Garrett Chow on the Argonaut Mavic 125ans Road Bike
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Garrett Chow on the Argonaut Mavic 125ans Road Bike

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Garrett Chow is an exceptional designer and I’m very fond of his work. In today’s industry, so many cycling-related projects rely on paint design, meaning it’s the ultimate crux in a project’s success.

It’s easy to draw some chevrons, or paint a logo a pantone and call it a day, but to really dive into data, something that’s typically not visually stimulating and pull a compelling paint job from a series of numbers and historical markers takes talent.

With the recent Mavic 125ans project bikes, I took a liking to Argonaut‘s design. There was information there and it required you to stop and really examine every aspect of the bike. There were a lot of immaculate paint jobs in the 125ans bikes, but this one was more than that…

See more below!

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The Argonaut Mavic 125ans Road Bike
Photos by John Watson and words by Garrett Chow

“I have designed a livery that aims to support and compliment the Mavic 125 Year Anniversary wheel-set that the bike will be built around. I did not want things to fight with, or compete with / overbear the components / wheelset.”

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“On the top of the Top Tube, the 7 color blocks represent the 7 eras of Mavic’s logos’ lineage. 1923 to the present. While this timeline does not extend to 1889, and the company’s inception, the 4 additional color blocks on the bike’s rear-triangle reference the company’s 11 (7+4=11) innovation milestones.”

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“Extending from:
01) 1889 Idoux & Chanel begin manufacturing bike parts, including the Apron Mudguard;
02) 1923 first Mavic logo and trademark, and manufacture of rims, mudguard, and handlebars; 03) 1934 750 grams Duralumin rim first made: Magne wins TdF by 27 minutes;
04) 1973 first fiberglass lenticular wheel, and neutral support;
05) 1975 anodized rims;
06) 1975 double hook bridged rims for high-pressure tires;
07) 1979 Le Tour Mavic complete system;
08) 1997 Helium Wheels;
09) 1993 ZMS Electronic Derailleur;
10) 1999 fore drilling process on Crossmax and Ksyrium;
11) 2012 CX01 Technology Wheel and Tire System”

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“The bike looks modern and fast. I’ve taken great lengths to contain the graphics and color blocking to the character-lines / ID of the frame set. The graphics compliment and truly fit the bike.”

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“On the Down Tube, are the corresponding evolution of the company’s branding: from 1923 at the Bottom Bracket, to present day / full expression of Pantone 012C Yellow at the Head Tube junction.”

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“Note that the color blocked areas on the Top Tube, Down Tube, and rear triangle are all gloss-finish set against an otherwise all satin-finished raw carbon bike. This will really draw attention and focus to these areas, and consequently, Mavic and its heritage.”

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“Note the Seat Post Head graphic I created celebrating and calling out the 1889 to 2014 / 125 Year Anniversary. I’ve also pulled out the Mavic Yellow on the Seat Post clamp, and on the Head Set lower bearing.”

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“These elements help tie the bike together when seen as a whole. Note also, that all typography is set in Helvetica Neue, as per Corporate Identity guidelines. All instances of 100% Yellow are Pantone 012C.”

The paint was designed by Garrett Chow and executed by Eric Dungey of Colorworks in Eugene, OR.

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Follow Garrett on Instagram and Argonaut Cycles on Instagram.

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