Frédéric's dandy
A keen road rider, Frédéric was looking for a lightweight, tailor-made bike. He discovered Victoire on our social networks and in 200 magazine, and contacted us to design a high-performance, comfortable bike. The specifications were brief, and Frédéric trusted us to build the Victoire n°539 for him, a true racer ready to swallow asphalt, while keeping the door open to evolutions towards bike-packing or long-distance racing.
The Victoire n°539 is a fast bike, with geometry and equipment designed for the road: electronic transmission, carbon wheels and fork, and a fairly committed handlebar position. The tubes are made of stainless steel, for greater durability and to protect the bike from rust.
Without compromising on performance, a number of details and features enable the bike to be used in a context where endurance and autonomy are paramount.
The frame geometry is primarily designed for performance, with the rider in a fairly engaged position. However, we didn't forget to take into account comfort, the key to cycling performance: it's much easier to maintain a good power output when the bike is comfortable and the position perfectly adapted to the rider's morphology.
We've selected a carbon fork to accommodate tires up to 40mm. If the bike was delivered with particularly sporty 28mm tires, Frédéric will be able to fit wider tires, which will be more comfortable for very long distances.
The Colombus XCr tubes are hydroformed, giving the frame a responsive feel well-suited to precise riding.
Disk brakes have become ubiquitous. Amongst their advantages versus rim breaks, they allow to free up the area around the tire, and thus vary the tire size to suit the terrain.
The bottom bracket is a standard T47, which we recommended to Frédéric in view of his practical experience. Introduced at the instigation of Chris King at the end of the last decade, it has since become a standard. The large bearings are arranged in threaded cups, screwed into the frame. The larger-diameter housing limits lateral twisting of the frame, making it ideal for sporty riders.
Our carbon fork of choice is the Colombus Futura All Roads. Its low weight makes it perfectly suited to road use, but its width at the head allows the use of "new generation" road tires, or even light gravel tires. Versatility and comfort, with no compromise on performance.
Like all modern carbon forks, the Columbus Futura All Roads features a tapered steerer tube, with a larger diameter towards the fork head. This reinforcement increases lateral rigidity, to resist the stresses generated by disc braking.
Disc brakes are of the flatmount standard, which requires special know-how to machine and braze the two small caliper mounting studs to the frame. This standard was invented by Shimano, and has become a de facto standard on road bikes and gravels.
As on all our disc-braked bikes, the dropouts are Syntace-standard: derailleur dropouts are easy to find anywhere in the world, and can be repaired in any bike store.
Frédéric chose an electronic transmission, the latest 12-speed version of Shimano Ultegra, with Di2 standard. This latest update further reduces the difference with the Dura Ace groupset, touted as the top of the Shimano range. The Ultegra 12-speed offers identical performance and weighs just a few hundred grams more, for a much more contained price than its big brother.
At Victoire, we like to emphasize our love of mechanical drivetrains, which are less likely to suffer from obsolescence, or a silly problem with a flat battery. Nevertheless, we are first and foremost cyclists who love performance, and we are committed to offering our sporty customers high-performance steel frames equipped with cutting-edge technologies. The shifting of the Ultegra Di2 groupset is fast and precise, which will help Frédéric launch devastating accelerations to get to the city sign first.
Cables and hoses are routed inside the frame, to simplify its outline. We've also included mudguard and luggage rack mountings on Frédéric's Victoire. By simply fitting a few items of equipment, he'll be able to transform his bike into the perfect mount for touring, or embark on a Brevet, carrying enough equipment to be self-sufficient for several days.
The Mavic Cosmic SL 32 wheels are designed for fast rides, with their low weight and dynamic performance.
Frédéric chose to trust us with the painting of his frame, which he discovered on the day of delivery. He had simply given us a few words: "timeless", "sober and classy", "details".
We chose a paint scheme mixing blue, purple and raw metal (a detail made possible by the frame's stainless steel). The transitions between the different parts of the frame are achieved with gradients and geometric masking. The whole is covered with a glossy, polished varnish. The weld seams are visible on the rear of the frame.
What a joy to see my project become reality! I was particularly impressed by the finesse and elegance of the bike compared to current models, which are often much more imposing, with very thick aero tubes for example. The real surprise for me was the paintwork. I had absolutely no idea what to expect, as I had opted for the surprise paint option, albeit with some indication of the colors. I was seduced by the gradation of colors and the fact that I could see the welds on the rear of the bike, reminding me of the handcrafted aspect of its manufacture. The purple tint on the front gives it a really elegant look! The stem in the same color adds a classy, sober touch to the whole. I was really impressed by the overall performance and robustness. Riding a steel frame gave me added confidence and comfort. What's more, the use of Di2 for shifting gears added an extra touch of comfort. But beyond these technical aspects, I truly feel that my bike has a soul (yes, I can already see the giggles from here...). I think every Victoire bike owner will understand this special connection. I know where it was made, by whom, I know it's unique, and all this helps to strengthen that bond. It's as if the bike were an integral part of me.
