Matthieu's blue road bike
Matthieu, better known under the pseudonym of Manivelle, is a graphic designer in Marseille. We have been working closely with him for several years now since he is our Artistic Director of 200 magazine, ambassador for the French clothing brand Café Du Cycliste, and above all an unconditional fan of cycling. Whether it's to drink a coffee, eat a slice of pizza, enjoy nature, ride with friends or participate in long-distance races such as The Transcontinental Race, the Paris-Brest-Paris or the Born To Ride, everything is excuse for Matthew to get on a bicycle.
Already in possession of a prototype bike from our workshop, his feedback allowed us to develop different technical solutions for Victoire but also for Distance, Matthieu wanted a cyclosportive bike for his short outings in the hills around Marseille. Our 2018 Test Véloce Life was matching his body type, so it was natural that he wanted to own it.
This Victoire Véloce is one of the very few bikes that went out of our workshop without being crafted specifically for it's owner. Made from steel coming from the Life serie from Columbus, the frame has been conceived to obtain the best balance between efficiency and comfort. 700x28c is the maximum size it can allows.
The combination of the 44mm head tube with a 38mm bi-oval down tube and a 31.7mm upper tube on the handlebar side ensures precise steering and good responsiveness. The conically shaped top tube has its diameter reduced to 28.6mm at the seat tube to promote rear triangle flexion and shock absorption. Finally, the curved chainstays and seatstays optimize the passages of the bottom bracket and the tire. They are connected by shell lugs which ensure optimal energy transfer between the wheel and the frame.
The saddle clamp here is brazed, stainless steel cable guards are protecting the frame at the level of the head tube while cables are integrated into the frame.
Matthieu's "véloce" braking system is at the caliper standard with Campagnolo Chorus ones, while the headset is none other than a Chris King, that are pushing forward products of an absolute reliability, lifetime guaranteed by the way !
We mounted this bike with Mavic Ksyrium Pro carbon SL UST wheels, the endurance top of the line from the brand with yellow blood. They ideally go well for courses with elevation just as Matthieu want to do. Those wheels includes the Mavic UST technology, which is the tubeless version allowing a better efficiency on the road by forgetting the air chambers and permit a pressure reduction that makes the driving more confortable and reduces the puncture risks.
Visually, the first version has been made in an unified metallic orange paint. We decided to rework this on a gradient of two metallic blues enlightened with the graphic line created by Matthieu.
Matthieu, coming back from his last 200 magazine long distance trip, is talking us about his first experiences to the handlebar of his new Véloce.
This Véloce is a very light and reactive bike that opens the door to raw sensations. The comfort is there, mainly because of it's geometry that doesn't exclude any morphology, but also by the choice of the components. The tubeless wheels brings up a surprising comfort and rendering capacity. Finally, the S-Works handlebar is offering a very cool handgrip. A dynamic driving and a tolerant behavior are making it a real fun and efficient object.