Friday, February 10

CAMINADE GRAVEL ESPRESSO – HANDPAINTED BY THE ARTIST ALICIANE

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CAMINADE GRAVEL ESPRESSO is the sportive gravel steel bike produced by the french handcrafter CAMINADE - This model, like the rest of the range ESPRESSO, is produced in the South West of France (close to Perpignan) - a place where the team design, develop, test and build most of its bikes : Simpletrack Espresso, Route66 Espresso, La grande Motte, Caferacer Espresso and the wellknown Gravel Espresso.

Most of you already known the Gravel Espresso, but in few outlines this bike is at home on road and path : anywhere. This is a sportive gravel bikes made of Columbus steel tubes for the down tubes and the rear triangle, Caminade Osborn Aerospace grade for the bent seat tubes and the bent top tubes. The process uses to weld the bike is TIG allowing CAMINADE to save precious grams compare to the original GRAVEL built a year ago by fillet brazing. Officially launched in this early february 2016...a first model has already reach Chicago (in the USA) showing that the bike seduces North American riders...and starts to be sold abroad in several country.

Have a look here if you want to have all the info about CAMINADE Gravel Espresso complete bikes and also the frameset : https://www.veloacier.com/en/manufacturers/caminade-2/caminade-gravel-espresso-2016-complete-bikes-and-frameset-available/

So whats new...we already know that this gravel bikes is proposed under many paint finish : regular (RAL), fluo colour and textured colour.... well i d like to present you this beautifull and unique handpainted (in France) Caminade Gravel Espresso by Aliciane for the owner of the company IRISIO. Good knews you can order any of the Caminade bikes and choose for the Aliciance Handpainted option for several coins more and make your Caminade even more unique and beautifull !

I was so curious about the process that i directly contact IRISIO to know more about it and share it with you !

Athanaël, who are you ? What is the business sector of IRISIO ?

I am one of the kingpin - and founder - of the agency IRISIO, and "It's always the baker's children who have no bread", we do not have yet a website.... Despite, IRISIO is a communications agency (web, print, adviser, training...) but we are specialized in developping website and internet tools.
I am also riding moutain bikes from now more than twenty years, and i am active member in several associations that promote moutain biking and organising events mainly in the French department 66.
I have riden many different and various machines including many years handling full rigid MTB, SingleSpeed, Offroad Tandem....26", 27,5", 29"..even 297"...road bikes and now gravel bike...

You have done the choice to ride a gravel made of steel, you bike is one of the reference in the gravel market. What has guide you to ride a gravel bike and especially the Caminade Gravel Espresso made of steel tubes ?

Many years ago, I ve already ridden several hardtail bikes made of steel with 26inch wheels, and, more recently with 29inch wheels. Steel, like other material, has its own "personality" and fit perfectly the technical specification for a gravel bikes where filtering and comfort are key words....It is obvious for me : steel (but also titanium) are perfect for an offroad use, especially for long hours of riding : Gravel and Travel...are close words.
At least, why a Caminade ? My answer is a bit falsified because IRISIO works for CAMINADE - and reverse - and that i knew Brice & Sylvain (owner of Caminade) before the company birth. Anyway, it does not diminished the interest of their bikes range.

Their Gravel Espresso is at a fair price - it is certainly and unfortunately a major criteria for many of us - but is is also an accomplished bike. The use of steel it a good choice, the geometry is pleasant -handling  not too fast, not too slow, and complete bikes are set up with efficient components. The line is original and elegant. About steel, in plus of its technical characteristic - made to last and comfortable - it allow to have a product made in France with steel tubes mainly from France.

If i do not say non-sense, main tubes are made of steel from "Lorraine" (French department) and transformed in steel tubes in France according to Caminade specifications....i know that it is Mika that welded my frame...i know where he lives and even what he is eating... To me, those criteria are pretty important as well on an economic way than ethic., it is a kind of relationship, a way of purchase that means a lot to me.

Where are your favorites trails ?

I maybe seems obvious, but i think that a gravel bike is at home everywhere... It allow, wherever you are, to ride, whatever if the tarmac is perfect or full of hole, that the trails is flat or rocky : this bike always allow to ride discontinued kilometres discovering new place or people... To summarise, the bike ride pretty well whatever the type of trails (of course you ll not ride it in enduro or DH...) and how far and long you go...as you can easily reach 80-100kms with the bike and ride over what you see...travelling is never far....

How does it handle on the trail ?

It never caught you out, the bike is stable and make you feel comfortable (having a major MTB experience  i never really felt well on my road bike) and thanks to the use of disk brakes, steel tubes for the frame, tires and geometry, the bike is perfect. I have recently took part to an MTB event in Switzerland with 93kms and 4000D+ at a good pace and i never felt uncomfortable during 8h30... When the bikes is perfectly set-up it makes itself forget and you can easily have an aggressive ride while downhill or even climbing. But in 3 words : well balanced, comfortable and pleasant.

Your Caminade Gravel Espresso looks having a customized set-up, can you tell us more about it ?

I do not have so much modified components from the initial Sram Rival 1x11 groupset proposed by Caminade, i have taken as an option the "moustache" handlebar (like the Salsa Cowchipper2), a specific saddle (SERFAS 1998) and a 100mm stem. Again,to prepare the Swiss race i took part in, i have adjusted the number of teeth on the unique front ring from a 38t to a 36t that fitted more my power regarding the race. The 38t will probably be back later on the machine...
Finally small modifications are required. Whatever complete bikes you choose, brand and even price, adjustments are vital due to many parameters...everybody is different and unique at the same time and a bike has to fit you perfectly.

The paint is handmade by ALICIANE, who is she ?

Aliciane is an artist specialized in "pedagogical drawing" and "motion design", her training background is rich or various experience and diversified and allow to keep an interesting and traditional drawing technique (non computer assisted). She is also my little sister.

Did you choose / influence the thematic of the draw ? or did you let Aliciane works by her imagination ?
  • About the hand-painting, i already had thought a while ago about the big lines for the specifications :Doodle style (scribble...) with eventually few colour touches.
  • The required elements : "Caminade" that could not disappeared from the frame, the signature of the artist, "Made in France" and also a message "All you need is velo"...and of course "IRISIO".
  • A "nature looking alike" draw in perfect harmony with the gravel riding spirit
To do the job, we have done an inventory of all elements usable and compatible with the style and the frame, to hand-paint a bike using the Doodle Style (scribble...) is far to be an easy work... Aliciane did the drawing adding some personal touches sometimes off the wall humour and surrealist. Finally the work is even better than expected...and i really have pleasure looking at this bike !
How have you proceed to realize the paint ? What are the different step ? Any difficulties ?

Once the frame welded, we ve asked Camiande to paint the frame in mat white that we afterwards slightly hand-frosted in order to increase the grip of the acrylic paint use for drawing and then a gloss varnish has been applied in order to cover and protect those numerous working hours....

Starting her work on an immaculate frame and fork, Aliciane has past several...numerous hours to decorate each possible place available on the frame with several details...and then we had to give it back to CAMINADE...with regrets...but you know...it is a bike so it has to be set-up to ride and they also had to apply a layer of gloss varnish. When the complete bike came back to us...the drawing was enhanced by the shiny surface reinforcing the contrast and clearness.

The main difficulties come from the frame itself, hand-painting a tube is not an easy task. Decorating welded tubes is even harder, and even frosted the white paint is really smooth requesting even more drying time. So, the numerous handling of the frame needs to be done with caution until the vernish is dry.

Today, if someone wish to have a CAMINADE handpainted by ALICIANE....is it possible ? How to proceed ?

You have to contact CAMINADE, describe with them all the details about the bike (frame, set-up, timetable...) and the specifications regarding the decoration. Then we study together all details related to the decoration and IRISIO establish a very precise description of the decoration and the follow of the work. We are already working on a new project with Caminade.....

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The GRAVEL ESPRESSO is available worldwide, please contact them for an accurate price in your currency and to know all shipment details. For now, the French part of the Caminade Website is the most accurate, so do not hesitate to contact them for further information if you need any extra details.

Wanna know more about ALICIANE ? check her works here : http://aliciane.com/About IRISIO Agency : http://www.facebook.com/irisio.fr/
Caminade Website : http://caminade.eu/
Camaine Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/caminadebikes/