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Less than three years ago, Samuel Lebouc had never ridden more than 10 km on a bike in one go. Today, he is one of the mainstays of the fastest peloton around the Longchamp ring, the famous Fast Pack, where he accumulated over 23,000 km in 2018 despite a fractured femur. And always on a fixed gear. A look back at the journey of Black Metal Rider, a Rock and Roll cyclist.
By Guillaume JUDAS – Photos: All rights reserved
Samuel Lebouc discovered cycling in a rather original way: « I live in Paris and I rarely used my car. One day it ended up in the impound lot. I decided to abandon it there and start cycling for my daily commutes. It was spring 2015. » This 34-year-old metalhead English teacher, who looks like a hipster, bearded, tattooed, and identifiable by his long braid, started with a Dutch bike, flat handlebars, and a large saddle. Practical, but not very fun. Very quickly, a friend told him about simpler, more minimalist machines. He thus discovered single speed bikes, similar to those used by bike messengers in big cities. « The sensations were immediately very different, he recalls, with this feeling of being one with the machine. Lighter, more maneuverable, fixed-gear bikes are very pleasant in traffic. I became passionate about the equipment, building several bikes with parts I bought here and there and then reselling them. But without changing my riding practice. »
Brutal
In early summer 2016, he heard about a fixed-gear race, a Crit’ as they say in the scene, which was to take place at the Cours Floral de Vincennes. He had four weeks to train and discovered the Longchamp circuit, its customs, and its small peloton of furious riders who, on some evenings, rode at an average of 45 km/h for an hour and a half, he who had never exceeded 10 km in a single outing and had stopped playing sports at 16. A real discovery. He progressed quickly, but not enough for the race. The shock was brutal, even more so than the few sessions he had shared within the Longchamp pelotons, whether fast or slow.
He wasn’t at the level, physically or technically. He was outmatched. « I didn’t get discouraged, though, and I took the bull by the horns. From that summer on, I started riding a lot, evolving my equipment, but always on a fixed gear. » Regularity and diligence paid off. He communicated, discussed, learned, and opened up to other riders. In a few months, he became one of the undisputed members of the Fast Pack (the fast peloton at Longchamp), which mixes training racers, triathletes, and a few fixed-gear enthusiasts. He could no longer imagine his life without cycling.
An opinion leader
At the beginning of 2017, he discovered Strava and began sharing his ride summaries and observing the activity of cyclists he encountered on the Parisian ring. Naturally communicative, he was interested in all forms of cycling, even if his own was a bit extreme. He even founded a club (Suicidal Urban Riders), where sports cycling enthusiasts from major cities around the world virtually rubbed shoulders.
His personality is as appealing as his original look, which makes him easily identifiable.
His personality is as appealing as his original look, which makes him easily identifiable. He gives his opinion on cycling fashion and quickly established himself as an opinion leader with his 1500 followers on the community site and the creation of club-branded outfits. Far from becoming radicalized, he opened up to other ways of cycling. « Fixed gear limits me to Longchamp, where I’ve ridden over 23,000 km this season, but I quickly want to discover other horizons, and that means cycling with a derailleur. I’ve ridden in the city, on the Longchamp ring, and even on the track in Vincennes. But I’m eager to discover the hills of the Chevreuse Valley or the Vexin, and later, why not take on an event like the Étape du Tour. I respect all practices, from cycle touring to pro races, including bike messengers in Paris. Cycling quickly teaches humility, because you can meet fifty-year-olds as well as 18-year-olds who have watts and make your legs hurt. For me, the main thing is to ride, and those who make sacrifices for it, in the evening in winter or in bad weather, are all remarkable. »
« Cycling quickly teaches humility, because you can meet fifty-year-olds as well as 18-year-olds who have watts and make your legs hurt. »
Just a parenthesis
Especially when you become aware of an environment that also requires a certain caution. While he has already hit the asphalt several times, due to his own carelessness or that of motorists, his last accident in September 2018 left him with a fractured femur. The beginning of several weeks of rehabilitation. « I see cycling as a life’s adventure. I have many other projects in this field. And my return to form will be just one more step, he affirms with conviction just a few days after the accident. » He got back on the saddle on November 1st on an indoor trainer, accumulating 1700 km in six weeks, before returning to the road and the Longchamp circuit shortly before mid-December. Eager to rejoin the peloton of brave riders who ride in the evening under the lights and to defend his hard-earned KOMs at Lonlon. Black Metal Rider is back!
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