Guillaume's Carrera
Guillaume, an engineer in the metallurgic industry and long-distance rides enthusiast, contacted us to help him design a fast, timeless bike. These are themes that are close to our hearts, so we put all our experience into this project to come up with the Victoire n°534, a unique machine with an unmistakable look.
Guillaume wanted his machine to go against the grain of current trends, which tend to standardize all high-end bikes from many manufacturers, large and small.
Inspired by the classic bikes of the last century, we worked together to design a bike that would be original, but would also have a place in a collection of exceptional... and high-performance bikes!
Working in the metallurgic industry, Guillaume's choice fell on a series of exceptional XCr stainless steel tubes: the series celebrating the 10th anniversary of our small company, designed in limited numbers by our Italian partner Colombus. High-performance, unique, a synthesis of the excellence we strive for with our transalpine friends, this material makes Guillaume's bike a rare item.
All our bikes are hand-built in Auvergne, France, by our team of frame builders. This enables us to make à la carte bikes, perfectly adapted to our customers' requirements, and guaranteed for life.
We chose the Chorus groupset manufactured by Campagnolo. The little sister of the Record and Super Record, the Chorus groupset works in the same way as its predecessors: same unique ergonomics and performance. The only difference is that certain components are made from less expensive materials: the brake levers are aluminum (instead of carbon), the axles stainless steel (instead of titanium). No carbon cage for the derailleur, either.
The result is a group that's only slightly heavier... but a hell of a lot cheaper! A choice that many cyclists make, in order to invest in other, more differentiating components. A set of unique tubes, for example?
The same approach applies to the equipment: the budget is allocated intelligently, to enable Guillaume to benefit from the best performance while staying within his budget. Together, we chose top-of-the-range Bora WTO wheels made by Campagnolo.
Alluminium Deda components (handlebars, seat tube) and a Colombus fork complete a frame designed for road and speed, with a touch of classicism.
Guillaume loves beautiful, iconic and timeless cars, just like his bike. So we chose a paint scheme that blends classicism and originality. The glittery gold is reminiscent of some of the colors used by Porsche.
As is often the case with stainless steel frames, we kept the natural color of the exposed steel on the rear of the frame. It blends perfectly with the gold color of the bike.
When I discovered my bike, I was really blown away by the work that had gone into it. Julien and his team have managed to transform a simple bike into something perfect. From the very first kilometres, I could feel the efficiency of the whole package. But what won me over most was the bike's comfort. On my old frame, to be able to tolerate rides of 300 km or more, I had to resort to a few tricks, using wider tire sections, thicker handlebars... Not so here. Road roughness and vibrations are absorbed by the frame, and long rides are painless and trouble-free. I can't wait to ride more and test my bike over longer distances, like the Bikingman, as my last participation with my carbon bike ended in pain.
