Patrice's Black Stallion
A lover of French craftsmanship and fine bicycles, Patrice was charmed by the Colombus series of tubes specially made by our Italian friends to celebrate the 10th anniversary of our little company. After a few twists and turns due to the high demand for these exceptional tubes, produced in very limited quantities, Patrice's bike went into production. True to the spirit of this tube set, Victoire n°531 is a pure road bike designed to devour miles of smooth asphalt. We present it to you below.
Designed in the same spirit of rarity and excellence as the Cento series, Victoire 10° Anniversary tubes are made from stainless XCr steel. Colombus designed this series specifically to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Victoire, according to our specifications.
This series, intended for road bike production, was a perfect match for Patrice's requirements as a road riding enthusiast. Having already experimented with frames made from other materials, he wanted to return to steel, both for its intrinsic qualities and for its place in the history of artisanal cycling in France.
As we regularly do on stainless steel frames, we've kept the weld seams visible on several parts of the frame. The area around the seat tube and the arch between the seat stays highlights the fine brass welds made by our framers. Marc made this frame.
The head tube benefits from a vertical welded strip on the left side: this small detail protects the paintwork from friction from the brake cables.
Patrice's Victoire is assembled using Darimo components.
This Spanish manufacturer is based in the Valencia region and produces extremely lightweight carbon parts in small batches.
To complete the equipment of this beautiful Black Stallion, Patrice has chosen quality parts. The hydraulic brakes are from Hope, who manufacture their parts entirely in their UK factory.
The Cosmic Ultimate wheels from Magic represent the top-of-the-range wheels produced by our friends in Annecy. Entirely hand-built and equipped with bonded carbon spokes, they are the ideal complement to this predominantly French and European configuration.
For the drivetrain, Patrice opted for a classic from SRAM, the Red AXS groupset. Efficient, it's perfectly suited to road use during his fast outings.
For the paintwork, we opted for a dark gray gradient from the front to the natural color of the steel at the rear of the bike. These two colors blend perfectly with the color of the other components, giving Patrice's bike a sober, distinguished look.
Patrick was very satisfied on the day his bike was delivered, which warmed our hearts! He was kind enough to give us some feedback, which we present below... and even ordered a bike with a very similar configuration for his wife almost immediately.
I came to know the Victoire brand through the specialist press. The idea of rewarding French craftsmanship, promoting it on the road, and cycling differently began to germinate in my head. Between reading that first article about your brand, my personal research and the definition of what I wanted, five years went by.
One appointment followed another and, after some waiting, the bike was presented to me at Cartel Cycles & Café. To be honest, when I first saw it, I didn't know where to look, so remarkable was the detail and quality of the work. This bike was just as I'd imagined it. Aesthetically to my liking, equipped as I wished, but above all, a true reflection of the quality of French craftsmanship. The welds and paint finish are remarkable.
After the presentation, I couldn't wait to ride this beautiful bike for the first time. I was not disappointed. Having only had aluminum or carbon bikes, I was immediately struck by the comfort of my new bike. I'm still amazed by its ability to carry you so far without pain or noise. Admittedly, it may not be as responsive as some of the bikes on the market today, but over long distances it's a real pleasure to have the privilege of riding such a bike.
