David's lightning bolt
A keen endurance racer, David contacted us for a bike that would enable him to combine performance and comfort. Long-distance racing requires the ability to stay on the saddle for many hours, without discomfort, and to ride at a good pace.
Faithful to our desire to always innovate and seek the best solutions to adapt our creations to their owners, we designed for him the Victoire n°559 with several original features that will help David go faster, further, and with a smile!
David regularly takes part in endurance races, events that last several days and cover distances of hundreds of kilometers. To meet his needs, we designed a frame that can accommodate 700x30c wheels, adapted for optimum comfort on the road and very good performance.
Thin tubes offer good elasticity and help absorb road irregularities. The result is a more comfortable, more efficient and lighter bike.
To meet the need for autonomy on long runs, or to convert the bike to other uses, we selected a fork featuring inserts for luggage.
For the frame, David opted for stainless steel tubes: rust-proof, they are not only more durable, but also offer unprecedented aesthetic possibilities compared to conventional steel.
In fact, stainless steel doesn't need to be protected by an opaque layer of anti-rust coating. This allows the tubes to be simply varnished, revealing the natural color of the steel, as well as the brass weld seams created by our framerbuilders. Here you can admire Marc's work, particularly detailed in the bottom bracket area.
The rear light is integrated directly into the frame, an innovation we designed for Jeanne's bike, presented at the Concours de Machine 2022. We won the prize for Best Craftsmanship on that occasion! This hanger allows the rear light to be ideally positioned and clearly visible, even when David installs a saddle bag. What's more, it's well protected and won't be torn off by a root or low-hanging branch.
The light is powered by a dynamo, which can also be used to recharge the phone or GPS after a few dozen hours of riding.
You may have noticed that the fork is quite wide... While David uses his bike with 700x30c wheels for endurance racing, we've also designed it to accommodate wider, more agile 650x48c wheels. This means the bike can easily be switched to Gravel mode for fun outings on rough roads.
MTB drivetrains offer very wide development ranges, and the SRAM AXS groupset offers the possibility of a “mullet” assembly: MTB drivetrains with road hoods. You get the best of both worlds, with the ergonomics of a road or gravel bike, and a transmission range only found on mountain bikes.
We've paired this groupset with an Ingrid crankset, handcrafted in Italy.
We chose a metallic midnight blue as the frame's main color, enhanced by the addition of geometric motifs.
The use of stainless steel keeps the weld seams visible. We like to keep these details visible, as they highlight the craftsmanship of our framebuilders.
David took delivery of his Victoire at Cartel, Cycles & Café (our bike café in downtown Clermont-Ferrand) a few days before lining up at the start of the Race Across France.
He has since successfully completed the event and continues to ride his Victoire for fast rides out of Paris or longer adventures across France.
Upon discovering my Victoire bike, I was struck by its beauty and attention to detail. The perfectly polished frame, impeccable welds and custom design really impressed me. The bike seemed not only robust but also incredibly elegant, reflecting perfectly what I had imagined. After a few hundred kilometers, I can say that the bike has exceeded all my expectations. It offers exceptional comfort, even over long distances, and its handling is remarkable. The sturdiness of the stainless steel frame can be felt on every ride, while retaining a surprising lightness. I used the bike immediately after receiving it at the Race Across France (I'd only ridden 200 km in one outing before). The dynamo was a real plus for recharging my batteries during the day. Since then, every ride has been a pure pleasure, confirming that Victoire was the right choice.
