It has been on some interesting rides, including a quarter of the Tour de France (2,700 km, no less), but it is not suited for this use.
It is equipped like a lightweight touring bike, but its geometry is that of a racing bike: the seat tube is very upright. Another drawback: to accommodate my large feet, I installed XL toe clips, and they get caught in the front mudguard on tight turns and get stuck on the rail. Scary stuff!
So it's an Oscar Egg, but it's a Liberia frame (can anyone explain this to me?), with three Reynolds 531 tubes.
Looking at the picture I think it's for the hub which uses hydraulic shifting. There are two hoses which are not going to fit in a seat stay easily hence the external hoses and ties. I am of course assuming.
You're right of course, but my point is that since those lines have to be routed through the top tube anyway, a couple of nicely filed brazed-on guides would not pose an additional problem, but would look much nicer than those zip tie "cradles", especially on a frame where so much attention was apparently given to other details.
"You're right of course, but my point is that since those lines have to be routed through the top tube anyway, a couple of nicely filed brazed-on guides would not pose an additional problem, but would look much nicer than those zip tie "cradles", especially on a frame where so much attention was apparently given to other details.
There must be something I'm not seeing."
Again I'm assuming, the guide would have to be larger than the hose to clear the unions, fittings. So I think the hose would fit in the guide like a prick in a shirt sleeve and rattle like a ba#tard.
Before giving it to me the previous owner had bought new rims and changed the front hub, a classic Maxicar without a drum. The drum was operated with the left lever, the right lever operated the Mafac centre pulls.
I fine-tuned it mechanically and made a few purely practical modifications.
The rear wheel axle (with wing nuts) was bent, so I replaced it with a brand new one with a quick release.
I replaced the rear luggage rack with a lighter model, perfectly suited to this trip: it's just the right size for the tent, mattress and sleeping bag.
I fitted two identical bottle cages. Given the weather and the route, I decided there was no point in using the XXL size.
I fitted a saddle that was already moulded to my anatomy. I will eventually replace it with a Brooks or an Idéale, as I didn't want to set off with an untested saddle.
The Schwalbe tyres, which are quite heavy but sturdy, were recommended to me by a friend who has already done Eurovelo 6. This was wise advice, given the quality of certain sections.
The Mafac levers didn't suit me because the sheaths made it difficult to access the pannier. I fitted Shimano 600 levers, which are more practical and, in my opinion, more comfortable.
The luggage is a temporary, inexpensive solution: Lidl panniers and a very practical but rather ugly front bag cobbled together from a camera bag found at Emmaüs.
I plan to find things that are more in keeping with this machine, but I ran out of time. In short, the goal was to ride, not to show off. To be continued.
The headset fittings are superb, either homemade or reinforced at Follis. A remarkably delicate cable stop!
It's in its original condition, the paint on the top tube is cracked.
This means it's a touring bike that has already lived a full life, even if it still has a bright future ahead of it.
This isn't an impulse buy, it's an investment, the kind of machine you keep for decades.
I'm thinking of taking a few days' trip to the Vosges next week and maybe another one in September, either to the Morvan or the Black Forest.
I changed the saddle and pannier to harmonise the colours a little:
the saddle rivets, the ribbon and the pannier stitching are brown, the saddle leather, the finishing adhesive and the pannier are black.
The pannier is much nicer but less practical than the one I had before. It opens at the front and it's a little too wide. Which isn't a problem when braking, but the side pockets are harder to access.
I found it at Emmaüs (again!), for 30 times less than a Berthoud. All that's left is to remove the handle neatly and make a card holder.
To my knowledge, this is the only alternative to expensive bicycle panniers.
They are often found at charity shops and garage sales. Their appearance, size, side pockets and padding make them ideal for this purpose. All you need to do is tinker a little with the fastenings. That's fine by me, as I prefer to tinker rather than buy ready-made products.
To change up my camera bags, I added... a camera lens bag. Hehe!
A thing I found in a drawer, four rivets, two straps, and that's it. I can fit an inner tube, a patch kit with tyre levers, a multi-tool, and still have a little room left over.
I redid the lights, putting in a shell I found on a Swiss bicycle and a dynamo that isn't the most glamorous, but works perfectly. The cable passages are very discreet.
Here is another cut, pasted and translated slice of the Internet transformed into a spam sandwich.
Lucky we are in an over 18s space, or I'd be in for a Grilling
Penned for me by mate Tom aka @bikeworkshop and paraphrased 2025 I can't use the cheese reference Tom
Something very modern, yet designed with long distance in mind. I thought the whole bike was very clever. I'm trying to ignore the carbon fork, discs and huge cassette. Despite this I still think it's a fantastic bike. Look below there's a link and everything
Eric wanted a versatile gravel bike that could just as easily allow him to go out on roads and paths as to go roaming for several days. He gave us carte blanche for the realization of this project presented at the Chris King Open House 2021, in Portland.
The Victoire n°507 is made from the Columbus XCr stainless steel series. Its hydroformed upper tube has a flattened octagonal profile. This shape manufactured by Columbus is exclusive to Victoire for XCr tubes. This feature allows excellent lateral rigidity while benefiting from vertical flexibility providing comfort. This tube also generates a good interface for the screw-on frame bag, thanks to a flat surface that perfectly matches the shape of the latter.
The frame has many eyelets for attaching bikepacking saddlebags but also two light luggage racks of our manufacture.
These models of luggage racks, originally developed for the Victoire n°491, can be installed and removed very quickly. They are very practical when the customer has to frequently change his configuration depending on the type of outings he performs. they allow the installation of three additional saddlebags at the back of the bike as well as a bundle at the front.
Eric's Victoire's stem is none other than a René, our tailor-made stem model whose name is a tribute to the French framer René Herse. This model is made from three 16mm tubes that are the origin of the Columbus Max seat stays. Their streamlined shape adapts perfectly to the aesthetics of a stem, and is reminiscent of the aluminum stems found on the René Herse vintage. This stem model is common on the most complex Victoire designs. Eric's copy is the first to receive a fork steerer tightening on the side. This cleans up the stem and creates a reminder of the saddle tightening hidden in the seatstays.
The seat post clamp of the Victoire No.507 is integrated into the seatstays. This option, available for all Victoire bikes, makes it possible to completely hide the tightening mechanism on the transmission side of the bike. The seat tube bears the punch of Olivier, our framer and production manager in charge of the realization of this project.
The crankset chosen by Eric is supplied by Hope, a British equipment manufacturer renowned for the durability and quality of their products. This is their model for road and gravel, without star (the crown being attached directly to the crank) and equipped with a 42 tooth chainring. In association with a Sram Eagle XX1 cassette in 10 - 52, this drivetrain set offers Eric a wide range of development.
The braking system of the Victoire n°507 is also provided by Hope, with their RX4 model chosen in a black anodization and associated with Sram levers. Originally intended to work with an 11-speed derailleur, these levers were modified using a Ratio kit to drive the Sram XX1 MTB derailleur compatible with the Eagle 12-speed cassette.
The front hub of Victoire #507 is a SON dynamo hub, allowing Eric to be self-sufficient in energy when riding. This hub supplies a front (Sinewave) and rear (Supernova) lighting kit as well as a USB port for charging an electronic device.
Chris King is an American equipment manufacturer with whom we have worked for many years. The impeccable quality of their products, guaranteed for life by the manufacturer, corresponds to our desire to offer durable bikes, designed to be used for a lifetime. After a first invitation in 2019, Chris King again called on us to present their new range of anodizations.
The brand new colourway presented by the manufacturer at their annual event. Unfortunately, we have since learned that Chris King will not be releasing this color in the coming months due to the shortage of components and the backlog of classic products. This makes Eric's project even more unique, with only five or six Chris King parts kits ever made in this colourway. (Funky! GIGFY)
The Victoire n°507 is thus equipped with a headset, a rear hub and a Chris King bottom bracket in gray and blue, whose aesthetics have directed the paint and the color of the saddlebags of this project.
The paint of Victoire n°507 consists of no less than 5 different colors ranging from navy blue at the bottom of the fork to green, from the front to the rear of the bike. The area around the bottom bracket as well as the bases of the bike were simply varnished in order to reveal the weld seams and the stainless steel of the frame. The Victoire logo also reveals the stainless steel of the lower tube under the layer of varnish. A gradient of 4 different colors of glitter was then applied to the frame, then covered with a final layer of varnish which was polished by hand for an impeccable result.
Mudguards and stem have both been painted with the blue used on the front of the bike. This allows them to be integrated into the visual line of the bike, creating a cohesive whole.
The Victoire n°507 has bikepacking bags made entirely by hand and tailor-made specifically for this project. Using reclaimed materials, they were made by What Happened Outdoor.
This kit consists of two fork bags, two frame bags and three bundles placed on the rear rack. They were ordered in gray and blue colors that match the finish of the project. This set allows Eric to go on an adventure while taking with him everything he needs for his autonomy.
Eric came to pick up his Victoire at the workshop once the bike returned from the Chris King Open House. It was an opportunity to discuss with the craftsmen who made the bike and for him to discover it from all angles for the first time.
Eric's words below.
"I had been looking to get a custom steel bike made for me for a long time. I always had a fondness for handcrafted products, unique products of quality and reliability. I discovered Victoire several years ago and found their creations to be magnificent. Also, I grew up in the same region, where, as a teenager, I discovered the freedom that 2-wheel adventure can offer. A little homecoming, so... "
"I wanted a bike that I could be comfortable on for hours on the road as well as off-road. In addition, I wanted an adventure bike capable of carrying gear for rides over several days and still maintaining maneuverability. I had a good idea of what I wanted and what I didn't want, but I wasn't quite sure what the geometry of a bike like this could look like. So a lot of requirements, hence the importance of being able to count on the expertise and know-how of Victoire for the final design of my bike. Aligning with the 2021 Chris King Open House project was an added bonus in terms of choosing very high quality and reliable components!"
"My expectations for recovery were very high, so I was a little nervous in anticipation! Was it going to live up to my expectations? I was not deceived. A treat from far and near! I finally managed to make my first bike ride this year. The temperature rose to -10 ° and I took the opportunity to take a little trip in the snow. What happiness is this Victoire!"
. Translation below.
I can't use the cheese reference Tom
