THESE BIKES ARE FOR RIDING
The three limited edition bikes we made to celebrate our 10th birthday (please see our earlier journal posts) were certainly not made for display. Never mind the black and 24 carat gold livery - they are full blooded Festkas made for riding. And that's what we did with them. And not just anywhere!
It so happens that Michael Moureček, one of Festka's two founders, comes from the same town where CompoTech, the manufacturer of the carbon tubes our bikes are built with, is based. And Sušice, as the town is called, is not just any old town. It is the gateway into one of the most beautiful natural parks in the country. It lies in southwestern Bohemia where the Czech Republic borders on Germany and it has everything – deep forests, beautiful lakes, wild rivers, mountains, castles, twee villages and historic towns.
Taking the bikes to CompoTech – their partial birthplace – for a photoshoot became a rare opportunity for the company's engineers and designers to see the final product in full kit as what they usually get are naked frames they smash, twist or crunch in tests.
With the weather being quite reasonable – cold and grey but at least dry, Michael and Ondřej Novotný, the other Festka founder, were itching to get in the saddle as the day progressed. It is hard to decide where to go in Šumava since there are so many beautiful roads to ride but in the end it was the limited time available due to the days being still rather short and the need to record the ride for posterity that dictated the locations.
At the time of writing this, the ten anniversary edition Scalatores are all sold. There are still some Dopplers and Rovers available but the numbers are dwindling. If you are considering buying one of these rare steeds, do not hesitate any further!
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