Timothe Girard’s Jolie Rouge and the Tour of Artisans

Bike shots by Julien Fritsch of Jolie Rouge Cycles

Hello, my name is Timothé Girard. I’m 27, and I work as an illustrator in France. Some of you may already seen some of my work on BIKEPACKING.com through my Rider’s Lens feature or my “15 Ways to Go Bikepacking” poster that was included with the ninth issue of The Bikepacking Journal in 2023.

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Today, my work as an illustrator focuses mainly on bike-related drawings. I work a lot with black ink using assorted nibs and pens. Since I began working as an illustrator in the world of bicycles, I’ve felt a growing desire to get away from my drawing table and discover how the components, panniers, and handmade bikes I draw were made. 

I met some amazing people when I moved to Chambéry in the Alps two years ago after my architecture graduation from Montpellier. Among them were Julien Fritsch, founder of Jolie Rouge Cycles and Rouge Mécanique, Gaelle Bojko, founder of Cours s’il pleut, and Céline Fritsch, founder of Pop pin’s Bikepacking. 

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Discovering their worlds, workshops, and ways of working made me want to document the artisanal practices of bicycle-making in France. Indeed, these trades are still not well known by people, and they deserve to be highlighted. So, almost a year ago, I decided I’d go on a bikepacking trip to meet and document the work of cycle craftspeople in France. My project, Un détour des artisan.es du cycle, was born.

Un détour des artisan.es du cycle, is an eight-month journey to document the work of cycle artisans through drawings. To prepare the route for the trip, I searched extensively to identify the people who make bicycles, components, and panniers in France. Visualizing the workshops on a map, I was surprised by the number of people who work as frame and bag-makers in the world of bicycles, even in France. 

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My bikepacking route goes from the mountains to the sea to discover a diverse array of workshops and the artisans who create from within them. I outlined two goals in taking this journey and documenting what the people I meet do. The first goal is to record, through an interview, the maker’s voice to understand how they work and how they ended up doing what they do. The second goal is to gather material through drawing and photography to make an atlas that preserves everything.

On April 21, 2025, I set off from my local mountains on my journey to document the work of these cycle craftspeople. A month and a half in, it’s been fascinating to discover the workshops and the people who make components, bikes, and panniers. There are so many different ways of making bicycles!

Much work went into contacting different artisans before departure. It was by transmitting a short animated video summarizing the challenges and objectives of this trip that I got in touch with them. See it below, and note that you may need to turn on auto-generated subtitles in your language.

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During my visits, we first take the time to talk about their practices, their trades, and their workshops. Once the discussion is over, time permitting, I get out my sketchbook and start drawing their spaces, tools, and working environments. Since starting my tour, I’ve already discovered more than 20 workshops, all very different—unique worlds and ways to work.

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The processes involved in making a bicycle frame are very personal, depending on the materials used by the craftspeople (steel, bamboo, wood, and titanium). And that’s the great thing about craftsmanship! As well as meeting beautiful people along the way, I’m also looking forward to discovering parts of France I’ve never visited before, such as the Vosges, the Pyrenees, and Brittany! 

But this trip didn’t happen by itself. Many people helped me to prepare for my departure to spend several months on the road, and I’d like to introduce them to you below.

About the Bike

For almost a year now, Julien Fritsch (founder of Jolie Rouge Cycles and Rouge Mécanique) and I have been talking about building a touring bike to take off for several months. I remember many discussions we had while enjoying cake slices in his hut in Chambéry. These discussions over a meal gave rise to several exciting projects that will be appearing over the course of 2025, so I invite you to keep an eye on the news that will be arriving over the coming months.

One of the first projects we’re presenting you today is none other than the bike I’m currently using for this trip. This bike is the fruit of several months’ work with the help of many hands. Julien did a lot of the work in his workshop in Chambéry. On the Jolie Rouge Cycle side, the frame, fork, luggage racks, handlebars and paintwork were all done by hand by Julien. 

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On the mechanical side, Julien used his new machining centers to create many of the bike’s essential parts, such as the stem, seat clamp, headset, and bottom bracket. There’s also a new aluminum attachment system for the saddlebags. And speaking of bags, two other talented people took part in the bike-building project. I’m talking, of course, about Céline Fritsch (Pop pin’s Bikepacking) and Gaelle Bojko (Cours s’il pleut), who worked together in their workshops to create a complete set of panniers so I could take all my stuff with me on the road.

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A number of illustrations were then inserted beneath the paint, representing universes that mean a lot to me: friendships, bike drawings, and so on. You can find a full breakdown of the build below.

Jolie Rouge Build Kit

• Frame/Fork: Jolie Rouge Cycles
• Rims: Velocity Aileron
• Hubs: Tune Fronthill 28h (front) / Tune Climbhill 28h (rear)
• Tires: Ultradynamico Rosé Race 650B x 47.99
• Handlebars: Jolie Rouge Cycles
• Grips: Oury
• Crankset: White Industries (38T)
• Pedals: Crankbrothers Stamp 2 
• Cassette: SunRace MX80 11-speed (11-50T)
• Derailleur(s): Shimano Deore XT
• Brakes: Hope Tech 4 E4
• Shifter(s): Shimano Deore 11-speed
• Saddle: Brooks B17
• Seatpost: Tune Liechtes Stuck
• Seatpost collar: Rouge Mécanique
• Stem: Rouge Mécanique
• Front rack: Jolie Rouge Cycles
• Front basket: Wald 137
• Rear rack: Jolie Rouge Cycles
• Front bags: Pop pin’s Bikepacking x Rouge Mécanique 
• Frame bags: Pop pin’s Bikepacking / Cours s’il pleut
• Rear bags: Pop pin’s Bikepacking x Rouge Mécanique 
• Rack bags: Cours s’il pleut

Acknowledgements

In addition to thanking Julien for the many moments spent in his hut and workshop as I watched the bike being built over the past several months, I’d like to thank a handful of other people who helped me get on the road.

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Gaelle and Céline, thank you for your time, your work, and your superb panniers in which I’m currently carrying my house. To Julian Schaible and the whole Tune GMBH team, thanks for sending me some components. Thanks to Cyclocamping International for the grant you awarded me for this trip. In addition to all the help I’ve received, I’ve also made new friends throughout the preparation of this trip. Thank you, and see you soon!

You can find updates from Timothé’s tour on Instagram.

Further Reading

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