Robin and his Sunn Roader

Man and machine are often one. Whether it’s a crush or a financial constraint, a production bike or a custom build, every rider, every triathlete has very personal reasons for choosing one bike over another. In this section, we give you the opportunity to explain the reasons for your choice and what you appreciate once you’re on your steed. Today, we meet Robin Galy, 32, at the handlebars of his 1997 Sunn Roader.

By Pierre-Maxime BRANCHE. Photos: 3bikes.fr

On his 1997 Sunn Roader, Robin, a ski instructor in winter and a lifeguard in summer, has just climbed the Foix Prat d’Albis. The very same climb where Frenchman Thibaut Pinot blew up the Tour de France favorites’ peloton, including future Colombian winner Egan Bernal, and finished 2nd behind Englishman Simon Yates, the day after his victory at the Tourmalet.
This is not the only Pyrenean summit that this Ariège native has added to his list of achievements with his old bike. He could also describe his ascents of the Col de Port, the Col de Péguère, or even the Port de Pailhères, which made him suffer so much 17 years ago, already at the handlebars of his Roader. “My father bought it for me at the Varilhes bike exchange, between Pamiers and Foix, in 2002, to start cycling. I was 15 and I joined the Laroque-d’Olmes club with him,” he recalls.

Like clockwork

Even if he doesn’t compete, Robin enjoys riding many kilometers and going on outings. “I also used to ride mountain bikes at that time. I would go out on weekends, I liked doing long rides, alone or in a group. Then I stopped riding around age 18 when I started my medical studies.” In recent years, Robin has returned to cycling and his Sunn. “I’ve always loved this bike! Its steel frame, its style, its reliability… if you maintain it a minimum, it runs like clockwork. It doesn’t budge. I love it, but it also depends on the road, whether it’s uphill or downhill… When the asphalt goes up, you really have to push, it’s very hard. On the other hand, on the flat and downhill, it’s perfect,” he says.

Having the legs

You don’t just leave your first bike behind. Even if it’s no longer original and some more modern components have been added, Robin remains very attached to his old-school two-wheeler. Change for a more efficient and less demanding ride? Why not. But his Sunn Roader wouldn’t go far. “Of course, today’s bikes sometimes make me want one. Van Rysel, for example, they look great. Or I keep mine, but I have to set it up differently, with adapted chainrings. With my triple 52-42-30, it won’t work. I would need a compact 50-34 and an 11-30 cassette. Here, it’s uphill everywhere. Going towards Pamiers, you can have some flat, but around Foix, you have the climbs of Roquefixade, Montségur, Prat d’Albis, the Col des Marrous, etc. If you don’t have the legs, it becomes too hard!” A change of gearing and presto, Robin’s Sunn Roader will gobble up many more kilometers.

=> SEE ALSO: All our Mag articles