Royal Asport Cycleworks blog

Carlos Alcaraz steps on US Open in full Royal Asport colors

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 11:19:04 GMT

Where Pyrenean heritage meets performance.

At the first round of the US Open, New York, Carlos Alcaraz arrived on court wearing an outfit that instantly caught our eye. His full kit - deep purple shorts, jacket, and shoes, paired with a bold contrast color - looked like it had been lifted straight from the Royal Asport Cycleworks design studio.

For us at Royal Asport, this was more than a coincidence. The rich purple base is exactly our house tone, the color that defines our identity across Studio Royal Asport, Classics, and Curated Imports. On Alcaraz, the only difference was in the accent: where our ecosystem proudly carries the bright orange of the Pyrenean sun, his Nike outfit swapped it for pink.

The effect was striking. Purple and pink together radiate confidence, modernity, and a touch of audacity - values we also stand for when crafting bicycles, apparel, and curated cycling experiences. It was as if tennis’ brightest young champion had, knowingly or not, stepped into our palette and carried it under the floodlights.

We’ll let the tennis world debate his shaved-head look and his game. What matters to us is how clear it is that certain color schemes carry a timeless power. Purple remains Royal. Whether on a handcrafted Pyrenean frame or on the shoulders of the world’s best athlete, it signals exclusivity, boldness, and identity.

Welcome to the Royal colors, Carlito!

🖋️ Owner’s Letter

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 13:19:26 GMT

The new Royal Asport Cycleworks is on !

What if a bicycle brand could be more than a name on a downtube? What if it became a trusted ecosystem — a place where riders, makers, and collectors find not only exceptional machines, but meaningful choices?

This is the question that led me to reinvent Royal Asport Cycleworks.

When I first launched Royal Asport, I was focused on a very specific mission: designing and building made-to-measure bicycles with mechanical intelligence, stripped of ornament, and full of purpose. That DNA remains intact. But over time, something larger emerged.

I began to see a need — and an opportunity — to serve a broader cycling culture:
1️⃣ Riders looking for rare, thoughtful equipment beyond what the mainstream offers.
2️⃣ Collectors and connoisseurs searching for historically significant bikes, restored with integrity.
3️⃣ Builders, brands, and artisans who share a deep respect for precision and design, the perfect fit for a win/win collaboration.

So today, Royal Asport reinvents itself.

Not by abandoning its roots, but by expanding its responsibility.

We are now more than a boutique brand.

We are three houses under one roof:
1️⃣ Studio Vélo – For custom builds and exclusive geometries.
2️⃣ Ateliers – For vintage restoration, restomod projects, and historically inspired creations.
3️⃣ Curated Imports – For high-end components, thinking-out-of-the-box brands, and beautifully engineered parts from around the world, starting with the United States of America.

We are so proud to now represent visionary makers such as Rodeo Adventure Labs, TriRig, and Wolf Tooth Components, because we believe excellence should be shared, not siloed!

Finally, we are building an after-sales and service network, beginning in Borau and Jaca, Aragon, to ensure that every Royal Asport experience is complete and cared for.

Reinvention is not compromise. It’s commitment.

A commitment to relevance. To service. To the long game.

And to every rider who chooses Royal Asport, whether for a modern custom build or a 1986 TVT restoration, I offer you not just a bike, but a promise:
We will never stop refining what we do, and why we do it.

Thank you for being part of this new chapter.

_Marc Duchesne
Owner, Royal Asport Cycleworks

post-scriptum: the new Royal Asport Cycleworks website will be up and running on 07/05, for the first stage of Le Tour de France 2025.

Rim brakes, you said rim brakes?

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 09:58:19 GMT

Rim brakes are not dead.

Why we choose rim brakes for Road bikes

In an era where disc brakes have become the industry standard, Royal Asport Cycleworks proudly stands by rim brakes for our high-end, bespoke road bikes. This choice is not about resisting change but about embracing the essence of road cycling: performance, elegance, and simplicity.

The Purity of Performance

Rim brakes have long been the choice of champions. They offer exceptional braking power in all conditions, with a crisp, immediate response that skilled riders appreciate. Our customers, many of whom have years of cycling experience, value the direct feedback and modulation that rim brakes provide. The lightweight nature of rim brake systems also contributes to a more responsive ride, something that weight-conscious road cyclists deeply care about.

Aesthetic and Mechanical Elegance

At Royal Asport, we believe that a bicycle should be as visually refined as it is technically proficient. Rim brakes allow for sleek, uncluttered frame designs, preserving the classic lines that define a truly beautiful road bike. Without bulky calipers and oversized rotors, the focus remains on the craftsmanship of the frame and the precision of our hand-built machines.

Moreover, the simplicity of rim brakes enhances serviceability. Riders can easily maintain and adjust their braking systems without the need for hydraulic fluid, complex bleeding procedures, or proprietary components. This aligns perfectly with our philosophy of creating bicycles that are built to last, to be ridden hard, and to be maintained with ease.

The Right Choice for the Right Rider

While disc brakes have their place, especially in all-weather endurance and gravel cycling, road racing and fast-paced riding often benefit from the efficiency of rim brakes. By choosing rim brakes, we offer riders a connection to the road that is unfiltered and precise—an experience that has defined cycling for decades.

At Royal Asport Cycleworks, we are not against innovation—we embrace it where it enhances the ride. But we also know that not all advancements lead to a better experience. That’s why we remain committed to rim brakes: for their performance, elegance, and enduring appeal.

Ride with Confidence, Ride with Heritage

Our bikes are a tribute to the golden age of Cycling, where skill and finesse mattered as much as technology. By choosing Royal Asport, you choose a bike designed for riders who understand that true performance is about more than just technology—it’s about the art of cycling itself.

Royal Asport Cycleworks – Where Tradition Meets Performance.

En route to 2025!

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 12:42:33 GMT

Keep going, Dude!

The year 2024 is coming to a close, and 2025 is almost here. It’s time to start thinking about what the future holds. Let’s hope it’s a bit brighter than the past year, shall we?

The truth is, Royal Asport Cycleworks, like everyone else in the cycling industry, had a tough time in 2024. Whether you were a big or small company, we all went through some really challenging times.

For us, 2024 was pretty quiet. We even thought about shutting down our shop a couple of times. But each time we were about to close, something would happen that made us realize that we should keep going.

Here’s the thing - we had these clients who were supposed to sign on the dotted line, but then they pulled out at the last minute. It was a bit of a bummer. On the bright side, we did manage to work on a cycling trip for a guy who even called Marc over the weekends. But guess what? He’s been MIA ever since we sent him the .gpx files. Oh, and we also missed a few chances to sell some really cool, high-end bespoke bikes.

On the flip side, we’ve got a ton of positive feedback. Whenever we show off our bikes, whether in photos or in person, people always exclaim, ‘Wow’. And when we talk about our repair station, people agree that we're on target.

So, here we go again! We know that Royal Asport is a brand that’s got a bright future ahead of it. Because Royal Asport has a rich history and an amazing legacy.

Let's celebrate Xmas and the New Year, and get ready for a fantastic 2025 season with Royal Asport Cycleworks!

Craftsmanship

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 10:33:08 GMT

The story of our bicycle at the biggest airshow in the World.

Royal Asport "Poxolo", the first collaboration with Vincenzo Forgione , our frame builder.

This bike was a command by Osborn Metals, a french steel tubing manufacturer who's seeking to diverse its business into the Cycling industry.

Osborn provided us with its entry level, single-butted steel tubes - the only ones available at the time of the order. The order: Build a made-to-measure gravel bike for Osborn's CEO, to be displayed at tradeshows.

I decided to go for an agressive, racing-oriented design, with an ISP integrated seatpost, raw steel finish, and Rotor 1x13 groupset. The goal was to highlight the Osborn tubes whilst provoking a "wow" effect...

As is, this bike weights 8.5 kg.

Vincenzo did a tremendous job mixing Osborn tubes with lightweight Columbus ones, then the parts do the rest, for instance the Magped carbon pedals.

The first public appearance of this bicycle has been at... the Paris Air Show back in June 2023. Yes, you read it right: A bicycle at the World-biggest airplanes exhibition.

Steel is real. It's just a matter of passion.

Inspiration

Tue, 27 Aug 2024 12:21:55 GMT

Simply because we love the TVT92.

Our Model8 Carbon gets its inspiration from the TVT92, several times winner of the Tour de France. Simply because we love "beautiful bikes".

Happy birthday, Royal Asport Cycleworks!

Mon, 26 Aug 2024 13:41:01 GMT

Once upon a time in the Aspe Valley...

What better way to launch Royal Asport Cycleworks's blog than celebrating the real birth of the project? This photo was taken in early September 2020, when Diego (right hand side of the photo) and myself met IRL for the very first time (thanks to Covid), together with Daniel (left hand side) who was then the mayor of Borau, Aragon.

It was in Sarrance, a beautiful village seated on the Aspe river, right in between Oloron Sainte-Marie, Béarn, and Canfranc, Aragon.

Diego and I settled our common vision there, with Dani confirming some particular points. It was my best coffee stop ever.

Today, Daniel is no longer the mayor of Borau. That's his wife, Sara.

And today, Diego and myself can celebrate a 5-years long journey which brought us from a simple idea: Revive the Royal Asport brand, to where we are now: A unique boutique brand with a tremendous past and a bright future.

Of course, this journey was full of ups and downs. Lots of downs. When you start from scratch, you need to think about everything, and build step by step... Hence the hurdles, the stops, the downs...

Now, 68 months after I took ownership of the brand, we can tell that Royal Asport's roadmap is clear, solidly based on a strong portfolio.

Lots of changes since we started working on the overall plan begin 2020. We scrapped lots of things, postponed lots of other things... We revised our ambitions, thanks to Covid and the Cycling industry boom and the Cycling industry crash... That's the way you do with a startup. Keep your vision, keep your ultimate objective, yet be agile enough to pivot and navigate during turmoils.

Today, Royal Asport Cycleworks is well established as a boutique brand offering unique products, from bespoke bicycles to private tours.

Our bicycles catalog is simple: Performance, made-to-measure bikes for Gravel and/or Road, with some unique features such as our beloved rear wishbone seatstays and our integrated seatpost collar...

Since we are cyclists, cyclists living in the Pyrénées, and cyclists loving the Pyrénées, we also do offer once-in-a-lifetime experiences with our tours, such as the Hike & Bike.

It took us almost 3 years to get there, find our true key differentiators in a crowded market segment. Our quest is not over yet. Because we constantly search the best solution for our clients. We do bespoke, right?

So, today, let's celebrate those first years of the new Royal Asport. And there is no better way to do this than with those lines, written by Diego :

Steel is real, they say.
Steel is Royal, it's ours.
Go beyond brands. Go breed.
Seek further performance. Seek feat.
Go core. Go pure. Go Royal.
Over 100 years ago the finest frame builder was born in the heights.
We. Are. Back.
Royal Asport. The Pyrenees bicycles brand.