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Draft:Festka

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Festka
TypePrivate limited company (s.r.o.)
IndustryBicycle manufacturing
Founded2010 (2010)
FoundersMichael Moureček, Ondřej Novotný
Headquarters
Prague
,
Czech Republic
ProductsCustom carbon and titanium-carbon road and gravel bicycle frames
Websitewww.festka.com

Festka is a Czech bicycle manufacturer based in Prague. It specialises in handmade road and gravel frames built from carbon fibre composite and from a combination of titanium and carbon, made to measure for individual customers. The company was founded in 2010 by former racing cyclist Michael Moureček and Ondřej Novotný.[1][2] About 90 per cent of its production is exported, mainly to Asia and the United States.[2][3]

Name

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Festka is Czech cycling slang for a track bike or fixed-gear bicycle (fixie). The company initially built steel fixed-gear and single-speed bikes before shifting its focus to road bicycles.[1][2][4]

History

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Michael Moureček raced on the track and on the road. As a junior he won a bronze medal at the junior track world championships, competed in the Peace Race and rode for Dukla and for Italian teams.[5][2] He has said he founded Festka because he could not find a custom bicycle on the market that met his expectations.[2] The company started out in a garage in Prague's Jižní Město district.[5]

Festka built its first carbon frame using tube-to-tube construction in 2011. In 2012 it introduced a stainless steel frame and exhibited for the first time at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS).[6][7] In 2013 it launched the Zero, a lugged carbon frame, and opened a workshop in Prague.[6] The Doppler model, introduced in 2015, combined titanium tubes with carbon lamination.[6]

The company took part in the European Space Agency's business incubator ESA BIC Prague and worked with ESA experts on the lightweight Scalatore frame, released in 2018.[8][3][9] Gravel models followed: the Rover (2019), the Scout (2021) and the Spectre Gravel (2024).[6][10] In 2021 Festka reported that it had produced 267 frames and bicycles, 176 of them custom-made, with revenue of just over CZK 30 million.[11]

After the COVID-19 pandemic the company abandoned plans for series production and remained a custom and small-batch manufacturer.[2] In February 2026 it opened its first single-brand store, in Dongguan, China.[2] It presented the Machina Road model at the Bespoked handmade bicycle show in Dresden in 2026.[12]

Manufacturing and materials

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Festka's carbon tubes are produced by robotic filament winding at CompoTech in Sušice, Czech Republic. In the Prague workshop the tubes are mitred, assembled in a jig and joined by hand lamination (tube-to-tube construction); painting is done by paint shops in Jeseník and Milevsko.[2][10][13] The method allows carbon frames to be built in any size and geometry, in a way similar to steel frames.[6]

The frames are designed to be repairable, with individual tubes replaceable after damage.[6][12] The company says it uses conservative frame shapes and designs frames for a service life of at least twenty years.[2] Besides carbon frames it offers the titanium-carbon Doppler range; it previously also produced steel frames.[6][13]

The Prague workshop produces two to three hundred frames a year.[2] The Machina Road, the company's entry model for custom road bikes, is offered as a complete bike from about €10,000.[14][12]

Research, development and testing

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CompoTech

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Festka's carbon tubes are made by CompoTech, a company in Sušice founded in 1995 by Ondřej Uher and Vít Šprdlík that specialises in composite parts produced by filament winding.[15] CompoTech not only manufactures the tubes but also designs their structure to the requirements of each frame.[16] The carbon fibre is wound onto a steel mandrel at pre-calculated angles and impregnated with resin as it goes; because the fibre is continuous, a frame needs fewer layers and is lighter.[17][18] The two companies also developed frame tubing together under the EM Tubes name.[19]

Czech Technical University

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Festka works with the Department of Mechanics, Biomechanics and Mechatronics at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Czech Technical University in Prague, led by Professor Milan Růžička, on optimising frames made from high-modulus carbon fibre. In an experimental analysis a frame was fitted with more than 60 resistance strain gauges, and optical fibres with fiber Bragg grating sensors were wound into the joints to measure local stress.[20] Laboratory and on-road measurements produced a mathematical model of the frame, accounting for fibre content, resin ratio and fibre direction in every layer, and provided the basis for Festka's own test rig.[20][21] Frames are tested in a test laboratory and on the velodrome; some tests were carried out by an independent German laboratory.[18][19] According to Moureček, more than a hundred frame joints are broken in testing each year, with fractures recorded by sensitive microphones.[21]

European Space Agency

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Festka was among the first companies in the ESA BIC Prague incubator, opened in May 2016 to support the use of space technology in other industries.[22][8] The cooperation focused on graphite (high-modulus carbon) fibres originally developed for the space programme; they are also used for satellite structures, which must survive launch loads without cracking, much as a bicycle frame must withstand a rider's loads.[21][8] Festka also supplied new, used and crash-damaged frames to a research project adapting sensors originally designed for satellites to detect flaws in carbon structures, with a view to inspecting aircraft.[21] Development with ESA experts produced the lightweight Scalatore model in 2018.[6][3]

Custom builds

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Each Festka bicycle is built for a specific rider. The ordering process includes an interview about the customer's riding experience and expectations, which determines the geometry, frame stiffness and components.[23][11] In addition to fully custom geometry, the company offers 24 standard sizes.[4] In markets where customers expect immediate delivery, such as China, it sells limited editions of stock frames.[2]

Models

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The current range comprises nine models:[6]

  • Machina Road
  • Spectre Road
  • Spectre Gravel
  • Scalatore Road Disc
  • Scalatore Road Rim
  • Scalatore All Road
  • Doppler Road (titanium and carbon)
  • Doppler Gravel (titanium and carbon)
  • Classic Road Rim

Production of the One model ended in 2025.[6] Festka bicycles have been reviewed by outlets including Cyclingnews, BikeRadar and Gran Fondo.[24][25][26]

Festka Atelier and artist collaborations

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Festka Atelier is the company's programme of artist-finished and limited-edition frames, limited to 24 projects a year.[27][5] Artists who have worked with the company include illustrator Michal Bačák, the duo Tomski&Polanski and Jakub Kois.[2]

Spectre Space Odyssey Edition (BMW)

[edit]

This edition of the Spectre was created in collaboration with BMW to mark the carmaker's centenary (2016) and drew on space-travel technology.[26] The colour scheme of the One model was inspired by the BMW i8 hybrid sports car, in which Festka saw a parallel to its own technological approach.[25]

Festka Doppler for Nespresso (2017)

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In collaboration with Nespresso, Festka built a one-off bicycle whose aluminium tubes contain about 995 recycled coffee capsules. The tubes were cast by the Czech foundry Al-Solid, the frame followed the Doppler design with carbon lugs, and the rear wheel displays the 21 colours of the capsules.[28][29][30] The bicycle was presented at Mercedes-Benz Prague Fashion Week in March 2017 and sold at a charity auction for CZK 160,000, with proceeds going to the Tereza Maxová Foundation.[31][32]

Spectre Porcelain (2019)

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This carbon road bicycle, made for Thai collector Suratchaj Chenyavanij, was hand-painted by Michal Bačák in cobalt blue and 24-carat gold, combining the Portuguese azulejo style with the English Blue Willow pattern. The decoration depicts milestones from the owner's life; the work took thirteen months.[33][34][35][36]

Spectre Bodies (2023)

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Prague-based Polish artist Jakub Kois hand-painted a new-generation Spectre frame built for Michael Moureček after a serious crash. The artwork depicts his return to cycling, and the design was released as a limited edition of ten frames.[37][38]

Other collaborations and projects

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The art duo Ondrash & Kašpárek applied their technique of transferring acrylic paint from a water surface to Scalatore and Scout frames, creating a series of three bicycles presented at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 2021. The Scalatore from the series, together with the painting Festka #1, was sold at Galerie Kodl's 89th auction in May 2023 for CZK 600,000, with half of the proceeds donated by the manufacturer and the artists to the Centrum Paraple charity.[39] The illustrator duo Tomski&Polanski had earlier painted a custom Zero model in acrylics.[40] Festka has also produced a frame inspired by the opera Tosca for a Finnish customer, a frame decorated with Šumava stained glass motifs as a tribute to Czech glassmaking, and two space-themed bicycles for a Samsung competition.[2][5] The company bought back its first Zero carbon frames from their owners and supplied them to an exhibition by a French wine house, where they were painted by artists.[2]

Forbes charity auction (2019)

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At the charity gala marking the eighth anniversary of Forbes Česko in 2019, a Festka Scalatore frame was auctioned in support of Krásná práce, a non-profit organisation that promotes traditional Czech crafts. The first winning bidder put the frame up for auction again, and the auction raised a total of CZK 2 million for Krásná práce.[41][42][43]

Exhibitions and trade shows

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Festka regularly exhibits at handmade bicycle shows. It first exhibited at NAHBS in Sacramento in 2012 and returned the following year in Denver, where it presented the Mist and Root titanium frames and the High Voltage cycling apparel line designed with Tomski&Polanski.[7][44][1] At the Bespoked show in Dresden it launched the new-generation Spectre in 2023, the Spectre Gravel in 2024 and the Machina Road in 2026.[38][3][12]

Festka bicycles have also been shown at design and cultural events. The Festka Doppler for Nespresso was displayed at the Berliner Fahrradschau and presented at Mercedes-Benz Prague Fashion Week in 2017.[32][28] At Prague's Designblok design festival the company exhibited the Spectre Bodies in 2023 and exhibited again in 2024.[45][46][47] The Ondrash & Kašpárek series was presented at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 2021 and one of its bicycles was auctioned by Galerie Kodl,[39] and the company's first Zero carbon frames were part of an exhibition by a French wine house, where they were painted by artists.[40][2]

Memberships and awards

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Festka is a member of the Czech Industrial Design Association (Asociace českého průmyslového designu, AČPD), founded in 2020 by Czech manufacturers to promote industrial design and its export; it was among the first members alongside companies such as Lasvit, Moser, Preciosa and TON.[48][49] Michael Moureček spoke for the association at the Design pro business 2026 conference organised by CzechTrade.[50]

In 2018 the Scalatore frameset (rim-brake version) won a Design & Innovation Award (DI.A), given to outdoor, bike and fitness products on the basis of practical testing; the jury praised its stiffness and precise handling at a frame weight of 790 g.[51][52]

In 2020 Festka was one of three Czech companies, alongside Pitko Digital and Varistar, recognised in the Impact Stars category of the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Central Europe programme, which annually ranks the fastest-growing technology companies in the region.[53][54] Deloitte introduced the Impact Stars category that year for companies combining strong products with a positive impact on society, business, innovation, the environment or diversity.[53][54] Festka attributed the recognition to its combination of research at the Czech Technical University, the ESA BIC Prague incubator and the tube manufacturer CompoTech.[55]

Community and notable riders

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Actor Orlando Bloom has ridden Festka bicycles in Prague.[2][11] From 2014 the company supported amateur teams riding its bicycles, the first of them in Australia.[13] In 2026 it established the Festka Hardcore Award for figures of the cycling community; the first recipient was Martin Kontra, a promoter of Prague's fixed-gear scene.[12]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 "The Story Behind Festka Bikes: Wild & Crazy from the Start". Road Bike Action. 16 May 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Sýkora, Klára (6 July 2026). "Žádné módní výstřelky, naše kola musí sloužit alespoň dvacet let, říká Moureček z Festky" [No fashion fads, our bikes must last at least twenty years, says Festka's Moureček]. e15.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "FESTKA showcases Spectre Gravel race bike at Bespoked 2024 in Dresden". endurance.biz. October 2024. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Made in Festka. Jedinečné stroje pro jedinečné lidi" [Made in Festka: unique machines for unique people]. We Love Cycling (in Czech). 25 June 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Devět z deseti kol prodají do světa. Jsme kurátoři bicyklů, říká spoluzakladatel Festky" [Nine out of ten bikes are sold abroad. We are bicycle curators, says Festka's co-founder]. Finmag (in Czech). June 2026. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Story". Festka. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  7. 1 2 "European Frame Builder Profile: Festka". Road Bike Action. 29 February 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 "Medailonky hostů: Michael Moureček" [Guest profiles: Michael Moureček]. Czech Space Week (in Czech). November 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  9. ↑ "Dream bikes: Festka Scalatore". Cyclist. May 2026. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  10. 1 2 "Festka Spectre Gravel Stiffens Up Race-Ready Handmade Carbon Gravel Bike at Bespoked". Bikerumor. 10 January 2025. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  11. 1 2 3 "Dobré kolo je to, které vás baví. Na ceně nezáleží, říká zakladatel Festky" [A good bike is one you enjoy. Price doesn't matter, says Festka's founder]. CzechCrunch (in Czech). March 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 "Bespoke(d) Carbon Festka Machina Road Bike is the New One, With Gravel Close Behind". Bikerumor. September 2026. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  13. 1 2 3 "Has Your Dream Bike Arrived?". Road Bike Action. 17 February 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  14. ↑ "Machina Road". Festka. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
  15. ↑ "C/Duro – Návštěva továrny a testování E/Epona a Shremeeq" [C/Duro: factory visit and testing]. MTBS.cz (in Czech). 28 May 2026. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  16. ↑ "CDuro Epona – Černé zlato ze Sušice (by CompoTech)" [CDuro Epona: black gold from Sušice]. Bike&Ride (in Czech). July 2024. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  17. ↑ "Karbon z Vinohrad" [Carbon from Vinohrady]. Cykl.cz (in Czech). 19 January 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  18. 1 2 "Cyklodílna Festka: Postavit kolo je věda!" [The Festka bike workshop: building a bike is a science]. Ábíčko (in Czech). 16 November 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  19. 1 2 "Kolo jako puzzle" [The bike as a puzzle]. 53x11 (in Czech). 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  20. 1 2 "O Fakultě strojní ČVUT, která patří mezi nejlepší na světě" [On the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at CTU]. Technický týdeník (in Czech). Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  21. 1 2 3 4 "Festka, více než jen jízdní kola" [Festka: more than just bicycles]. Servind (in Czech). 14 July 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  22. ↑ "InsightART and Cooperation with ESA BIC". InsightART. 3 March 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  23. ↑ "Pane, tohle kolo vám neuděláme" [Sir, we won't make you this bike]. Reportér (in Czech). 5 June 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  24. ↑ "Festka Spectre review: A custom carbon bike from Czechia". Cyclingnews. 11 August 2023. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  25. 1 2 "Festka One first ride review". BikeRadar. 4 April 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  26. 1 2 "Festka Spectre Space Odyssey Edition Review". Gran Fondo. 23 July 2017. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  27. ↑ "Festka Atelier". Festka. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  28. 1 2 "Czech Designers Make a Bike Using almost 1,000 Recycled Coffee Capsules". Expats.cz. 6 April 2017. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  29. ↑ "Festka Nespresso: A bicycle made from 1,000 recycled coffee capsules". Cycling Today. 6 April 2017. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  30. ↑ "Festka turns recycled coffee capsules into a Nespresso bike for charity auction". Bikerumor. 6 April 2017. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  31. ↑ "Bike made out of recycled Nespresso capsules sold at a charity auction". road.cc. 9 April 2017. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  32. 1 2 "Festka Doppler Nespresso – Recycling can be so Sexy!". Gran Fondo. 13 March 2017. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  33. ↑ "festka produces bespoke porcelain spectre bicycle with gold accents". designboom. 18 December 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  34. ↑ "Must See: Festka Spectre Porcelain is a $35,000 hand painted, 24k gold leaf road bike". Bikerumor. 17 December 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  35. ↑ "Víte, co je Festka Spectre Porcelain?" [Do you know what the Festka Spectre Porcelain is?]. RoadCycling.cz (in Czech). 12 December 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  36. ↑ "Kolo vytvořené skutečně na míru. Festka představila porcelánový unikát za více než 800 tisíc" [A truly made-to-measure bike: Festka presents a one-off porcelain bike worth over 800,000]. CzechCrunch (in Czech). December 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  37. ↑ "Check out the Festka Spectre in a stunning limited edition 'Bodies' finish". road.cc. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  38. 1 2 "FESTKA – Spectre Bodies Story". Cycle Tech Review. 20 October 2023. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  39. 1 2 "Ondrash & Kašpárek: Festka Scalatore & Festka #1". Galerie Kodl (in Czech). May 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
  40. 1 2 "Bicycle as an Art Auction Item". Sport in Art. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  41. ↑ "Forbes oslavil 8 let pomocí ostatním. Na charitu vydražil rekordních 23 milionů korun" [Forbes celebrated its eighth birthday by helping others, raising a record CZK 23 million for charity]. Forbes Česko (in Czech). 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
  42. ↑ "Krásná práce zůstává krásná i online. Také díky charitativní aukci Forbesu" [Krásná práce stays beautiful online, thanks also to the Forbes charity auction]. Forbes Česko (in Czech). 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
  43. ↑ Reid, Carlton (23 December 2019). "$100,000 For One Bicycle? Billionaire-Backed Festka Sells Perfection". Forbes. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
  44. ↑ "Handmade Show: Festka Bicycle's Ti Mist and Root and more". RoadBikeReview. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  45. ↑ "5 Most Popular Festka Bikes of 2023 were surprisingly subdued, well almost!". Bikerumor. 12 January 2024. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  46. ↑ "5 Most Popular Custom Festka Bikes of 2024". Bikerumor. 10 January 2025. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  47. ↑ "Festka". Designblok. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  48. ↑ "Asociace průmyslového designu chystá nové aktivity" [Industrial design association plans new activities]. BusinessInfo.cz (in Czech). 8 September 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  49. ↑ "Členové" [Members]. Asociace českého průmyslového designu (in Czech). Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  50. ↑ "Design pro business 2026". CzechTrade (in Czech). Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  51. ↑ "Festka Scalatore Frame Set". Design & Innovation Award. 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
  52. ↑ "Festka Scalatore Disc review". Cyclist. 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
  53. 1 2 "Czech companies dominate new ranking of Central Europe's top-50 rising tech stars". Expats.cz. 30 November 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  54. 1 2 "Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Central Europe 2020 – results". Deloitte. 23 November 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  55. ↑ "Festka získala ocenění Impact Stars v soutěži Deloitte Technology Fast 50 CE" [Festka wins Impact Stars award in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 CE]. Kolotipy (in Czech). 20 November 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
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