Velo-Perso.com · Gien, France
Cycling component specialists since 2009
VeloPerso helps cyclists choose components that genuinely suit their bike, terrain, riding style and budget — with independent technical expertise before and after purchase.
- Cranksets
- Power meters
- Bottom brackets
- Chainrings & drivetrain
How it started
Cyclists before retailers
VeloPerso was founded in 2009 around one simple idea: help each cyclist select components that bring a genuine benefit to the way they ride, rather than listing thousands of products without being able to advise on them properly.
When the store was launched, founder Olivier Bally was still racing at Elite level with Guidon Chalettois in France. Equipment optimisation was already part of performance: crankset efficiency, oval chainrings, component weight, textile aerodynamics and gearing choices.
Long before “marginal gains” became a familiar expression in cycling, we were already exploring how several small improvements could combine to create a meaningful difference on the road. That philosophy has not changed.
The right component is not the one making the biggest promise. It is the one that best answers the rider’s real need.
Riding experience
Cycling is different everywhere
Riding across France, Europe, the United States and Tunisia has taught us one essential lesson: terrain and riding style should guide equipment choices.
Constant rolling terrain
Repeated climbs require a balance between gearing range, acceleration and drivetrain efficiency.
Steep mountain roads
Gearing, cadence and weight immediately matter when the gradients become severe.
Fast-moving pelotons
Aerodynamics, stiffness and gearing suited to high speeds may become the priorities.
Different roads and habits
Long roads, climate and local riding styles can call for a very different set of compromises.
Weight, aerodynamics, stiffness, gearing, compatibility and price only make sense when considered in the context of your riding.
Product selection
A deliberately focused range
We could triple the size of our catalogue almost overnight. We choose not to. A huge range may look attractive, but it becomes increasingly difficult to truly understand every product’s compatibility, strengths and limitations.
Our selection process therefore starts with one question: what genuine benefit or purpose does this product offer the cyclist?
Identify the benefit
Performance, ergonomics, reliability, compatibility, availability or value for money.
Test key products
We focus our testing on important, best-selling or particularly promising products.
Cross-check information
Manufacturer data, installations, measurements, weights and customer feedback build our knowledge.
Keep filtering
A product may be rejected or removed when reliability or customer satisfaction falls short.
This has led us to reject certain cycling computers, bottom brackets, power meters and chainring combinations. An unreliable product creates a poor experience, extra shipping and wasted time for everyone. Being a specialist also means knowing what not to sell.
Tests & measurements
Checking when a specification sheet is not enough
We do not claim to test every crank length, chainring size or variation individually. We test the most significant products, then add manufacturer information, real installations and feedback from riders using the other versions.
Real-world weights
The many component weights published by VeloPerso allow us to verify a simple, measurable claim. The actual weight can differ from the manufacturer’s figure: with some bottom brackets, for example, grease or parts required for installation are not always included in the stated weight.
A BSA frame that was compatible on paper but too wide in practice
Excess material, including paint, compressed the assembly and made the crankset unusually stiff once tightened. Measurement showed that the component was correct, but the frame exceeded the required dimension. Returning the shell to the appropriate width solved the issue.
Our view of expertise: do not stop at theoretical compatibility when the real installation tells a different story.
Independence
Talking to brands without simply repeating their message
We work with a main distributor in France as well as specialist suppliers and manufacturers. When a new product arrives, we ask detailed questions about unusual installations, undocumented compatibility, new gearing options and future developments.
We also share needs observed in the real world. For example, we advocated the value of 54/40 gearing long before every established manufacturer offered it. It is now available from newer brands including QO Bike and Alugear.
Being a retailer does not mean agreeing with every brand decision. We retain the right to disagree when riders’ needs are not being addressed well enough. Our priority is the customer, ahead of a manufacturer’s commercial or industrial constraints.
Human advice
Advice is part of the product
Despite our detailed product pages, approximately 40% of orders involve direct communication: checking compatibility, confirming a choice, selecting crank length or gearing, discussing an unusual setup or balancing the budget. Even a comprehensive product page cannot anticipate every bike and every use case.
The best product is not necessarily the most expensive.
If a quality steel-bearing bottom bracket fully meets your needs and budget, there is no reason to automatically recommend the ceramic version. Conversely, when a technical requirement genuinely calls for a more expensive solution, we explain why.
- Performance
- Weight
- Compatibility
- Durability
- Budget
It is not always possible to optimise every factor at the same time. Our job is to identify what really matters for your riding and suggest a coherent solution rather than simply selling an upgrade.
After-sales support
Solve first, return only when needed
When a technical problem occurs, our first step is to determine whether it can be solved directly on the bike. A traditional warranty return involves several shipments, processing time, a technician and multiple people.
- We diagnose the installation and symptoms before organising a return.
- We send a missing or replacement part when that is enough to solve the issue.
- We communicate directly with the manufacturer when its expertise or intervention is required.
- Every case is followed manually by VeloPerso, without a chatbot making the decision for you.
Sending new dust covers, for example, can be far more useful than shipping an entire bottom bracket backwards and forwards. Manual analysis can occasionally take a little longer, but it gives us a much better chance of finding the solution that matches the actual problem.
Trust
Customer relationships lasting more than fifteen years
VeloPerso has supported cyclists since 2009. Many customers have returned repeatedly; some have placed dozens of orders over the years. For a specialist retailer with a deliberately focused range, that loyalty is one of the strongest validations of the way we work.
We want the component you buy today to make you comfortable asking us for advice again tomorrow.
- Name
- Velo-Perso.com
- Founded
- 2009
- Founder
- Olivier Bally
- Location
- Gien, Loiret, France
- Specialist areas
- Cranksets, power meters, bottom brackets, chainrings and drivetrain optimisation
- Method
- Focused selection, key product tests, weighing, measurement, customer feedback and manufacturer dialogue
- Advice & support
- Human communication in English and French, with manually handled support cases
- Service area
- France, Europe and international shipping
Explore our expertise
See the evidence in our guides
Our expertise is not just a claim. It can be seen in our comparisons, measurements and compatibility guides.