Nothing destined me to become a Brompton fan. And yet, after a full tour of the London headquarters, from the R&D centre to the assembly line, it is hard to look at this folding bike the same way. Here is what we found behind the scenes of an icon handmade in London for 50 years.

Why a folding bike is so complex

Will, Brompton’s CEO, opened the doors for us. First stop: the research and development centre, where everything is designed in London. There we discovered in-house tests that go well beyond the standards, and a Brompton literally covered in strain gauges.

Hand brazing, signed by the brazer

Next, the factory. Frames are brazed by hand, and each frame bears the name of the brazer who made it. The titanium frames are made at the Sheffield factory.

Paint, robots and traceability

After the brazing workshop come the paint shop and the assembly line, where every bolt tightening is recorded. Some of the machines used were designed by Brompton itself. The visit also tackles the question: why manufacture in London?

From Andrew Ritchie to today

The visit is a chance to look back at the story of Andrew Ritchie, the inventor, who came up with this bike in 1975 in his flat facing the Brompton Oratory. We also talk about Will Butler-Adams and his journey with Brompton, a bike that changes lives, how to evolve an icon, and what Brompton could look like in ten years.

Sustainability according to Brompton

To finish, a simple idea: for Brompton’s CEO, sustainability starts with a bike you keep for twenty years.

Thanks to Brompton France and Bromton Junction Paris for the loan of the P Line. Do you ride a Brompton? Let us know in the comments on YouTube. To stay up to date with our next reports, subscribe to the En Roue Libre newsletter (in French) and to the YouTube channel.

In downhill we talk about helmets, airbags and neck braces. We talk far less about what happens inside the skull. For Tony Seagrave, a concussion sensor should be compulsory in racing.

A concussion that changes everything

Tony Seagrave is the team manager of Orbea FMD Racing. His daughter Tahnée went through a concussion that cost her a season, and a lot more than that. Since then he has paid out of his own pocket to understand it. He has tested the sensors sold to riders, and he says plainly that some of them do not do what they claim.

The answer came from rugby

He found his answer in rugby, through the supplier of the mouthguards used in the Six Nations. For two years, Tahnée has been riding with a retainer fitted with a chip. It sits against her teeth, so against her skull, and records every impact above a certain number of G, on a race run as much as on a practice lap.

Why it is not yet the case

For Tony, that device should be compulsory in racing. He also explains why it is not, yet, and tells you what nobody sees from the outside when a rider comes back from a concussion.

Chapters: 00:00 Tahnée’s concussion · 01:36 Sensors that do not deliver · 02:17 What rugby had already solved · 03:35 A connected retainer · 05:51 It should be compulsory · 08:01 You don’t see a brain break

This clip comes from the full episode with Tony Seagrave: https://youtu.be/GVx7mRN0T6A. And you? Do you think a concussion sensor should be compulsory in racing? Tell us in the comments.

Find every episode on the En Roue Libre podcast, on Spotify, and subscribe to the YouTube channel, Instagram and the En Roue Libre newsletter (in French).

Making a world champion win isn’t about giving her a faster bike. Cédric Ravanel, team manager of Commençal Schwalbe by Les Orres, the team Vali Höll joined for 2026, explains his method.

We met him in Les Gets, the day before the World Cup. Twenty-two years ago, he was cross-country world vice-champion on that very same mountain, finishing with a helmet split in two. Before that, he had never chosen cycling: his surgeon prescribed it after he broke both knees skiing.

A downhill World Cup team, run as a family

Today, Cédric Ravanel runs a downhill World Cup team with his wife Cécile, who is its performance director. They have supported Vali Höll for six years, well before she wore their colours.

What a champion changes within a team

Over the conversation, we cover the staff that had to be added, the 200 square metres (about 2,150 sq ft) set aside for the riders where other teams give that space to mechanics, and a full week of tyre testing in Italy and France. There is also the behind-the-scenes work that pays off on race day, the rivalry with the other Commençal team, Riding Addiction, where he says plainly that he is there to be in front, and what you do with a very good athlete who needs to be held back rather than pushed.

He keeps scouting young riders all over the world and personally coaches Sacha within team 101.

And you, what do you think makes the difference in a team: equipment, training or mindset? Tell us in the comments.

This episode is supported by SFG, which created Protect Bike, a French bike insurance covering theft, breakage, crashes and damage (sfg.fr), and by Emerald Stay, official accommodation provider of the Les Gets World Cup, in one of whose apartments the episode was recorded (emeraldstay.com). To stay up to date, subscribe to the En Roue Libre newsletter (in French).

Downhill has never been this fast, and for Tony Seagrave, safety is not keeping up. The team manager of Orbea FMD Racing, a team built from nothing around a single rider, his daughter, sat down at the En Roue Libre mic.

I met Tony Seagrave in Les Gets, the day before the World Cup, in an apartment lent by Emerald Stay. I wanted to understand how a football coach ends up running one of the biggest set-ups in the paddock, and what you learn when your own daughter is kept away from racing.

Speed, tracks and safety

The conversation covers tracks that have become too straight, helmets getting bigger and airbags. Tony Seagrave talks about what he calls the bubble wrap around the riders, and about the role of television, the UCI and the Formula 1 model in the sport’s evolution.

Concussions, sensors and the connected mouthguard

He discusses the connected mouthguard he paid for out of his own pocket, which he believes should be compulsory in racing. He also calls out some sensors on the market that do not do what they claim.

Orbea, Subaru and talent spotting

The talk also covers Subaru and Orbea, style, speed suits, neck braces and the wind tunnel, and a football that costs 15 pounds when a bike costs a hundred times more. Tony Seagrave keeps running development camps and is now looking for kids who do not own a bike yet. He would also like Tahnée to come and tell her side of it, on the mic.

And you, should a concussion sensor be compulsory in racing? Tell us in the comments under the YouTube video.

This episode is supported by SFG (Protect Bike, bike insurance) and Emerald Stay (official accommodation supplier of the Les Gets World Cup). To keep up, subscribe to the En Roue Libre newsletter (in French). You can also find the podcast on Spotify and on the site.

In this En Roue Libre podcast excerpt, Julien Meunier looks back on the stair gap where he crashed heavily.

A crash told by Julien Meunier

This excerpt comes from episode #102, about Julien Meunier, 24 Bicycles and the birth of street MTB. The rider recounts the crash he had on a stair gap in Québec. The passage starts at 43:33 in the full episode.

The full episode is available: find it on the En Roue Libre podcast, on Spotify and on YouTube.

This episode is supported by SFG, the bike insurer partner of En Roue Libre. To stay up to date, subscribe to the En Roue Libre newsletter (in French).

In the early 2000s, a brand put downhill riders on small bikes and sent them into cities to meet local riders and their spots. It was called 24 Bicycles, and it was one of mountain biking’s first adventures outside competition. Julien Meunier, known as Moon, was one of its riders.

It all started with a video of his crash in Canada, reposted by Nitro Circus without anyone knowing who the rider was. In this episode of the En Roue Libre podcast, Antoine Taillefer wanted to give him his story back.

From downhill to street

Julien talks about his beginnings in the wake of his older brother Laurent, his downhill career up to the French national team, and the day he gave it all up for street riding. You will also hear about the tours, the team spirit and the spots that locals had never looked at that way.

Big gaps, from Bercy to Canada

The conversation goes back over the big gaps, from Bercy to Canada, and why, according to Julien, the bigger it is, the easier it gets.

And then?

Then comes the after: the BE (French coaching diploma), discovering he is a gifted teacher, coaching focused on enjoyment rather than performance, a plot of land to develop in Auvergne, and a project mixing bikes, code and Twitch. The episode also explains why his shoe sponsor recruited him at the Futuroscope.

Find all episodes on the podcast page, or listen on Spotify.

This episode is supported by SFG, a bike insurer and partner of En Roue Libre: its ProtectBike insurance covers theft, breakage and damage, with a competition option for road, MTB and gravel (discover ProtectBike). To stay in the loop, subscribe to the En Roue Libre newsletter (in French).

Canyon’s do-it-all electric mountain bike, the Spectral:ON, gets a new frame and a new motor: the Shimano EP8 makes way for the DJI Avinox M2S. A first ride on the Spectral:ON CF 9.

An all-round e-MTB, between the Strive and the Neuron

The Spectral:ON sits between the Strive, built for enduro, and the Neuron. This new version gets a new frame and, above all, a new motor. A few weeks ago, En Roue Libre presented the EP8 version, whose 85 Nm seemed sufficient. The question here: what difference do 150 Nm make on a bike that was already a favorite?

The CF 9 build and the Avinox M2S motor

The video presents the new frame, the CF 9 build and the motor, then heads out riding: technical climbs, switchbacks and more playful sections. The M2S is rated at 130 Nm and 1,300 W peak, with a Boost mode at 150 Nm and 1,500 W, paired with a 700 Wh battery.

• Suspension: Fox 36 Factory fork, Fox Factory shock
• Wheels: DT Swiss carbon, mullet setup (the frame also accepts a 29-inch rear wheel)
• Drivetrain: SRAM XO, 160 mm cranks
• Brakes: SRAM Maven
• Rear triangle specific to each size
• Price: €6,999

On the trail: climbing, technical sections and grip

The video covers the first laps in Trail mode, how the bike climbs, the comparison between Shimano EP8 and Avinox, a technical section with the 160 mm cranks, then grip and the bike’s playful side.

First impressions, and who it is for

This is a first ride, not a long-term test. A more complete test will follow if the opportunity arises. The video ends with a verdict, then a discussion of who the bike is for and its price.

Video in French. Duration: 20 min 44.

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The first En Roue Libre episode dates back to February 2023: a video call recorded and posted on YouTube under the name “podcast”. One hundred episodes later, Antoine Taillefer takes stock with you: where En Roue Libre stands today, what he would like it to become, and why your opinion matters.

No longer just a podcast

Since its early days, En Roue Libre has become much more than a podcast: factory visits, reports, reviews, short formats on social media, and conversations with personalities Antoine Taillefer never imagined he would host.

En Roue Libre in numbers

As of 3 October 2026, En Roue Libre has 166,000 followers across all platforms:

• Facebook: 58,000
• Instagram: 56,000
• YouTube: 22,000
• LinkedIn: 16,000
• audio platforms: 8,000 to 10,000
• TikTok: 4,500

Videos filmed at trade shows have totalled 53.2 million views, more than ten of them passing the million mark. The YouTube channel has racked up 103,000 hours of watch time in 2026.

Tomorrow: a media outlet rather than a format

The ambition is to turn En Roue Libre into a media outlet rather than a format, possibly with tutorials, one episode a week in 2027 and other creators working alongside Antoine Taillefer. The episode also explains why some episodes are in English, and what dubbing them into French involves.

Your opinion matters: the survey

Because all of this is done with you, En Roue Libre is launching a survey to understand what you like, what you like less, and how this content affects your riding. It takes 10 to 15 minutes and will help shape what comes next: take the survey.

Standout episodes and what’s coming next

This year’s standout episodes include those with Mike Sinyard and Benoît Coulanges. Upcoming guests:

• Sam Hill and his manager, recorded in Les Gets during the World Cup;
• Bernard Kerr;
• Tony Seagrave, manager of the Orbea FMD team and father of Tahnée and Kade;
• Cédric Ravanel;
• Rémi Thirion.

The episode ends with a meet-up at the Roc d’Azur and some more personal topics: ADHD, one year on, and Burning Man.

Create with En Roue Libre

En Roue Libre is looking for content creators and freelancers, in video or in writing: reviews, reports, trade shows, events. If this interests you, get in touch.

Thank you for being here, for your loyalty and for all your messages. To keep up with what comes next, subscribe to the En Roue Libre newsletter (in French).

“L’enduro va mal.” (“Enduro is in a bad way.”) The phrase has been going round since the world circuit was scaled back. Alex Balaud disagrees, and he is well placed to talk about it: since 2017, he has organised the Enduro Series, which hosts the French Enduro Cup.

A two-speed discipline

His view: at world level, the discipline is struggling. In France, there have never been so many races, with more official teams in the French Cup than in the World Cup. The episode looks at this gap, at what enduro really brings to a region, and at what it would take to give it media coverage.

Thirty years of mountain biking

Alex Balaud retraces his path: his beginnings in 1988, when cross-country and downhill were ridden on the same bike, Team Sunn, the glacier starts of the Mégavalanche. Then the first Tribe 10000 in 2003, and the first Enduro Series circuit, which he won in 2005. Alongside this, twenty years at the Comité Haute-Savoie, between coaching, UCI technical delegation and the French team.

Behind the scenes of an organiser

Fifteen to twenty kilometres of course tape per stage, marking that starts on Monday for a race at the weekend, branches cut and chicanes added to avoid a rescue: Alex Balaud explains how a race is prepared and the place of safety.

E-bikes, the touchy subject

The episode ends on electric-assisted enduro: Power Stages, the UCI’s approval of motors at 750 watts, the power race started by motors peaking at 1,500 watts, and the risk of e-bikes being lumped in with motorbikes, and then trails being closed.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
02:25 How is enduro doing? World level versus national level
07:21 Can enduro gain media coverage and turn professional?
12:07 The early days: mountain biking in ’88, cross-country and downhill
16:28 Team Sunn and the start of his pro career
19:24 Métabief 1993: a puncture 300 m from the line
22:02 Marathon downhill: the Méga and the Mountain of Hell
28:17 2003, the first Tribe 10000: the birth of the Enduro Series
32:21 The original enduro format
33:45 From racer to course designer
36:03 Comité Haute-Savoie, UCI technical delegate, the Les Gets Worlds
39:04 Coaching the French team: video as a weapon
40:47 Taking over the Enduro Series and creating MTB Events
43:05 Moving under the FFC label
44:38 How to keep the spirit of enduro
47:13 Enduro when you’re not a racer
53:11 Organising a race: course tape, a real science
57:24 Safety: fall zones, mattresses, chicanes
1:04:25 E-bikes in enduro: how legitimate?
1:07:46 Power Stages: designing a stage for e-bikes
1:13:44 Fairness: approving motors at 750 watts
1:18:27 Batteries: race strategies
1:22:56 Why the e-enduro World Cup stopped
1:24:17 Creating a European e-bike series
1:28:21 E-bike potential revealed by racing
1:31:05 The power race: the risk of being lumped in with motorbikes
1:38:14 Enduro and e-bikes have a future
1:39:40 Closing words: the magic of cycling

Find out more: Enduro Series — French MTB and e-MTB Cup.

Thanks to Alex for his time and his frankness, especially on e-bikes. To make sure you don’t miss an episode, subscribe to the En Roue Libre newsletter (in French).

Key facts

The OutPace is a 15 kg compact rack that mounts on the tow ball and carries two bikes of up to 18 kg each. The wheel straps take tyres up to 3 inches, and a key locks the rack to the tow ball against theft.

Installation: a little slower, no harder

The first difference from the Epos: instead of a lever, you turn a knob to tighten and adjust the clamp on the tow ball. It takes slightly longer, but it isn’t a real constraint. Tilting is done by pulling a strap, an indicator shows whether the rack is secured, and the frame holders use the same strap-and-rotating-head system as the Epos.

Loading: pedals on, one bike at a time

Answering questions left under the Epos video: you can load bikes with their pedals on, and load or unload each bike independently, front or rear. The arms open on both sides, which frees up access to take out the rear bike without touching the other one. Finding the right head angle takes a bit longer than on the Epos, which offers more range of movement, but once set, the bikes are held firmly.

Its real strength: storage

The OutPace folds on both sides and can also tilt up against the car when parked. It is even more compact than the Epos. If you live in a flat with no cellar or bike room, you can carry it inside and store it in a cupboard or under a bed — or simply leave it on the car between rides. For Antoine, that’s its number one advantage.

Limits to keep in mind

Maximum load is 18 kg per bike. For an e-bike, removing the battery may not be enough: check the actual weight and the manufacturer’s compatibility conditions. Antoine also couldn’t confirm whether the straps are steel-reinforced like the Epos’s — worth checking before you buy.

The verdict

Cheaper doesn’t mean less practical — at least not as much as Antoine feared. Once you’ve used an Epos, it’s hard to go back. But if you’ve never owned one, the OutPace is a clever, light and compact rack. Slightly less convenient than its big brother? Antoine’s words: that’s nitpicking.

Video in French. Don’t miss a review — subscribe to the En Roue Libre newsletter.