Project 56 — Project 45’s Love at First Sight

Eric wasn’t there to buy a bike.
He’d come for dinner at Nicolas’s — Project 45. A meal, a conversation, a simple moment. And then that bike, just standing there. Not showy. Not demonstrative. Simply present. He looked at it for a long time.

A few days later, he came by the workshop.

Eric is an aesthete. He understands proportion. He notices lines. He perceives when something is right.
Arriving at Zafi, he didn’t expect this level of personalisation. He thought he’d choose a model. He discovered he could shape a piece. Discussions were no longer about the drivetrain or wheels, but about the details.

The ash line running along the top tube. The perfect symmetry of the wood around the bottom bracket. The ash-walnut laminate in the chainstays. The hollowed gilded logo…
Every element was considered, adjusted, approved. Not to impress. So that everything is coherent.

His intention was simple: to ride around his area. Go out at weekends with friends. Leave the tarmac when he feels like it. Not stop because the road turns to gravel. Not turn back when the path deteriorates.

A bike to explore his own territory.
Eric’s Zafi Roots was designed in this spirit: stability, comfort, versatility.
A Shimano GRX RX620 1×12 drivetrain for fluidity and simplicity. Ritchey WCS wheels, lightweight and reliable. A Ritchey Ergomax WCS handlebar for control and an open riding posture. A Selle Italia Evo Boost saddle for long rides without unnecessary tension. A Ritchey Gravel WCS fork for precision.