu which I reckon was a bike shop in the north of France. I believe they weren't doing the framebuilding themselves. Any chance it could be a rebranded cyfac ?


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## Cinelli 82220 (Dec 2, 2010)

Thanks for your input Bouge-Bouge.

We use a second pass weld (we don't make bicycles), we call it "washing out" a weld. Done properly it has no effect on the joint integrity and looks nice.

This thread makes me want one of those black/white/yellow Maxi Sports frames. They were great.


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## bouge-bouge (Aug 10, 2004)

T0mi said:


> Éric, I recently purchased an old alu bike with very smooth welds that really look like cyfacs welds. It is branded as cycles Leuleu which I reckon was a bike shop in the north of France. I believe they weren't doing the framebuilding themselves. Any chance it could be a rebranded cyfac ?


We have long had a part of our business making frames under others' names. I'll check with some of our veteran staff to see if this particular one rings a bell!


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## Matt_Wood (Mar 8, 2013)

bouge-bouge said:


> When you get it, see if the deco is paint or decals. That'll help determine too. Paint = Cyfac. Decals = the Raleigh-made frames sold to the general public.


Hi Eric

Frame has just arrived - not the best respray and frame number on the bottom bracket is very faint (paint layers).

It looks like 290 583 (first three digits above the second three). Also stamped to one side are the initials MT. 

Could this by a Cyfac frame?

Cheers
Matt


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## Fivethumbs (Jul 26, 2005)

Fignon rode a Bianchi when he was with Gatorade. I wonder if that bike was a Cyfac?


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## gregario (Nov 19, 2001)

That is stunning. Beautiful. I was a fan of Fignon also. He was a fighter. He rightly believed that the leader should set an example and lead from the front.


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## gregario (Nov 19, 2001)

bouge-bouge said:


> That's right - it was similar to this but there was also a lug portion at the top tube/seat tube cluster.
> 
> He did have different bikes for the cobbled classics but his "regular" race bike and giro/tdf frames were the same. I do remember Francis telling me about Fignon getting a great 3rd place at Paris-Roubaix in 1988 on a frame built specifically for that. He liked the bike so much that he wanted to use it at Liege-Bastogne-Liege. But, given that a cobble bike of that era was built with much more stability in mind (longer trail, for instance), Francis recommended against it, citing a pretty harsh turn in the finale of Liege that would be tough to negotiate on the less-dynamic cobble bike. Fignon persisted and, when he hit that turn at speed, he went straight instead of negotiating the turn!
> 
> ...


I think it's so cool that a manufacturer is posting here. I think very few would bother or want to get involved. Your enthusiasm and love of the sport is obvious!


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## Matt_Wood (Mar 8, 2013)

Just had confirmation from Cyfac that the frame I bought is one of theirs and was built for Thierry Marie no less. To see I am pleased at that result is an understatement. Going to get the frame sent back to them for a respray, it's fitting I think.

For a renowned company, they seem really customer orientated and helpful. Very impressed with the response to my email.


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## Fignon's Barber (Mar 2, 2004)

Matt_Wood said:


> For a renowned company, they seem really customer orientated and helpful. Very impressed with the response to my email.


+1. Like I said in the OP, from the time I thought of the project over a cup of coffee until it arrived at my doorstep: 4 weeks.


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## Matt_Wood (Mar 8, 2013)

Fignon's Barber said:


> +1. Like I said in the OP, from the time I thought of the project over a cup of coffee until it arrived at my doorstep: 4 weeks.


Love what you had done by the way. I don't normally go for modern stuff, but with the Casto Fignon twist it looks great. Nice one.


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

Matt_Wood said:


> Just had confirmation from Cyfac that the frame I bought is one of theirs and was built for Thierry Marie no less. To see I am pleased at that result is an understatement. Going to get the frame sent back to them for a respray, it's fitting I think.
> 
> For a renowned company, they seem really customer orientated and helpful. Very impressed with the response to my email.


Must be a nice feeling!


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## Matt_Wood (Mar 8, 2013)

aclinjury said:


> Must be a nice feeling!


Yep!! Very unusual. Last frame I bought was a piece of junk, so this makes up for that and some!


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## orange_julius (Jan 24, 2003)

Matt_Wood said:


> Just had confirmation from Cyfac that the frame I bought is one of theirs and was built for Thierry Marie no less. To see I am pleased at that result is an understatement. Going to get the frame sent back to them for a respray, it's fitting I think.
> 
> For a renowned company, they seem really customer orientated and helpful. Very impressed with the response to my email.


That's really great! I wonder if there is a way to race how the frame ended up in your hands, must be a few great stories there.

Reminds me of the movie "The Red Violin"!


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

Matt_Wood said:


> Just had confirmation from Cyfac that the frame I bought is one of theirs and was built for Thierry Marie no less. To see I am pleased at that result is an understatement. Going to get the frame sent back to them for a respray, it's fitting I think.
> 
> For a renowned company, they seem really customer orientated and helpful. Very impressed with the response to my email.


So I'm guessing it's a 1989 for the Super-U/Raleigh/Fiat team?


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## rubbersoul (Mar 1, 2010)

very nice, however the traditionalist in me wishes it was built with Reynolds 853 as per the original.


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## ultimobici (Jul 16, 2005)

rubbersoul said:


> very nice, however the traditionalist in me wishes it was built with Reynolds 853 as per the original.


853? Fignon had retired by the time 853 came out. I seem to remember Systeme-U being on 753 & occasionally 653 or 731.


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## ultimobici (Jul 16, 2005)

orange_julius said:


> Nice stories, thanks!
> 
> There is something Boonen-esque about his two-handed salute! :-D


Well, Tomke had to get it from someone, didn't he?


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## JoelS (Aug 25, 2008)

Matt_Wood said:


> Just had confirmation from Cyfac that the frame I bought is one of theirs and was built for Thierry Marie no less. To see I am pleased at that result is an understatement. Going to get the frame sent back to them for a respray, it's fitting I think.
> 
> For a renowned company, they seem really customer orientated and helpful. Very impressed with the response to my email.


Agreed. When I was in the "what frame do I get?" phase of building my winter bike, I got a call from Eric at Cyfac. We spent 30 or 40 minutes on the phone talking about the various pluses and minuses of materials and geometry considerations for the project. I ended up getting a Cyfac Life frameset based partly on that phone call. He was generous with his time and thoroughly answered several followup emails. I was/am very impressed with that.


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## Matt_Wood (Mar 8, 2013)

ultimobici said:


> 853? Fignon had retired by the time 853 came out. I seem to remember Systeme-U being on 753 & occasionally 653 or 731.


Yep, agreed. The Systeme U, Super U and Castorama were all pre 853, so mostly 753 frames. They did flirt with 'Dynatech' which were the first bonded frames Raleigh produced.


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## Matt_Wood (Mar 8, 2013)

PlatyPius said:


> So I'm guessing it's a 1989 for the Super-U/Raleigh/Fiat team?


I am not sure, think it could be a 1990 (so Castorama). The first three digits of the frame number were seperate from the second three digits and were 290. Wouldn't surprise me if 2 refers to it being the second frame built for him, 90 the year and the other three digits the actual frame number. Sure they will tell me when I send it back to them for respray.


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## ultimobici (Jul 16, 2005)

Matt_Wood said:


> Yep, agreed. The Systeme U, Super U and Castorama were all pre 853, so mostly 753 frames. They did flirt with 'Dynatech' which were the first bonded frames Raleigh produced.


Ah, Dynashite! Read an interview with Gerald O'Donovan where he slated Alan & Vitus, staying the *only *ways to build frames was brazing or silver soldering. Shortly after Raleigh bring out those dire frames.


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## rubbersoul (Mar 1, 2010)

ultimobici said:


> 853? Fignon had retired by the time 853 came out. I seem to remember Systeme-U being on 753 & occasionally 653 or 731.


sorry, yes 753, lugged cromoly steel.


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## Fignon's Barber (Mar 2, 2004)

View attachment 283065


I've finally had a chance to put some decent mileage on the Cyfac. I'm lucky enough to have 3 distinct road bikes to draw comparisons from (a Canyon ultimate cf slx for racing/training, a Ti Colnago CT1, and the Fignon inspired alum Cyfac Proxidium).
The Cyfac is built with Campag Record groupo (Super Record crankset and chorus chain). Wheels are Pacenti sl23/white ind T11 hubs/Sapim cx-rays, tires are Vittoia open corsa sc. Fizik antares saddle. Ritchey 260 stem/curve bars. The weight of the complete bike, pedals included, came in at a reasonable 16 pounds, seven ounces.
The ride is very smooth, offering a road feel very similar to that of steel. You get a very solid sensation, not a hollow buzzing feel often associated with aluminium frames. The rear triangle is stiff. very stiff. If your rear wheel hits a pothole, you feel how stiff. This is a race bike, not a comfort bike. The geometry is very stable and tracks well. On a fast downhill with hands in the drops, I put my arms out as if flying. The bike tracked perfectly, and confidently, straight. The fit and finish of the Cyfac is excellent. 
I am really enjoying this bike. I love this bike on solo training rides. Sometimes I look down, see "le professeur" and the Francis Quillon autograph on the top tube, and think I am.....Fignon.


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

Fignon's Barber said:


> View attachment 283065
> 
> 
> I've finally had a chance to put some decent mileage on the Cyfac. I'm lucky enough to have 3 distinct road bikes to draw comparisons from (a Canyon ultimate cf slx for racing/training, a Ti Colnago CT1, and the Fignon inspired alum Cyfac Proxidium).
> ...


I honestly believe that the Proxidium is the best riding aluminum bike I've ever put miles on.
I'd kinda like to have a 7-11 themed Proxidium...


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## Fignon's Barber (Mar 2, 2004)

PlatyPius said:


> I'd kinda like to have a 7-11 themed Proxidium...


Do it! They are the easiest people in the world to work with. Well worth it.


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## Matt_Wood (Mar 8, 2013)

*Thierry Marie Castorama Team Bike*

View attachment 283178


This is the Cyfac built Raleigh Castorama frame I bought back in March - I sent it back to Cyfac where it was built to be resprayed. They did a fantastic job and Eric / Aymeric were extremely helpful and patient. I can't recommend them enough. I would love a modern Cyfac one day, but getting the C-Record parts to finish this build cleared me out!!

It was one of Thierry Maries race frames - note the laid back geometry, not sure what that was about, but it rides well. Managed a 24:29 minute 10 mile TT on it last week.

Matt


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## Matt_Wood (Mar 8, 2013)

Fignon's Barber said:


> View attachment 283065
> 
> 
> I've finally had a chance to put some decent mileage on the Cyfac. I'm lucky enough to have 3 distinct road bikes to draw comparisons from (a Canyon ultimate cf slx for racing/training, a Ti Colnago CT1, and the Fignon inspired alum Cyfac Proxidium).
> ...


Looks great mate, not surprised you are happy, bet it's a flying machine.


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## Tachycardic (Mar 31, 2013)

Wow. Why can't all posts be like this? Congrats to the OP and Matt, any everyone else who has a Cyfac; they are truly pieces of art!


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

I finally have my second Cyfac almost built. I didn't think that warranted its own thread, so I'll piggyback on this one.










Just missing the cassette (arriving Monday) and chain. Built with parts that were on sale. Athena crank, front derailleur and rear derailleur, Centaur brake calipers, and Chorus levers. Pedals are MKS (I can't wear bike shoes at the moment, due to some foot issues), bar is FSA, stem is Salsa, seatpost is Origin-8. Saddle is a take-off from a Raleigh Revenio. I've had the Torelli wheels for years, on various bikes.


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## Hiro11 (Dec 18, 2010)

Fignon is my favorite rider from my favorite era of racing. I would have prefered a sky blue Gitane tribute with yellow accents, but the Castomara tribute is still really cool.

Sidenote: craziest jersey ever.


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