Pupa's Hot Rod
Stéphane, known as Pupa, has been part of the Victoire adventure since the beginning. A pioneer of graffiti in France, he actively contributed to the creation of Victoire's first visual identity, drawing posters and logos during the early years.
He has since embraced a new career as a tattoo artist. Now based in Bordeaux, he enjoys his free time cycling the trails of the Gironde, either on a fixed gear or on his gravel bike, which we're presenting here.
Graffitist, tattoo artist, illustrator, Pupa is an artist with a thousand lives. A triathlete in his younger years, he later discovered fixed gear riding at the end of the 2000s. Present from the very start of Victoire, he lent his drawing skills to build Victoire's first iteration. You can find some of his works below:
For several years, Stéphane used exclusively a fixed gear bike, one of the first models made at Victoire.
His move to the Bordeaux area opened up new horizons for him. For his new bike, he wanted something more versatile, allowing for longer road rides as well as taking the trails winding through the Bordeaux vineyards.
Like all Victoire bikes, the frame was custom made to fit Pupa's measurements and riding style. The build is relatively common for a bike from our workshop, with Columbus stainless steel tubes (XCr series), a BSA standard bottom bracket, Syntace standard dropouts compatible with a thru-axle, a brazed seat collar, and internal cable routing through the tubes.
As for components, we went for simplicity and reliability. The White Industries crankset pairs perfectly with the Sram Rival 22 derailleurs and shifters. Though it's not the latest generation, its performance is still very current and the gearing range is perfectly suited to the Bordeaux terrain.
Stéphane trusted us completely with the setup of his bike, including the paintwork.
We knew Stéphane was particularly fond of old Harley Davidson motorcycles, so Julien had the idea to echo this culture by using a paint technique usually employed on the tanks and mudguards of customised models.
The frame and fork were first coated with a metallic grey paint, immediately topped with a heavily glittered clear coat to create a sense of depth. Colour is then applied by layering tinted coats; by playing with shade and the number of layers, you get a darker or lighter finish, but it's always very deep.
To showcase the different possible techniques, the paint job is asymmetrical. The right side features various masked shapes, in shades ranging from deep red to gold. The left side shows a continual fade of the same colours. This results in each side of the frame having a distinct look.
On Saturday 28 June, Stéphane is opening his tattoo and art studio in Sadirac, just a few kilometres from Bordeaux. Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’d like to visit him or if you’re looking for a talented tattoo artist, graphic designer, or multi-skilled artist!
