A pilgrimage to Levallois

53, rue Victor Hugo

Finding ourselves in Paris recently, as one only occasionally does, we felt compelled to jump on the number 84 bus and ride it to Levallois to make a little pilgrimage to 53 Rue Victor Hugo to visit Cycles Alex Singer where I had the very great honor of shaking the hand of Olivier Csuka, probably the last of the French Constructeurs. 

Monsieur Csuka was busy being interviewed by what looked like a couple of reporters. Nevertheless he was extremely gracious and spent a few minutes discussing his approach to designing bespoke bikes which basically involves understanding the rider's "practice" and building the bike around the riding style, the size, the age, the strength of the customer. It seems like the kind of typically French process that would take a long, leisurely time. But then who's in a hurry when you're in Paris hanging out in a bike shop with the last of a line of legendary craftsman? 

The showroom floor

He generously let the Managing Partner and I visit the atelier in the back for a few minutes to see where the magic happens. It was satisfyingly messy with all manner of parts hanging from the walls and ceiling and big piles of lovely lugs and whatnot scattered around every flat surface in the place. Oh, man, would I like to spend my days there, surrounded by half-finished projects, scribbled notes, odds and ends of every conceivable description littering every nook and cranny - and trust me, there are a lot of nooks and crannies. 

I didn’t end up buying a €6,000+ work of functional art on this visit. Maybe next year. Not speaking French and not wanting to hang around long enough to get Mr. Csuka’s focused attention, we beat a hasty retreat to Le Royal Pereire where we were just in time to fit in a couple of Aperol Spritzes before the cocktail hour began in earnest. Oh Paris, je t'aime.