“When you know what you want but no one else is making it, you have to do it yourself,” says Michael Moureček about what made him and Ondřej Novotný found Festka, a company focused on building premium road bikes. Since 2010, the Prague-based company has been investing in state-of-the-art technologies that have led to the creation of unique manufacturing processes that guarantee the production of unique carbon-fibre frame sets appreciated by thousands of bicycle fans around the world. In addition to producing high-end frames, Festka is also renowned for its bold graphic design, which is often created in collaboration with well-known artists. The winner will not only get a bike of exceptional quality but also a collector’s item whose price will grow over time.
The Festka ONE lies just one click away from becoming your next dream bike. The only thing you have to do is to sign up and win. “ONE is the ticket to the high-end bike segment. It has been developed by riders for riders. The frame is built in the Czech Republic from the best available carbon used in the aerospace industry with all parameters exceeding the demands of race cycling,” Festka co-founder Michal Moureček notes.
Why do bespoke bikes stand out among others? Performance and comfort are the main qualities riders expect from a bike, and the perfect frame gives you both. Custom bikes are similar to tailored suits in the way they fit the rider. The differences in mass-produced bicycles may seem minor at first, yet the millimetre custom fits give the rider an unparalleled experience. “The result of the process is a bicycle made with soul. It’s not a one-size-fits-all frame but one made specifically for the rider. We often state that our customers are too unique to ride just any bike,” Michael Moureček says.
Festka builds frames from tubes of woven carbon made by one of the world’s leading carbon fibre processors. The tubes are produced on sophisticated and fully automated machines, then hand-cut and glued directly together, with the joints further strengthened by lamination. Due to the process, Festka can adapt the size and geometry to any rider’s demands. “The only limitation is human anatomy,” says Michael Moureček who underlines that one could hardly find two identical Festka bikes out there.
Stress tests have proven that woven carbon tubes are resistant to age deterioration and they don’t suffer from fatigue under any intensity of use. Since the filaments are laid in a specific way, the final look resembles interwoven pieces of Farfalle pasta. The pattern is so elegant that some customers ask to leave the tubes unpainted while others opt for Festka signature details, a natural carbon-fibre finish on seatstays or chainstays.
Unlike nearly all carbon bike manufacturers, Festka does not use the monocoque technology where carbon-fibre fabric is arranged by hand in moulds and baked together with resin in an oven. “Festka goes in the opposite direction. We are investing in advanced technologies used, for example, in the aerospace industry. The automated processes are left to do most operations, and only if human hands can do a better job, we let our top experts do the work,” explains Michael Moureček.
The winner of the Tour de France contest will receive a one-of-a-kind frame in a unique design created to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Škoda’s sponsorship of the Tour de France. After the challenge results are announced, Festka will contact the winner to discuss the frame set parameters. Individual fitting is the preferred method. The winner can come to have it done at Festka or by a local fitter. Using the data provided, Festka engineers will prepare a blueprint with a geometry design. Alternatively, they can modify the geometry regarding other aesthetic preferences such as the angle of the sloping of the top tube.
The frame will take three months to make. “Regarding other components, we will happily assist with advice or refer them to our customer service. No matter if the winner will use his/her existing parts or buy new ones, we will make our best effort to assist in completing the rider’s dream bike,” Festka co-founder Michael Moureček says.
