Varg, Pierre's endurance ride
Pierre is a cyclist with a passion for ultra endurance. He's a disciple of Vélocio, the father of bike touring and a fan of events such as the Diagonales de France and the Paris-Brest-Paris. He wanted us to create a bike capable of following him in his wildest challenges. We built him Varg, a modern interpretation of the long-distance randonneuses that toured France in the mid XXth century.
Just a few weeks after the reception, Pierre and Varg successfully rode the Paris-Brest-Paris 2023. Reports of their adventures are published on Pierre's blog (in French).
We built Pierre's bike with one purpose in mind: endurance. It has to be able to transport its rider over several hundred kilometers without causing discomfort or pain, but also to carry everything needed. Food, water, GPS and lighting are crucial during these races, where participants have to be completely self-sufficient for several days at a time. However, this is not a travel bike: only the essentials are loaded, to keep the bike light and responsive to the pedal stroke.
Pierre chose stainless steel for his frame. This material is slightly more complex to work with than standard steel. It's less conductive for heat and has a high expansion coefficient, making welding more difficult than with conventional steel. On the other hand, it guarantees that the frame will not rust, and offers greater durability and reliability. Stainless steel also allows the weld seams to remain visible, eliminating the need for an opaque anti-rust coating. This makes the details of the framebuilder's work directly visible.
We chose Colombus XCR tubes, the very best in stainless steel tubing. The Italian manufacturer developed this alloy specifically for the bicycle industry: its physical characteristics are highly resistant to the heat of welding.
The structure of the Victoire n°515 is fairly close to that of a gravel bike. We chose an Enve Adventure carbon fork with tapered steerer tube, combined with a 44mm threading. This allows the bike to be fitted with 50mm tires, which would be suitable for use on very rough trails. Yet Varg will never see dirt: the wide tires were chosen for the comfort they bring to the rider. By cushioning minor impacts from road roughness and gravel, they protect the rider from the fatigue that accumulates after dozens of hours on the handlebars.
The specifications for a long-distance bike include a few essential points: comfort (provided by wide tires and the elastic behavior of stainless steel), light and the ability to carry supplies on the bike. Food is a vital element in any physical event lasting several hours, and when you're on your own, your bike needs to be able to carry sufficient supplies. We opted for saddlebags screwed directly onto the frame, so that Pierre would always have something to eat during his long outings.
The bags are handmade by Neza of What Happened.
Lack of lights during a night spent at the handlebars is a serious problem for an endurance cyclist. To avoid this risk, Varg's front and rear lights are powered by a dynamo. Pierre plays the role of energy source: as long as the legs work, he can keep a safe eye on the road ahead.
The Sinewave lamp provides front lighting, transmits electricity to the rear light and can recharge small devices via USB (such as GPS or phones).
We chose Campagnolo's Ekar groupset. Among Gravel groupsets, it's the most suitable for road use. Its light weight and the wide ratio range offered by its 13-speed cassettes (up to 9 teeth) are real assets for Pierre during long passages on asphalt.
Using one-by groupsets simplifies use by limiting the number of parameters to consider while riding. This is a very important point for endurance racing: when fatigue (physical and mental) starts to take its toll, a simple transmission reduces the risk of error and the rider's mental workload.
We chose Mavic Open Pro UST wheels, entirely made in France. Their lightness makes them ideal for very long rides over all types of terrain. Aluminum wheels are extremely reliable and dynamic, which are key features for Pierre.
I decided to work with Victoire after discovering the bike presented at the Concours de Machines 2019. Throughout the project, I fought against my preconceived ideas and ended up giving the Victoire team full latitude to realise my dream. When I saw the finished bike, I fell in love. I was struck by its elegance; I think it's the most beautiful Victoire bike ever produced. Since meeting Varg, we've already ridden over 6,000 kilometers together, in a few months. Our relationship is symbiotic, organic, fusional. He's a natural extension of my body. After 100 kilometers (the time it takes to warm up the engine !), the pleasure of riding kicks in. Then 200, 300, 400, 600 kilometers: our couple is insatiable, bulimic for asphalt. Paris-Brest-Paris? Pure enjoyment. Varg achieves the tour de force of being extremely comfortable, yet ready to relaunch vigorously at any request. And of course it rides beautifully. Together, we are already planning our next adventures: TCR, North Cape 4000, Sverigetempot, ... Sometimes there are gaps in the conversation when I'm chatting with other cyclists... Those moments when the timeless beauty of my bike catches the eye and plunges my interlocutors into an altered state of consciousness.
