ervélo SA had a challenge more difficult than pedaling 20 miles uphill — both ways. Viewed as a niche boutique in the world of professional cycling, Cervélo wanted to position its specialty-bike frames closer to the front of the peloton at Interbike 2006. But how do you create a leader-of-the-pack presence with only a modest budget and a 20-by-30-foot space?

West Newton, MA,-based Design Continuum Inc. looked to the product for inspiration. Two attributes of Cervélo’s bike frames — their iconic shape and bright red color — became defining elements of the exhibit design.

The exhibit’s focal point — a 22-foot aluminum-and-fabric mast — resembled the down-tube cross-section of a Cervélo True Aero bike frame. “It’s a mere suggestion of a bike frame, but that’s all you need, and anything more would have been over the top,” said one judge.

A pair of frame-inspired product-display stands, the top of the mast, and the main wall were all the same bold, fire-engine red color for which the company’s bike frames are known.

A museum-like display on the main wall showed off a timeline of Cervélo’s past bike frames, while the side walls displayed one of Cervélo’s frame lines.

Made of carpet padding and recycled tires, the exhibit’s black flooring paid tribute to the cycling culture with the last names of Cervélo’s founders — White and Vroomen — along with words tied to the Cervélo product lines, such as Squoval, True Aero, and Speed Engineered, which were painted graffiti-style on the floor to mimic the writing Tour de France fans paint on the roadways.

Cervélo’s uphill battle proved worth the effort, as the frame-inspired design and Tour de France-inspired flooring made this exhibit a definite Tour de Force. e