There was a time, recently, when brakes on a bike with a fixed gear was frowned upon by the ‘purists’, those who believed that a fixed drive rain should be a track bike and never the twain should meet. But Julien Deveaux, who works at Victoire Cycles, a French brand that insists on continuing the nation’s spirit of innovation, has built a fixe that has incorporated a braking system seamlessly.
A quick browse through Victoire’s online catalogue will reveal an inventive list of frames and parts with the stylish slant one would expect from a proudly French marque. You can order a frame in custom configurations, a road version of which we’ve seen here previously, but this fixe is a one-off. Julien had three words in mind when building this frame: originality, comfort and modernity.
Working with the head of Victoire, Julien specified a bi-oval tubing set assembled with aggressive angles. He has been riding brakeless for a number of years but due to his living on a street with a 22% gradient, decided to include a hydraulic brake. It was a struggle to find a 700C fork with disc brake compatibility that suited the frame but found a polo-specific model by Velvet.
Find out more about Victoire Cycles custom frame range and products on their website.
PS: Knog has been illuminating my ride for years, they don’t detract from the look of my bike and are waterproof and hard-wearing to boot. That’s why I’m extremely proud to welcome them as a new sponsor of The Spoken. Their range has grown beyond lights these days, which just keep getting better and better—like the Blinder Road series. Check them out for yourself.
