During Josh’s trip to Paris earlier this summer, he visited the workshop of Maison Tamboite, who build stunning luxury bicycles in the heart of Paris. While there, Josh connected with builder Hugo Canivenc and documented his custom Cyfac fixed gear commuter.

Below, get to know Hugo, his personal bicycle, and Maison Tamboite…

Hugo Canivenc

Hello, I am Hugo Canivenc from Brittany in France. I have always loved creating and working with my hands; my father passed on to me the passion for beautiful and well-made things.

My passion for cycling has existed since childhood, I have practiced bmx, freeride, road and track cycling.

I discovered the work of framebuilding by admiring the creations of famous French fabricators like René Herse. I am also inspired by work of contemporaries like that of Chris Bishop, which I always keep in mind for its incomparable level of quality.

My first framebuilding experience began in 2009 at Cyfac International located in Hommes, France. They are a historic manufacturer who masters all the materials and manufacturing techniques. They designed and manufactured champion bikes of the 90s and still produce exemplary bicycles.

Maison Tamboite

After five years at Cyfac, I moved to Paris to join Frederic who, after several decades of work in banks, decided to relaunch the family brand Maison Tamboite Paris. Here, I designed and manufactured a range of bikes, concentrating on the best know-how while borrowing from the code of luxury, noble materials such as leather, wood, and chrome steel.

Each bike leaving the workshop represents hundreds of hours of work. They are all unique pieces, not only due to their custom-made frame but also their personalized components.

Bikes made here at Maison Tamboite are mainly intended for pleasure use in town or in the countryside. Each bike results from numerous exchanges between the customer and us at Maison Tamboite.

Hugo’s Custom Cyfac

Built in Reynolds 725 (one of the lightest series of Reynolds tubing with classic diameters), this custom Cyfac bike is a gift from my old work. While working there from 2009 to 2014 I lost my father suddenly on November 1, 2011. I remember the long taxi ride crossing France…

Despite the distance from my family, I decided to continue my apprenticeship at Cyfac. My boss at the time, Aymeric, and the team decided to surprise me with this frame, which explains all these signatures on the chainstay!

I chose silver paint color and little flag “Gwent ha Du” and hermine logo from my birthplace of Brittany.

The build is entirely in Mavic because, in the ’90s, this brand created great components such as seat post, bottom bracket, even chains. And don’t forget the famous Mektronic, which was the first electronic derailleur.

I took it out of the attic to roll it hard in Paris. Tt was made to my measurements, and the sloping geometry makes it easier to slip through, which is essential in the narrow streets of our capital city.

The original steel and non-drilled fork was so short that not even 700×25 tires fit. So, instead, I installed this carbon Colnago Flash that matches the stem and the monkey lite handlebars.

My friend Toshi – a specialist dealer in Japanese bicycle parts in Paris – gave me the 47-tooth chainring. It accompanies a specialty T.A. bottom bracket titanium axle with “shumino 75” crankset.

TIME Atac pedals never unclip, and skid (!), with vélosamba shoes. And the gravity zero front brake tops it off. It’s very useful every day.

Scroll through the gallery above for more images of Hugo’s workshop and some of the stunning bikes he’s made at Maison Tamboite…