Frédéric's Classic Twin
For once, we're not introducing just one but two bikes at the same time. Fabrice and Frédéric, friends for over 30 years, contacted us for a dual project. Both cyclists for many years and approaching retirement, they wanted to ride together on two fraternal twin bikes: each one unique, but with similarities. Two brothers from different parents. Please find below Frédéric's Victoire n°576, a classic interpretation of their friendship.
Frédéric's bike frame is a tribute to classic road bikes, made with steel tubing by our Italian partner Colombus. This Colombus Life steel is the worthy descendant of the tubes that equipped many racing bikes throughout the 20th century. Lightweight and high-performing, it is perfectly suited for Frédéric's road use, while guaranteeing him ideal comfort.
Frédéric wanted high-performance but classic equipment for his bike. Naturally, we picked the Super Record groupset from Italian manufacturer Campagnolo. This is one of the last premium groupsets still offering a rim brake version, and an obvious choice for an enthusiast nostalgic for beautiful Italian machines.
To accompany this group, we chose the Campagnolo Bora WTO wheels. This low-profile version is perfect for a bike with traditional equipment, while keeping the weight as low as possible.
Who remembers Chris Froome in the 2017 Tour de France and his strange-looking chainring? The oval shape of this famous QRing, favoured by some riders, is designed to improve energy transfer while pedalling. Absent from the peloton for a few years now, we're delighted that Frédéric has chosen this original piece of equipment.
While the equipment on the two twin bikes is completely different, we used the paintwork to create a true pair. Frédéric's bike is orange and cream two-tone, reminiscent of the cream and purple of Fabrice's twin bike, the Victoire n°577.
I discovered the joy of cycling quite late, around the age of 40, then I got hooked. My first carbon bike, a present for my 40th birthday, then for my 50th, a second carbon bike, but a bit higher performance than the first... The more I rode, the more the passion grew and became obvious... Then an idea started to take root and develop: as retirement approached, I really wanted a custom-made bike that would suit me perfectly.
The research began: Where? How? By whom?... It took me a while, given my skills (or lack thereof) for searching the Internet! But it was very exciting! That's how I discovered Cycles Victoire and their magnificent bikes! Without hesitation, I got my best friend, Fabrice, involved in this adventure: starting from a blank slate and treating ourselves to the bikes of our dreams...
For my retirement, I needed a comfortable bike, easy to ride over long distances, or on multi-stage rides with my club. Several visits to your workshops in Beaumont were necessary, plus insightful exchanges and emails, which led to the much-anticipated final result! And as God knows, I'm not usually a patient man! Then finally, after a long wait, discovering our bikes with Fabrice: there they were in front of us, it was magical! The lines, the welds, the colours...and our hearts racing... we were filled with emotion!
It's been four months since I first got on my bike... I'm still discovering its performance and relishing the pleasure of riding it every time, and more and more so... My plans: to keep enjoying myself, and to climb a legendary mountain pass with my pal! And of course, we’ll send you a photo! Once again, a big thank you to everyone!
