Concours de Machines 2026
Lieu : Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne (Savoie)
Dates : September 23-27, 2026
The Galibier, the Maurienne, and the pioneering spirit
A land steeped in cycling history, the Maurienne is the perfect setting for this new edition of the Concours de Machines. The Col du Galibier, a giant of the Alps and a cycling legend, is not only a place of great feats. For many years, it was the playground of the Cyclos Muletiers, passionate mountain biking pioneers who crisscrossed its slopes with rudimentary machines and remarkable resourcefulness. Their legacy resonates fully with the spirit of the Concours : inventiveness, simplicity, tenacity, and the pure joy of riding and pushing one's limits.
The 2026 edition of the Concours de Machines has set itself an ambitious challenge :
The goal is to demonstrate that a single bike can serve multiple purposes—road, travel, all-road, bikepacking, gravel—thanks to simple, quick, and ingenious transformations.
This edition seeks to encourage a reasonable, responsible, and inventive vision of cycling, bucking the trend toward multiple machines and hyper-specialization. The competition invites artisans to demonstrate that a single, ingeniously designed machine can offer performance on the road, agility on trails, and reliability for travel—without sacrificing elegance or efficiency.
THEME OF THIS EDITION : Multifunctionality and Simplicity
Craftspeople are invited to design a bicycle that is:
Fast and efficient on the road,
Fun, robust, and ready for off-road adventures,
Transformable in less than 20 minutes,
The transformation is completely OPEN. It could take the form of:
Fast and efficient on the road,
adaptable suspension,
an upgradeable cockpit,
adjustable ergonomics,
or any other innovative solution that gives the bike multiple personalities.
The central challenge : replacing several bikes with a single, reliable, well-designed, and understated model.
Why accumulate several bikes when craftsmanship can create a unique, transformable machine?
The transformation phase will be a major criterion for the Jury.
It will be subject to a timed test halfway through the competition. The change must be able to be carried out:
by the driver,
by a member of the jury,
or by the Technical Commission.
Maximum time: 20 minutes
Exceeding this time limit will exclude the machine from the main podium, while still allowing access to other prizes.
The processing equipment will be transported by cargo bikes.
TRANSFORMATION : a decisive timed trial
ACCESSIBILITY and INCLUSION : A Historic First
For the first time in its history, the Concours de Machines—in collaboration with the French Handisport Federation (FFH)—is placing accessibility at the heart of its specifications. The goal is clear: to advance inclusivity through design, encouraging simple, robust, and intelligent solutions that make cycling easier for people with disabilities.
The bike must include a device that allows the panniers to be unclipped with one hand. Far from being a limitation, this constraint becomes a real opportunity for innovation.
This innovation must be the result of genuine collaboration between the frame builder and the luggage craftsman, and will be eligible for a dedicated award.
This opening marks an important step: showing that handcrafted bicycles can also contribute to democratizing cycling, making it fairer and more accessible. It also puts the profession back at the forefront of real innovation in cycle touring: the raison d'être of the Concours when it was created.
Other possible and non-mandatory adaptations (FFH list):
Adapted hydration system for a person with hemiplegia who cannot let go of the handlebars,
Device to facilitate balance when stationary, when one of the legs is not fully functional,
System for indicating direction when only one arm is available,
Adjustment of steering hardness or sensitivity (same when only one arm is functional), particularly depending on speed,
Adjustment of steering hardness or sensitivity (same when only one arm is functional), particularly depending on speed,
Ergonomic solutions, mechanical aids, cockpit adjustments, etc.
Technical specifications and mandatory equipment
A frame and fork
Handlebars with stem or equivalent system
Maximum bike weight : 8.8 kg in its road version
A saddle with a frame attachment system, making it independent and adjustable
Two wheels with rims, hubs, and wheel locking system
A drive system with crankset and cranks
Independent front and rear braking system
A puncture repair kit
Road tire section: 32 mm maximum
Trail tire section: 40 mm minimum
Luggage space large enough to store overnight gear and food for the next morning (at the discretion of the candidate)
Tools: on-board tool kit
Accessibility: one-handed bag attachment device for people with disabilities
Front and rear lights
The 2026 edition focuses on :
simplicity,
reducing unnecessary parts,
the environmental impact of materials,
repairability,
durability,
intermodality.
THE RIDE
The Concours ride will start on Friday morning from Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne, with a first major challenge : the climb up the Col du Galibier via the Col du Télégraphe, a 34.8 km climb with a total elevation gain of 2,085 m.
As is tradition, this climb will be timed and the Best Climber Award will be presented.
The machines will be in their road-performance configuration without luggage for this first part of the route.
At the summit of this legendary climb, the route continues to the transformation point, where the contestants will have to adapt their machines to tackle the off-road section of the route.
The bikes will be transformed in less than 20 minutes. They will switch from their road performance mode to their adventure mode with their luggage.
This part of the route will take them to a mountain bivouac, where they are expected to arrive at the end of the day.
The return journey, scheduled for Saturday morning, will be mainly downhill, allowing participants to return to the valley after this varied and demanding route.
A portion of this return trip will be timed, and the prize for the Best descender will be awarded.
All candidates must be back in Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne before 11 a.m., marking the end of the course and the start of the final evaluation phase for the bikes.
The machines will be tested on a section of the course by local cyclists, who will try them out in one or other of the configurations. Their impressions, based on their intimate knowledge of the terrain, will be included in the final evaluation. The machines may also be tested in their various configurations by members of the Jury and the Technical Commission at any time during the Competition (except during timed sections).
Application requirements and
pre-selection procedure
Both professional and non-professional applications are accepted, subject to signing and complying with all the terms and conditions of the Concours available on the Association des Artisans du Cycle website.
The Concours is open to french people and foreigners.
Pre-selection
The Concours de Machines welcomes up to 20 candidates, with a margin of ± 20% to accommodate the number of applications received. Each project must meet the requirements of the specifications. To be eligible, the machine must meet at least 80% of the mandatory criteria : this is an essential condition for reaching the final selection.
Pre-selection is carried out by a committee appointed by the AAC, composed solely of members who are not candidates in the Concours.
Five weeks after the theme is announced, candidates must present their project in the form of a pitch, either written or on video, clearly explaining the concept behind the machine. This pitch must be sent to the Association des Artisans du Cycle by email, WeTransfer, or any other means chosen by the candidate.
DEADLINE for submissions : January 04th, 2026
Composition of the pre-selection committee :
one or more craftsmen,
a bicycle technician,
a member of the Concours organization,
one or more supporting members,
a member of the Board of Directors.
This committee guarantees a neutral, expert, and consistent evaluation, ensuring that each machine selected reflects the spirit and requirements of the Concours specifications.
CONCOURS OFF : Handcrafted cargo bikes, the unexpected explorers
Another notable new feature : cargo bikes will take part in the Concours OFF, with their own mini specifications and their own podium. The aim is to demonstrate that a cargo bike is not just an urban or utility bike, but a machine capable of exploring unexpected terrain, reaching demanding or narrow places—such as a one-meter-wide Himalayan footbridge—and incorporating ingenious systems for transporting fragile loads: eggs, glass bottles, or any other delicate items.
This participation symbolizes a strong conviction : the cargo bike is a tool of the future, versatile, sustainable, modular, and capable of playing a major role in contexts where it is not expected.
Cargo bikes will have to follow their own route to transport the equipment needed to transform the candidates' machines. They will also have to collect food supplies for the Friday evening camp by visiting various farms in the valley. These cargo bikes will showcase the agricultural, human, and scenic wealth of the Maurienne region, while embodying a respectful, consistent, and deeply rooted approach to logistics.
Specifications for cargo bikes
The cargo bike will have ingenious and easy-to-use technical features for:
Transporting fragile food items without breaking them: eggs, glass bottles, etc.
Riding on all types of terrain: roads and trails
Accessing narrow footbridges
Having good electric range if the bike is equipped with electric assistance
Have a specific feature related to adaptability for people with disabilities, for the rider or a passenger (choice of criteria is open)
Weigh no more than 27 kg (including battery and motor if the cargo bike is equipped with one)
Load excluding rider: minimum 70 kg and maximum 120 kg
1 rider measuring between 1.60 m and 1.90 m
Ensure the stability of the cargo bike during maneuvers on foot and at low speed
All types of cargo bikes are accepted. Trailers are accepted if they are self-supporting and equipped with a braking system.
Free electric charging points will be available along the cargo bike route.
A podium for this Concours OFF will be announced during the Machine Competition awards ceremony on Saturday, September 26.
More info soon !
This edition marks a major turning point in the history of the Concours. Firstly, through its commitment to accessibility and inclusion, supported for the first time by close collaboration with the French Handisport Federation. Secondly, through the prominence given to cargo bikes, which are key players in this collective adventure. Their role is no longer limited to logistics. They are taking part in the Concours OFF to prove, by example, that cargo bikes can become unexpected explorers.
For the 2026 edition, the Concours is also making significant changes to its evaluation method : there will be no scoring system.
Previous editions have shown the limitations of overly complex scoring systems, which are often misunderstood and misinterpreted by both candidates and the public, and sometimes stray from the very spirit of the Competition. In order to return to a more accurate, clearer assessment that is more faithful to the theme and specifications, we are doing away with scores, multiplier coefficients, bonuses/penalties, and other endless tables. No more boxes to tick : participants will be required to bring to life a state of mind nourished by the essential values of craftsmanship.
The jury, working closely with the Technical Commission, will evaluate the machines based on communication, listening, intention, and consistency. People are back in the driver's seat—not math.
Finally, the competition celebrates transformation as the heart of the project. The timed challenge highlights each machine's ability to reinvent itself.
One bike, multiple personalities: this is the technical, philosophical, and ecological challenge that the artisans are taking on. This metamorphosis, designed to be simple, quick, and accessible, becomes a powerful symbol of a bike that is resolutely turned toward the future.
Through these commitments—sobriety, inclusivity, modularity, promotion of the region, collaboration between artisans—the 2026 Machine Competition affirms a clear ambition: to shape today the cycling solutions of tomorrow that are fairer, more ingenious, and more sustainable.
Copyright Photos : Thibaut BLAIS - A.Pernet - Maurienne Galibier Tourisme -