Vintage French randonneuer's and porteurs.

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Victoire cycles. No translation below! Why? Because at the bottom of the menu the reside two letters En, yes it's English....



N244 Woody Matthieus prototype.

https://www.victoire-cycles.com/en/velo/woody-matthieus-prototype/

Woody is a prototype that we produced and presented during the Concours De Machines 2017, in Ambert. This bike was made for several purposes. The first was to test new technical solutions as part of the future launch of our "Ready to Roll" Distance bike brand, while the second was to develop new options for our Victoire frames and forks.

Woody is the name that Matthieu Lifschitz, also known as Manivelle.cc, gave to this prototype which he became the owner. In 2016, during our discussions with Matthieu on the graphic overhaul of Victoire's visual identity, the subject of a new bike dedicated to adventure was trotting in the back of his mind. After some discussions and with the project of a new brand on our side, the idea of making a prototype driven by Matthieu on these different events was a superb opportunity for us to test new things and put them to the test during a minimum season.

The frame was made of stainless steel. Victoire uses braze-soldering to assemble all of its bikes. Here we were able to test the advantages and disadvantages of TIG welding for possible use on Distance bikes. Finally, this manufacturing process was not retained because the time saved on production compared to our usual know-how was negligible.

This frame uses a tapered head tube allowing the use of a top tube with a thinner diameter and therefore to be able to play on the comfort of the frame. To fit this socket we had to use two different Chris King headsets: the upper part is a 1 '' 1/8 No Threadset headset while the lower part is that of the Inset 8 model (semi integrated) adapting to the tapered fork pivot in 1 '' 1/4.

The transmission is the Rival 22 model from SRAM, only the crankset was selected at Praxis with the Zayante and its 48x32 chainrings in order to obtain a ratio of 1 using an 11x32 cassette. The objective was for us to test the Praxis crankset which turns out to be a very good alternative to the 50x34 or 52x36 offered by Sram.

For the wheels, Matthieu uses two pairs :

The first is intended for road and long distance adventure, it is a pair of 700c wheels radiated by hand in our workshop. The assembly is carried out on Mavic Open pro UST Disc aluminum rims. Matthieu needed to be able to be electrically autonomous on his journeys: we therefore tried the Shutter Precision dynamo front hub. This wheelset is fitted with René Herse Barlow pass (700x38c) tires mounted in tubeless. The second pair of wheels is intended for off-road adventure with a 650B pair from 2-11 Cycles. On this pair, we can find the René Herse Pumpkin Ridge tires (650Bx42), also mounted in tubeless. The rear hub is coming from Hope.

The fork comes from Columbus with the Futura Gravel carbon model. It accepts a 700x40c tire fitment as well as the possibility of using mudguards.

We wanted to try to add inserts on the side part on this fork. Our desire was to be able to offer different loading configurations on a carbon fork. At that time, few carbon forks with this load module ability option existed on the market. The result was not up to our expectations, so we decided to make a steel fork with these options. The steel fork is a fitting model we manufactured with reinforced Reynolds legs allowing the use of disc braking. We noticed a lack of rigidity on the stainless steel sleeves used during the Concours de Machines 2016. This new fork was manufactured using the so-called crank eyelet configuration to allow the use of all the loading systems that seems useful to us for a modern and modular hiker: the front rack, the side panniers and the Many Thing Cage. This fork was then declined and adapted at Victoire in order to meet each of your expectations and consider all the options.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Victoire cycles in English!

N410.

https://www.victoire-cycles.com/en/velo/le-gaby-de-matthieu/

Gaby is the Victoire that is dedicated to long distance rides possessed by our ambassador Matthieu Lifschitz, the man behind Manivelle and the artistic direction of 200 magazine. Gaby is also the evolution of Woody, prototype that has been showcased at the Concours de Machines 2017 and used by Matthieu on his two first TCR races.

https://manivelle.cc/

Woody was born almost by accident, halfway between respecting the rules of the Competition and the desire to carry out our brand project of frames in standard sizes (which has since become Distance, our second brand of steel bikes in standard sizes. made in France). Despite this complex gestation, Woody had shown himself quite capable of riding long and far. After two years of intense service, Matthieu decided to give Woody a pre-retirement by transforming him into a mountain bivouac bike.

We then started from scratch, with the main objective of adding sportiness and liveliness to a formula that had proven its effectiveness.

The position was kept as it was, as it had already been validated by some 20,000 km previously covered. In order to save weight, it was decided to adopt a carbon fork. Curve was in 2019 one of the few brands to offer a fork with dimensions close to a road / gravel fork with eyelets. After a few thousand kilometers, it has perfectly proven its reliability.

All tubes come from Italy and are supplied by Columbus, with a front triangle in Columbus Life and a rear triangle in Columbus Zona. This choice brings a good balance between resistance and lightness. Small subtlety, the top tube adopts a flat octagonal profile, so as to ensure a stable support for the saddlebags attached above and below.

The bottom bracket is T47 standard. (I'd rather BSA, but hey modern and French GIGFY) Usually used on our sportiest bikes, we wanted to test its interest on an endurance bike. The chainstays and shrouds allow the assembly of very large sections, up to 700c * 45mm, offering versatility to Crank depending on the tests and tracks on which it aligns.

The group chosen is the Sram Force 1: Matthieu having largely tested the American manufacturer during the two previous Transcontinentals, he decided to keep the same benchmarks while switching to single chainring, for easier adjustment and increased maintenance.

Light, an extremely important safety element (especially in long distance races where Matthew is frequently required to ride at night), is entrusted to Sinewave for the front and to SON for the rear. After a lot of testing, we decided to fix the light high up and prominently, just between the tire and the saddlebag. Screwed directly onto supports brazed to the frame, it is both perfectly visible and protected from shocks. The wire is also integrated inside the tubes to protect it.

The running gear is 100% European, with a SON (Germany) dynamo hub at the front, a rear hub and Mavic circles (French brand located in Annecy ), and finally Sapim CX-ray spokes (Belgian brand). Shown in the workshop, they bring dynamism and flawless reliability to the bike.

Luggage storage is inseparable from an endurance bike. It should allow you to carry everything you need for sleeping, eating and repairing your bike while remaining relatively minimalist. We once again called on Rodolphe from Helmut Equipement for the design and production of light, ultra-resistant, waterproof, modular and perfectly integrated elements into the bike. The frame bag, usually attached by means of scratchs (Straps?) is here screwed directly to the frame in the brazed stainless steel inserts. In addition to protecting the paint from abrasions, the integration is complete. The rest of the luggage is derived from the Helmut range. Rodolphe constantly evolves it following the feedback from Matthieu, so as to offer an ever more successful and efficient ensemble.

With the frame supporting two saddlebags and the seat post another, only two small racks attached to the fork are used for the rest, allowing a significant weight gain. Going from Woody to Gaby, three kilos were gained. Gaby weighs as well, fully equipped without saddlebags, 9.1kg. The luggage set adds barely a kilogram, so Matthieu can benefit from a fully equipped long-distance bike for the weight of a light gravel bike.

The weight gain, but also the reliability guided many choices. All peripherals come from the American supplier Thomson. Indestructible, they are also very light. Matthieu particularly fond of the khaki color (Woody was already painted in this color), we selected the “jungle” limited series to echo the color of the frame and the saddlebags. Once is not customary, the saddle clamp is added in aluminum.

Here is Matthieu's feedback after a year of use.

"Born in July, my machine found its name a few weeks later, on August 07, 2019, at around 11:30 p.m. at the top of the Col du Galibier, after roughly 3000 km of racing across Europe and as many mountains felt. I was on my way to Transcontinental Race # 7 checkpoint 4, which I reached on time a few hours later. The stage is set, Gaby was there totally in her element.

Gaby was young therefore, but we were already inseparable after 8000 km of adventures. With the whole workshop, we exchanged and implemented specifications that correspond to my specific cycling practice: sport hiking. This can take several forms: endurance races across Europe or mountain chains, BRM Audax (Brevets de Randonneurs Mondiaux), challenges based on endurance or navigation such as the Chilkoot series, Born to Ride as well as that all training adapted ... The bike must also be able to adapt to all types of long-distance travel, taking its time, and be able to carry a whole lot of equipment for a 5-star wilderness camping.
In the majority of these events, the “all road” dimension takes on its full meaning."

"The result blew me away. Handy, stable, secure: it is validated. Autonomous in electricity: imperative. Modular: there is only one step between light bikepacking and touring, which he can take without batting an eyelid. Dithyrambic ? Yes, he deserves it. In the majority of these events, the “all road” dimension takes on its full meaning."

"The road is my favorite terrain, but on these challenges it is really not uncommon to find more or less engaged gravel sectors, or sections of road far from the standard "billiards". Moreover, the further east we go, the more the line between road and gravel is sometimes difficult to define, even on an "important" axis: Georgie, my dear, this one is for you. Sometimes off-piste is also a must. Comfortable is the base. Dynamic, it was not an option. Gaby represents in my opinion the right balance, singular, rare and delicate, to be found for an adventure bike which must know how to be fast, playful and lively like a road bike, while benefiting from the all-terrain skills of a more gravel-oriented bike, or comfortable and modular like a travel bike."

"Beyond the tailor-made geometry adapted and carefully chosen components, the multitude of inserts allow me to go from from a lightweight bikepacking set (even including some items without straps) to touring oriented configurations, to compatibility with standardized luggage racks and mudguards."

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Fin.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Victoire cycles N418.

https://www.victoire-cycles.com/en/velo/le-polyvalent-breton-de-romuald/

Romuald is the manager of two organic grocery stores. He travels from one to the other by bicycle. He makes short trips of 4 to 20 km daily, and he never misses an opportunity to go on multi-day cycling trips. More than performance, he was looking for a versatile and enduring bike that would be fun and comfortable, regardless of the distance traveled. being conscious about environment and sustainable development, Romuald insisted that we use a maximum of components manufactured by hand or in small batches, preferably in France.

The frame was built in our Beaumont workshop, as per Romuald’s bike fitting session. The goal here was to build a bike that blends traditional looks with modern engineering and details.

The dark green paint, associated with the tan sidewall tires and the brown leather Berthoud saddle, gives this machine a decidedly timeless appearance.

Romuald opted for a Victoire unicrown fork and a steel stem, painted in the same color as the frame. These were made in our workshop, just like the custom stainless steel luggage racks, which are simply covered with clear-coat, to leave our brazing work visible.

All cable routing is internal, for a cleaner look and improved protection.

Romuald opted for a single SRAM drivetrain with a single chainring, for its ease of use and maintenance. The Sinewave front light features a USB port and is powered by a SON dynamo hub, so you never run out of light or GPS. The rear lighting is also from SON. The wheels were laced by hand at our workshop. They use Mavic Open Pro rims, outfitted with Challenge tubeless tires that are manufactured by hand.

Romaulds words below.
"My vision was a bike that would be my best teammate, the one I can project myself riding in all my adventure-riding plans. The result is exactly what I had envisioned for this life partner. On the practical side, I was initially amazed by the comfort offered by this bike.

My first thought was "Why did I ride bikes for so long in such discomfort!".

Then, I was blown away by how this bike “glides”...As a surfer, I am very familiar with the gliding sensation that one feels when riding a wave, especially the moment when the glide is at its peak, because everything is perfectly aligned the way it needs to be. It is the exact same sensation I am experiencing with this bike. Everything is smooth, the accelerations are easy, and the steering feels incredible, even when the bike is loaded with bags."

 

[magas]

hell, those Victoire's are all so tasty

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

hell, those Victoire's are all so tasty

They are pricey but you get a beautiful bicycle.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Victoire cycles N417.

https://www.victoire-cycles.com/en/velo/aventurier-multifonction-xavier/

Xaviers multifunction adventurer. Disc brakes, 1x, dropper post, electronic shifting and what looks like a carbon fork. There goes the neighborhood It is certainly pretty though and obviously more than fit for purpose.

Xavier wanted a bike that would be as versatile as possible, capable of crossing a paved pass as well as going on epic adventures off-road. He gave us carte blanche to build this Victoire, showcased at the Chris King Open House in Portland. Depending on the wheels chosen and the bags, it can either be a real road bike or a go-anywhere travel companion.

The frame, made out of Columbus tubing, is composed of a mixture of stainless steel and steel tubes: the upper tube is made of steel, in order to use an octagonal profile, which does not exist in stainless steel, to obtain excellent lateral rigidity while optimizing vertical compliance.

At the time the frame was designed, Columbus did not have any stainless steel seatstays like we needed, that would provide enough tire clearance. So we used steel seatstays. The way they are curved, and the fork model used give clearance for big tires (up to 700C x 45 mm or 27.5” x 2.2), ideal for riding in rough terrain.

Between the two new colors introduced by Chris King at the time, purple or bourbon, we preferred the latter. The paint was chosen accordingly, with a three color fade of metallic blues. Some sections of the frame were left unpainted, to highlight the brazing work on the stainless steel parts.

The electronic groupset offers a range of 500%, thanks to the combination of Sram Red AXS shifters with MTB-type derailleur and cassette SramXX1 AXS derailleur and 10-50T cassette. (The cassette probably cost more than my bike GIGFY)
The RockShox Reverb AXS dropper seatpost is connected to the shifters through the same electronic system as the derailleurs. An added benefit of this setup is that you can use the seatpost’s battery as a backup for the rear derailleur’s, in case it runs low.

Xavier opted for a seatpost clamp integrated into the seatstays.

The fork and the frame feature multiple accessory mounts, designed to work with the custom-made set of bags by Helmut Equipment (I really like the Helmut luggage I've seen GIGFY). The frame bag is screwed on the front triangle, to eliminate the need for straps and preserve the paint.

Xaviers words.
"I had never experienced such a sensation of stability and power transfer before riding my Victoire bike. On very rough trails, the feeling of safety and comfort is incredible. And on the road, even with gravel tires, I manage to keep up with my friends who are pure roadies, without effort."

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Fin.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Victoire cycles N442. Olivers neo-retro. Beautiful, elegant, a lovely homage of a velo de ville. I love fixed wheel. They are not fixies

https://www.victoire-cycles.com/en/velo/olivier-neo-retro/

Olivier, living in New York City, reached out to us with the desire to create a bike he could use in daily. His bike had to be a tribute to old messenger bikes, while keeping in mind the notions of comfort and liveliness. From this request was born the Victoire N°442, a vintage-looking fixed gear bike, integrating modern components allowing Olivier to zip through the New York City traffic.

To retain the spirit of the old messenger bikes, the choice of the fixed gear was made by Olivier. This type of bike has an history linked to New York streets, and their dense traffic. In addition to being very fun to ride and lightweight, the drivetrain of these bikes requires low maintenance, which is why New York bicycle messengers have made them their bikes of choice. Here, for Olivier's bike, this simplicity of operation is welcome for an everyday use. The surfaces of the horizontal droupouts are left in bare stainless steel, in order to preserve the bike's finish over time.

The crankset has 47 teeth and comes from White Industries, an American supplier. Its finish echoes the numerous silver components of the bike.

The rear hub, like its sprocket, are none other than those manufactured by Victoire in the past, crafted in aluminum and assembled by hand in our workshop. It's a nod to our history, it was impossible for us to make a more local choice !

The front dynamo hub comes from SON, allowing the bicycle lighting to be powered as long as the bike is rolling. The wheels for this project were therefore assembled in our workshop, to allow this specific configuration ! They are both in 700C, dimension chosen according to the size of the rider.

The fork, stem (The only criticism I have is why is the handler shimmed? GIGFY) and luggage rack of Victoire N°442 were entirely made in our workshop. Fork and stem have been painted to integrate the visual lines of the bike and tie everything together, while the luggage rack is simply clear-coated to keep its raw appearance, thus connecting visually with the set of silver parts.

The headset chosen is none other than a Chris King one, a supplier with whom we work on a regular basis, whose products are truly durable, and are guaranteed for life by the manufacturer. Once again, the silver finish matches the other components of the bike.

The saddle is also Made in France since it is an "Idéale" saddle, the production of which was relaunched in 2010 by Frédéric Ducès with the same requirements as the traditional products. These saddles are made by hand in Toulouse, without compromising on the quality of manufacture. The color matches the Brooks leather bar tape as well as the beige sidewalls of the tires, WTB expanse in size 700 x 32C.

This bike's paint, like all the Victoire including our new graphic identity, was done by Julien in our workshop. The shade which was chosen is an iridescent midnight blue leaning towards a deep purple, revealing all its depth in the light, yet remaining subtle The finish is highlighted by the set of silver and leather parts. Matching this paint color with the leather and silver tones creates a vintage aspect, which was the goal with this project.

As usual, we now let the owner, Olivier, share his feedback after having received his bike in New York.
"I was looking for a city bike for everyday use in New York City (where I live), featuring the classic look of messenger bikes. So I wanted something manageable and lively but still comfortable and practical. To stay true to the vintage messenger spirit, I opted for a fixed gear. I'm loving the result, as I discuss below.

"I loved the bike from the first photos Julien sent me and even more when it arrived in New York. The result is even better than I expected. It is true to the Vintage messenger spirit and the paint job is perfect. It is my first custom bike and I felt the difference from the first pedal strokes. Everything fits perfectly and falls naturally under the hands (or feet). The position is perfectly natural and super comfortable. The more impressive is that, because of the distance and the pandemic, the fitting session was done by phone and email."

"The choice of frame material is also perfect for ensuring the liveliness that I was looking for but, at the same time, without feeling all the many defects of the New York road network. Brilliant!"

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Fin.