Why did I just know you would be interested in my nitpicking
Willing to trade my nitpicking if you clear my backlog of house chores.
Yes it's totally in the Randonneur ethos of a few days away on something to have immense pleasure from just looking at it and riding.
I have a hang-up with some of it more from a longevity, maintenance and it staying looking this good. Not a bike to be thrown amongst others on a regional TER train clanging about, not a bike to strap more to it willy-nilly, not entirely suitable to go deeper and further especially in poor weather conditions or when the road pitters out. Not a bike I would be comfortable with in an urban environment either - would not even dare to put a U-lock on it while getting fresh pastries out of Lidl.
Why did I just know you would be interested in my nitpicking
Willing to trade my nitpicking if you clear my backlog of house chores.
Yes it's totally in the Randonneur ethos of a few days away on something to have immense pleasure from just looking at it and riding.
I have a hang-up with some of it more from a longevity, maintenance and it staying looking this good. Not a bike to be thrown amongst others on a regional TER train clanging about, not a bike to strap more to it willy-nilly, not entirely suitable to go deeper and further especially in poor weather conditions or when the road pitters out. Not a bike I would be comfortable with in an urban environment either - would not even dare to put a U-lock on it while getting fresh pastries out of Lidl.
I took the time to read the accompanying text. It always seems when people do bikes like these they have to do "everything". I have come to the conclusion that at best, this is very hard to do. And indeed leaving a bike like that locked up in the city.. I am not so sure. Also, I was told fillet brazimg stainless steel is not recommended
Why did I just know you would be interested in my nitpicking
Willing to trade my nitpicking if you clear my backlog of house chores.
Yes it's totally in the Randonneur ethos of a few days away on something to have immense pleasure from just looking at it and riding.
I have a hang-up with some of it more from a longevity, maintenance and it staying looking this good. Not a bike to be thrown amongst others on a regional TER train clanging about, not a bike to strap more to it willy-nilly, not entirely suitable to go deeper and further especially in poor weather conditions or when the road pitters out. Not a bike I would be comfortable with in an urban environment either - would not even dare to put a U-lock on it while getting fresh pastries out of Lidl.
I took the time to read the accompanying text. It always seems when people do bikes like these they have to do "everything". I have come to the conclusion that at best, this is very hard to do. And indeed leaving a bike like that locked up in the city.. I am not so sure. Also, I was told fillet brazimg stainless steel is not recommended
Victoire cycles, a polar opposite of the previous. I think very homogeneous with its matching luggage and fuss free finish, a true campeur in the classic style. A deliberate nod to Citroen on the front low rider? Translation below.
Christophe, an avid long-distance cyclist, wanted a bike to take him around the world. He decided to turn to craftsmanship to best meet the demands of such a journey. This collaboration resulted in the Victoire 470, a reliable bike that fears nothing and is designed to cross borders.
Delivered on 19 January 2021
Made by:
Marc, Frame Builder
Xavier, Mechanic
Julien, Design
This bicycle has been designed for complete independence when traveling. It has been manufactured and assembled with a luggage rack, all-terrain tyres, mudguards, a lighting set and finally luggage carriers.
The frame, of course, but also the fork, stem and luggage racks of the bicycle were designed and manufactured in the Victoire workshop to offer a practical, coherent package tailored to Christophe's needs.
The frame is designed for intensive, even extreme use. It is a long distance touring bike, built to conquer the most demanding trails, even when heavily loaded. For this reason, we opted for a series of tubes from the mountain bike range, the Zona 29er series from Columbus.
Still in pursuit of robustness and better shock absorption, we offered Christophe 700c wheels, very similar to those found on a modern cross-country mountain bike.
The assembly of these wheels is reminiscent of the configuration of all-terrain wheels: 32 reinforced spokes and rims from Mavic's mountain bike range. These were hand-built in our workshop.
The steel stem provides reliability and comfort in the cockpit. Its geometry allows the handlebars to be raised without having to use spacers or an excessively long head tube.
To minimise maintenance and guarantee a very wide gear range, Christophe chose to place his trust in German manufacturer Rohloff, whose internal gear hubs are renowned for their quality and long-term reliability.
The luggage rack system was entirely designed and manufactured by our cycling travel expert, Marco. He is also an avid (very) long-distance traveller and has cycled around the world independently. During his many journeys, Marco has had the opportunity to test a wide range of equipment configurations. He has therefore put his experience at Christophe's disposal to ensure a truly functional, suitable system that will not move on rough tracks.
The lamp, a Sinewave Beacon, is protected by a bracket included in the luggage rack. This protects it from anything that could damage it. It has been placed in the centre of the luggage rack to provide optimal front lighting for night-time journeys. The luggage rack is equipped with a spacer, which keeps the Helmut front pannier securely in place. The rear luggage rack has a protective hoop that prevents damage to the mudguard.
During a trip like Christophe's, mudguards are subjected to a lot of stress. To prevent them from coming loose or being damaged, an additional fixing point has been added.
A touring bike must have a reliable and durable braking system. We therefore chose Paul Components disc brakes, renowned for their braking power. Their mechanical system has the advantage of being very reliable, but also of being repairable anywhere in the world.
Power for the lights is supplied by the SON front dynamo hub, which powers the front and rear lights. It also allows Christophe to charge a USB device while riding. The Chris King headset comes with a lifetime warranty. Renowned for its reliability, it is ideal for long journeys.
Christophe chose to integrate stainless steel rub bars on his head tube. This option preserves the finish of the bike by preventing the cables from rubbing directly against the paintwork. We now hand over to Christophe, who has written an article on his blog about his Defender, this is the eco-friendly, carbon-neutral version of the famous Land Rover model!
Owners description below,
The aesthetics suit me perfectly. The frame colour is understated, just as I wanted, the panniers fit in perfectly with the overall look, the black saddle, handlebar tape, wheels/tyres reinforces this impression of understated elegance.
Discovering my machine was a very emotional moment because it is the result of a great deal of thought and work by an entire team. For me, it symbolises an incredible project. Travelling around the world. What's more, it's beautiful, exactly as I wanted it to be, discreet and efficient.
After some hesitation about using the Rolhoff system, I quickly came to appreciate this technical choice. The bike is very easy to ride, well balanced, precise in its trajectories and very stable despite the wind. My position is perfect both at the top of the drop bars and at the bottom of the handlebars. Julien was right to widen the latter compared to my racing bike, as it has a positive effect on handling. The machine is very comfortable. It's true that I'm used to riding a carbon frame!
I quickly adapted my pedalling style to the weight of the bike: more flexibility and speed, less power. The Rolhoff shows off all its qualities when the gradients increase, which is good for me as I'm not a climber. On flat terrain, the bike surprised me with its performance despite the width of the tyres and the Rolhoff. Once you get going, it performs very well.
