At Excess, we believe adventure isn't confined to any one territory. It's a state of mind. A desire to leave the beaten path, follow your instinct, and go see what's hiding beyond the horizon.
That's exactly the philosophy that led us to meet Lucas Frigout, mountain biker and explorer at heart. Between mountain ridges and wild anchorages, our worlds might seem worlds apart at first. Yet they share the same quest: freedom.
Lucas isn't just a rider. He's an explorer who uses his bike the way others use a compass: to go see what's on the other side.
Used to expeditions in the most remote places, he's turned the catamaran into a natural ally for his adventures. A floating base camp from which anything becomes possible.
"What I love about mountain biking is the freedom it gives you. The bike is an incredible way to get around, go explore, reach remote places, and live intense adventures you can share with fellow adventurers."
But for Lucas, mountain biking goes well beyond simply getting from A to B.
"I love the creative side of choosing your line and the way you ride. And above all, there's something contemplative in every ride."
Speed, technique, reading the terrain… and silence. This paradox between intensity and serenity is precisely what sets him apart.
When asked about his strongest memories of sessions combining boat and bike, Lucas doesn't hesitate long. The Aeolian Islands, in Italy, come to mind immediately.
"We'd dropped anchor at the foot of a volcano. After a long climb, we rode down a huge slope of black earth with the boat visible below. Seeing the sea while riding at full speed remains one of my strongest experiences."
Five hundred metres of vertical drop. A steep, dark, almost lunar face. And down below, the boat waiting. Hard to imagine a more radical playground.
"Even if some places are accessible other ways, combining the boat with the bike always adds something to the mission."
This is exactly where the magic of the Riders' Edition lies: turning every anchorage into the starting point of an adventure no one else has experienced in quite the same way.
A mountain bike expedition from a catamaran doesn't happen by chance. Lucas knows this better than anyone. And for him, preparation isn't a constraint — it's an integral part of the adventure.
"Preparation is a huge part of the project. You have to anticipate the weather, calculate travel times to arrive at the right moment at the planned spot, look at the access points and water points along the way so you can refill bottles and restock."
On the gear side, every gram is weighed, every choice carefully considered:
"Everything has to be optimised: the bike, the tools, spare parts, technical clothing, electronics protected from humidity… especially if the goal is also to capture great footage. You have to manage to travel light while staying ready to handle the unexpected."
And how does he get the bikes on board? Lucas has his own rules.
"The most important thing is to secure the bikes properly so they don't move with the boat's motion, even more so when sailing conditions are rough. There's also a key point: protecting them from salt with a cover or other solutions to stop the chain from rusting or the bearings from seizing up."
The Riders' Edition was designed with exactly these constraints in mind. Everything is built so the catamaran becomes a genuine, ready-to-use logistics base.
For Lucas, the best places aren't always on the mainstream maps. They're places that demand extra effort to reach, and that's exactly what makes them valuable.
"I particularly love isolated spots, where you can land directly in nature and reach trails that see very little traffic. It gives you a real sense of adventure and exploration. Often the best approach is to anchor as close as possible to the spot and finish the access with a small tender, even if it means getting a bit wet… but the most beautiful places always deserve a little effort."
An anchorage, a tender, a trail still damp with morning dew: that's the access protocol to spots few riders will ever get the chance to discover.
Like all Excess riders, Lucas has a relationship with nature that goes beyond sport alone. Exploring isn't enough — it has to be done with awareness.
"Nature is at the centre of what I do. It's what gives us these incredible playgrounds, so it feels important to take care of it and respect it. The bike is also a simple, genuine way to reconnect with the environment."
And in practice?
"You have to ride responsibly, make sure you leave no trace behind, and, depending on the location, stick to the trails as much as possible to limit our impact."
A philosophy we naturally share at Excess: sail, explore, enjoy — without ever taking more than nature gives.
To live these adventures, Lucas relies on the Radical Factory by SUNN. And the choice isn't a coincidence.
Born from downhill racing in the 1990s, the Radical is one of the most iconic bikes in French mountain biking history. In its current version, it's been entirely redesigned in 100% Toray carbon, combining lightness and stiffness for the most demanding terrain.
Its radical geometry — a slack 64° head angle, long reach, 77.5° seat angle — lets it handle the steepest slopes with surgical precision, while staying versatile enough for long expedition days.
Developed using methods borrowed from Formula 1 — telemetry, ultra-sensitive sensors, optimised suspension kinematics — the Radical Factory embodies a simple conviction: high performance shouldn't come at the expense of accessibility.
For SUNN and Excess, this partnership around the Riders' Edition reflects a shared vision: the best adventures often begin where the roads end.
In mountain biking vocabulary, the line refers to the path chosen on the terrain. For Lucas, this concept goes far beyond technique.
"To me, the line isn't just a GPS track. It's a way of travelling, discovering, and sharing. I always try to take a respectful approach to the places we pass through, with minimal impact on the environment."
But there's also an almost magical, very tangible dimension:
"In mountain biking, the line is often very tangible: you ride a path, look back, and your trace stays visible on the ground for a few minutes. It's an incredible feeling."
That fleeting trace down the slope, gone with the first rain — perhaps that's the truest definition of exploration: leave a light mark, and keep moving.
For Lucas, exploring isn't an overused word. It's a stance, a commitment.
"Exploring means stepping outside your usual frame. Going to see what's behind the mountain, behind the map, behind the idea you have of a place. It's as much a sporting discovery as a human and personal one. It's going further than what you already know, pushing your limits, and finding yourself in unfamiliar places — at the risk of being disappointed… or, on the contrary, pleasantly surprised by what you find there."
At Excess, this philosophy resonates deeply. Because every crossing, every anchorage, every course chosen is also its own form of exploration — the same curiosity, the same taste for measured risk, the same reward at the end.
After Paul Aubertin and his wild rivers, Lucas Frigout and his volcanic slopes. The Riders' Edition keeps bringing together exceptional profiles, united by the same values: freedom, boldness, exploration, and authenticity.
Champions, athletes, adventurers, outdoor enthusiasts — they move in worlds sometimes far removed from sailing. Yet they all carve their own path. Aboard an Excess catamaran or at the summit of a remote pass, the goal stays the same: step out of your comfort zone and live every adventure to the fullest.
Like Lucas, you love exploring, leaving the beaten path, and living every experience to the fullest. That's why we created the Riders' Edition Pack. Easily bring your gear aboard your Excess catamaran and turn every anchorage into the starting point of a new adventure.
At first glance, everything seems to set them apart. And yet they have everything in common. A love of freedom. A taste for exploration. The need to feel alive in contact with the elements. Whether you choose a black-earth slope above a volcano or the horizon line of open water, in the end it comes down to the same thing: follow your own line, and explore.
