Xavier’s multifunction adventurer

Xavier wanted a bike that would be as versatile as possible, capable of crossing a paved pass as well as going on epic adventures off-road. He gave us carte blanche to build this Victoire, showcased at the Chris King Open House in Portland. Depending on the wheels chosen and the bags, it can either be a real road bike or a go-anywhere travel companion.

The frame, made out of Columbus tubing, is composed of a mixture of stainless steel and steel tubes: the upper tube is made of steel, in order to use an octagonal profile, which does not exist in stainless steel, to obtain excellent lateral rigidity while optimizing vertical compliance.

At the time the frame was designed, Columbus did not have any stainless steel seatstays like we needed, that would provide enough tire clearance. So we used steel seatstays. The way they are curved, and the fork model used give clearance for big tires (up to 700C x 45 mm or 27.5” x 2.2), ideal for riding in rough terrain.

Between the two new colors introduced by Chris King at the time, purple or bourbon, we preferred the latter. The paint was chosen accordingly, with a three color fade of metallic blues. Some sections of the frame were left unpainted, to highlight the brazing work on the stainless steel parts.

The electronic groupset offers a range of 500%, thanks to the combination of Sram Red AXS shifters with MTB-type derailleur and cassette (SramXX1 AXS derailleur and 10-50T cassette).

The RockShox Reverb AXS dropper seatpost is connected to the shifters through the same electronic system as the derailleurs. An added benefit of this setup is that you can use the seatpost’s battery as a backup for the rear derailleur’s, in case it runs low.

Xavier opted for a seatpost clamp integrated into the seatstays.

The fork and the frame feature multiple accessory mounts, designed to work with the custom-made set of bags by Helmut Equipement. The frame bag is screwed on the front triangle, to eliminate the need for straps and preserve the paint.

Xavier

I had never experienced such a sensation of stability and power transfer before riding my Victoire bike. On very rough trails, the feeling of safety and comfort is incredible. And on the road, even with gravel tires, I manage to keep up with my friends who are pure roadies, without effort.

Xavier

Victoire is participating to the program 1% for the planet. The companies that participates to this program are giving 1% of their sales to the initiatives affiliated with the association, that carries an ecological involvement.

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Xavier’s multifunction adventurer

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