Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
This week’s Reader’s Rig is Olivier Tostain’s Sour Purple Haze, which he built for fast and light rides on the cobblestone roads and dirt tracks around his home in the north of France. Find build details, photos, and more here…
Words and photos by Olivier Tostain (@oliv_tost)
Hi! My name is Olivier and I live in the north of France, also known as the Hell of the North for its famous cobblestone roads of the Paris-Roubaix. I am 30, an orthopedic surgeon, and I’ve been riding bikes for 15 years, from enduro mountain biking to long-distance bikepacking over the last few years, without forgetting classy Sunday morning rides with friends or my lovely wife Alice, who also rides.
My first bikepacking trip was a five-day ride with my best friend between the French and English coasts, on uncomfortable road bikes. Since then, our garages have grown and bikes have multiplied, allowing us to go for different adventures around the corner, or even further. As you know, a new plan/race/trip is often a good reason to imagine a new bike!
The story began when I registered for the Malteni Bootleggers race, a 270-kilometer ultra CX race between France and Belgium. After a few years of being convinced that when the road becomes bumpy and too dirty for your road two-wheeler, you change machines and use a mountain bike, I have to admit that this new jewel in my garage has become my favorite and most used bike.
My rig is a custom built Sour Purple Haze, put together with the help of my friends from our local shop, Guibole & Guidon. The project was also the opportunity to exchange with the guys at Sour Bike in Germany. The aim was to have a new rocket to ride my backyard here in the north, which is made up of cobblestone roads, wet tracks, and old coal mine heaps.
I didn’t want a roadie machine, but rather one that could scramble in any situation and go fast and fun, regardless of path conditions! A bike that could also follow me on fast and light bikepacking rides, including the North Trail, a 700km ride in France I’ll be riding in a few weeks, for example. Thus, I choose bombproof wheels from DT Swiss, because of their wide 30mm rims and durable hubs. The current tires are possibly too slippery for local winter conditions and a bit heavy for long and fast days in summer, not the perfect set up for the moment.
- Frame Sour Purple Haze
- Fork ENVE G Series
- Rims DT Swiss GR1600
- Hubs DT Swiss 350
- Tires Panaracer GravelKing SK+
- Handlebars Easton AX70
- Headset Chris King
- Crankset Shimano Dura-Ace 9100
- Pedals Look S-Track
- Cassette Shimano XT 11-42
- Derailleur Shimano GRX
- Brakes Shimano GRX
- Shifter(s) Shimano GRX
- Saddle Specialized Power Comp
- Seatpost PMP Titanium
- Stem ENVE Road
- Accessory bags Restrap Top Tube Bag
The GRX 1x groupset works really smooth and accurately, and the 11-42 cassette is more than enough for my pretty flat rides. After a few months of use, it is definitely an awesome rig that has enabled me to push the boundaries of my playground. Don’t hesitate to come for a ride in the north of France, and remember to have some fun while riding!
Keep up with Olivier on Instagram @oliv_tost.
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