David's convertible bike
Eager to acquire a manufactured bike that is his own and that lasts over time, David, a teacher, approached us to make a frame that could follow him in all his activities. From this project was born the Victoire N°466, a versatile bike whose key words are modulation and integration.
This bike is a bike of a lifetime, designed and manufactured with the goal of being durable and able to meet all the needs that its owner may have. Whether it was to go out shopping, to go to work or on a long distance trip, the Victoire N ° 466 had to be able to respond. For this, David asked us for a modular rack allowing the use of a handlebar bag to which side bags could be added; but which could also be transformed into a pizza rack in order to carry a schoolbag when going to work.
Finally, this rack should be able to carry a resistant lock, approved by its insurance.
This bag holder is therefore made up of two distinct parts : one fixed to the exact dimensions of the Helmut Invader bag, as well as a removable one allowing to increase the storage surface of the rack and to transport a schoolbag or groceries, if necessary.
The shifter (which allows to create a space between the handlebar and the bag) is also made of two parts. The lower part makes it possible to fix the anti-theft device thanks to gutters of the corresponding dimensions to this one. The upper part makes it possible to secure the Helmut bag in place if when it is used.
Thus, the front rack of this bike responds to David's quest for versatility by being able in minutes to adapt to the needs of its owner. Quick and easy to use, a few strokes of the BTR key transform this saddlebag carrier into a large rack capable of carrying bulky objects of all types.
The front hub, a SON dynamo hub, supplies two lamps in energy : at the front, protected by an elbow integrated into the front rack, a Sinewave Beacon which has powerful lighting and a USB port for recharging electronic devices. At the rear, a SON lamp placed on the mudguard, the cables of which run under it, making them invisible to the eye.
This configuration provides autonomous lighting for the bike, which will be more than welcome in urban areas as well as on small country lanes.
Just like the luggage rack system, the frame, fork and stem are entirely designed, manufactured and painted in our workshop, bringing consistency to the visual line of the bike.
The frame is designed for a single chainring drivetrain from Sram, thus increasing, according to David's wish, the serviceability of this one. The wheels are in 650B, dimension that we chose according to the size of the customer. They're mounted with some WTB Byway 47, which features a versatile format with a smooth center tread for asphalt and side knobs for terrain requiring more grip. These wheels are associated with mudguards, which were also painted in our workshop.
The frame and the fork comes with a very common option here at Victoire: The passage of cables and sheaths internally. At the aesthetic level, this choice has the advantage of purifying the bike. At the technical level, this option is also interesting because placing those internally protects them.
David had a precise idea of the color he wanted for his project, and it took several sample tube trials to get the exact calibration. The execution of the painting is intentionally simple to purify the line of the bike.
Painting the mudguards allows them to be visually inserted into the bike without weighing down its line, and the orange components from Chris King recall the notes of leather on the saddle, bar tape and fender mounts.
The leather elements, as well as the well thought little mirror / bar end, are coming from our colleague Berthoud, and are obviously Made in France!
The rims are also Made in France, coming from Mavic and produced into their factory, situated in the Ain.
The contact surfaces of the frame are left raw during the painting process to prevent it from getting used, to allow the painting of the bike to last over time.
We thought it was good to end this article with some words of David, who plans to leave at the beginning of July for a long-distance trip with his brand new adventure companion. Here is his return:
My initial search was for a bike that required minimal maintenance and could be used for everyday commuting as well as getting around town, going for weekend hikes and longer distance trips.
My choice to go on a custom-made bike was driven by 3 reasons: The first one was to acquire a bike made locally (in France) in the most artisanal way possible. The second was to have a bike that corresponded as much as possible to my practices, my desires and obviously my morphology in order to make the practice as comfortable and durable as possible. Finally, the last was to have a bicycle that is a unique object that lasts in time.
Very comfortable bike, very easy to handle, the weight is forgotten and suitable for all types of terrain. A very pleasant position, great pedaling comfort, the damaged parts of the road are very well smoothed out. As soon as I step on it, I don't feel like going down anymore and when I obviously have to, I look forward to the next time.
Visually, it fitted perfectly or even better to the little idea I had of it. I loved the general line and the colors which were a surprise since they had required a lot of research. I was amazed by the realization of the luggage rack and its mechanism as well as the number of small details, such as for example the leather elements between the mudguards and the fixing screws. The end result is perfect compared to my expectations of it.
My next project is to join, at the beginning of July 2021, Barjac (Gard) from Angers by taking the Loire with our bikes, continuing on the Eurovélo 6 Nevers-Bâle to before Châlon sur Saône to recover the Burgundy bike route from the south towards Macon, and then the blue route (Moselle-Saône by bike) followed by the ViaRhôna and finally a portion of the great crossing of the "Ardèche VTT". About 1100 km to be completed in probably 7 days...
We wish David the best outings and hope to hear from him on his future long haul trip!
