Bucefal Cycles Industries: French-Made High-End Mountain Bike Innovation

Dominique Luce, manager of Bucefal Cycles Industries, and Carole Delga, president of the Occitanie Region, on April 18, 2024, during the opening of the factory opened by the SME in Ponlat-Taillebourg, south of Haute-Garonne (© Occitanie Region – Léo Archangeli).

And if the future French mountain bike play at the gates of the Pyrenees, Ponlat-Tillebourg, near Montréjeau? The company is in the area of ​​activity of this association in the south of Haute-Garonne Bucefal Cycling Industries it has a 2,000 m2 production unit, including a factory store. It is in these buildings that were inaugurated on April 18, 2024 in the presence of Carole Delga, president of the Occitanie Department, that the company, founded in 2020, will design and assemble the six models of high enduro mountain bikes, made in France.

At the end, Dominique Luce, was an engineer who worked in the space, medical, military and automotive fields for 20 years. This is not his first entrepreneurial adventure. In 2004 in Toulouse, he created his first company in the automotive sector, which he has since sold. “After fifty, I wanted to devote myself to my passion: cycling”, identifying the business manager. The latter has been riding for almost 40 years and has followed all technical developments. “I was able to see a number of fake tracks related mainly to fashion or marketing effects rather than to a real mechanical need. » And to add:

The efficiency of the bike is essential. This happens mainly through the frame and the wheels. Hence the idea to launch my own brand. »

Manufacturing secret

The young company financed his R&D special thanks to him subsidies received from the Department, Community of Communes Cœur & Coteaux du Comminges and the Department, ie 157 K€. But in total, the independent SME has invested more than €3 million in the development of its brand. “At first, we wanted to develop so-called classic muscle bikes, and we switched to electric bikes. However, the Covid crisis hampered our strategy as we no longer received electronic components. We then chose to return to our first idea. »

The former engineer accepted the challenge to propose High mountain bike. “For the manufacture of our bikes, we use high quality carbon, made by Hexcel, one of the world leaders, according to aviation criteria. It is five times stronger for the same mass than aluminum and five times more resistant to shock. » And the person concerned continues:

Our process also relies on the use of aircraft expansion wax, which allows our frames to better withstand impact pressure. Our mountain bikes are the only ones in the world that use this expanding wax technology. »

Attacking the international market

The brand emphasizes it made in France. “For the frame, apart from the carbon that comes from the USA and Valencia, the rest comes 90% from France. The assembly is done in our building. For tires, more than 99% also come from France. As for other components such as the suspension or accessories such as the saddle, they come from Europe, Taiwan and Sweden. I prioritize quality above all else.”specifies the manager.

These high-quality productions quickly won over professionals. Bucefal bicycles ride successfully competition from September 2022 and four Elite drivers have been ambassadors of the brand since 2023.

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The Haut-Garonne manufacturer aims to produce 350 bikes per year. “For now we are far from it. We would already like to reach around a hundred bikes per year and therefore increase our team from two to around ten people.”, adds Dominique Luce. The small company also plans to attack the International market. It first targets French countries, then the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain and New Zealand.

In the meantime, Bucefal Cycles Industries will be present at the Vélo Vert Festival, the big mountain bike event at the end of May in Samoëns, in Haute-Savoie, to present their expertise. The company is part of the collection of Vélo Vallée like 70 other companies, representing more than 1,000 workers throughout the Occitanie region.