French bicycle industry

Clément Cycles
Company type	Company
Industry	Bicycle manufacturing
Founded	1876
Founder	Adolphe Clément-Bayard
Headquarters	France
Products	Bicycles

The French bicycle sector has played a significant role in the history of the bicycle over the last 150 years, experiencing two prominent periods of growth and continuing its presence into the 21st century, albeit with reduced prominence today.

Invention

The invention of the bicycle is often credited to the German Baron Karl von Drais, who in 1816 secured a patent for his "draisine" (also known as "draisienne"), a vehicle propelled by the rider pushing their feet against the ground.

Prior to this, earlier human-powered machines like velocipedes existed, including models resembling scooters such as the dandy horse or celerifere, which were once attributed to the French Comte de Sivrac in 1790. Nonetheless, modern historians generally regard these as likely fictional accounts created by Louis Baudry de Saunier, a French cycling historian from the 19th century.

Commercialization

During the 1860s, Parisian coachbuilders Michaux introduced a novel propulsion system featuring pedals and cranks attached directly to an oversized wooden front wheel with iron tires, supported by a sturdy steel frame. The credit for this breakthrough is contested between Pierre Lallement, a mechanic working for Michaux, and Ernest Michaux. According to Henry Michaux's 1893 account, Ernest and their father Pierre refined this concept in 1861 after adapting a draisine. Pierre Michaux’s workshop began producing crank-driven velocipedes: initially two units in the first year and increasing to 142 units the following year.

Due to disagreements over invention rights, Lallement emigrated to the United States in 1865 and obtained the first U.S. bicycle patent in 1866 with financial support from James Carroll of Ansonia, Connecticut. By 1865, Michaux was manufacturing approximately 400 velocipedes annually; their bicycles were displayed at the inaugural international bicycle exhibition in 1867. By 1869, daily production reached 200 units and sales expanded into the U.S. Their wooden and iron construction earned them the nickname Boneshakers. The first boneshaker competition took place in 1868 at Paris’ Parc de Saint Cloud; James Moore won this race as well as the 123 km Paris–Rouen event in 1869.

The outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War (1870) interrupted Michaux’s manufacturing as resources were diverted to military efforts. As a result, significant advancements shifted to Great Britain. Prior to hostilities, Michaux had arranged with Rowley B. Turner of Coventry Sewing Machine Company to produce 400 velocipedes for France; Turner redirected these sales to England during wartime. James Starley, who worked as a foreman in Coventry, enhanced designs culminating in the 1885 Starley Rover, produced by his nephew John Kemp Starley—widely recognized as the first modern "safety bicycle."

Steam-powered motorcycle

The Michaux-Perreaux steam velocipede, created by 1867 and patented in 1872, is acknowledged as the earliest motorcycle. It directly evolved from Michaux’s muscle-powered velocipede.

Golden age

The "golden age of bicycles" arose with Starley’s safety bicycle, triggering a widespread cycling boom across Europe and North America during the Gay Nineties. Bicycles became safer, more affordable, and accessible for transportation and recreation beyond affluent urban males. While France was involved, production mainly remained concentrated in England and the United States, laying groundwork for a resurgence of French industry.

In 1876, Clément Cycles was established by Adolphe Clément-Bayard alongside the founding of Société Parisienne.

By 1881, entrepreneur Paul de Vivie acquired his first bicycle and by 1887 opened both a shop and a magazine in Saint-Étienne. Initially importing from Coventry, he soon commenced domestic manufacturing with his 1889 model La Gauloise, marking a significant development in French production.

Cycles Peugeot was founded in 1882 by Armand Peugeot and his brothers under Peugeot Frères Aînés (PFA). PFA exhibited a steam-powered tricycle at the 1889 Paris World Fair. Following internal conflicts, Armand created Société Anonyme des Automobiles Peugeot in 1896, which became France's leading automobile manufacturer by World War I with an annual output of around 10,000 vehicles.

Established in 1880 as Hurtu, Hautin et Diligeon initially produced sewing machines before expanding into machine tools and bicycles. The Hurtu brand later pioneered French automobile manufacturing from 1896 onward.

Charles Terrot and Wilhelm Stücklen founded a machinery factory in Cannstatt in 1862; Terrot opened a branch in Dijon in 1887 that began producing bicycles by 1890. That same year saw the creation of Manufacture d'Articles Vélocipediques Idoux et Chanel (MAVIC), dedicated to manufacturing and distributing bicycle components.

In 1889, brothers Édouard (1859–1940) and André Michelin (1853–1931), operating a farm equipment business in Clermont-Ferrand, developed an improved pneumatic tire that did not require adhesive attachment to rims. Michelin was incorporated on May 28, 1889. Their removable pneumatic tire patent granted in 1891 enabled Charles Terront to win the first Paris–Brest–Paris race.

In 1891, Alexandre Darracq and Paul Aucoq founded Cycles Gladiator. In 1896, Adolphe Clément—who held French manufacturing rights for Dunlop tires—joined forces with syndicate leader Harvey Du Cros (Dunlop's founder) to acquire Gladiator. This merger formed one of the largest bicycle manufacturing conglomerates: Clément, Gladiator & Humber & Co Limited. Their product lineup expanded to include tricycles, quadricycles, motorized bicycles (from 1902), automobiles, and motorcycles.

French bicycle manufacturers

Among the notable French producers of bicycles are:

Adrisport, creators of Adris models, founded in Brittany in 2009.
Alcyon, established in 1902 and discontinued production by 1928.
Alex Singer
Arcade
Automoto
Louison Bobet, manufactured during the 1960s and 1970s.
Caminade
CNC
Cycleurope
Cycles Aluminium, an early pioneer in aluminum-frame bicycles since 1890.
Cycles Bertin
Cyfac, a current French bicycle maker.
Decathlon, a major retailer that designs bikes primarily produced by Polish company Kross.
Douze Cycles, experts in cargo bike production.
Cycles Follis, operational from 1903 until its closure in 2007.
GIRS, established in 1997, focused on premium road and time trial bicycles.
Gitane, founded in 1930 and still active today.
René Herse, known for handcrafted bicycles from the 1940s through the mid-1970s.
Lapierre
, active between 1918 and 1996.
Cycles Mercier
Motobécane, started in 1923, went bankrupt in 1981, and halted bike production after 1984.
Origine Cycles, an Arveyres-based online retailer specializing in high-end road bicycles.
Peugeot, began producing bicycles in 1882; since the late 1980s, their bikes have been marketed under the Cycleurope brand.
Cycles Philippe, which commenced manufacturing during the 1970s.
Renault
S1NEO
Skyde
Stella
Sunn, founded in 1988.
Time Sport, specializing in high-end road bikes, part of the Rossignol group.
Urago, which ended production during the 1980s.
Van Rysel, introduced in 2018 as Decathlon's top-tier bicycle brand.
VéloSoleX

French bicycle component manufacturers

Prominent manufacturers of bicycle components based in France include:

AGDA
Atom
AVA
Christophe
CLB
Corima
Cyclo France
Huret
Hutchinson, established in 1853
Idéale
Lapize
Look, founded in 1951, credited with pioneering clipless pedals during the 1980s
Lyotard
Maillard
Mafac, recognized for brakes, racks, and tool kits up until the 1980s
Mavic
Maxicar
Michelin, manufacturing bicycle tires since 1889
Milremo
Nervar
Nervex
Normandy
Simplex
Stronglight
Super Champion, producer of alloy rims until the 1980s
TA (Traction Avant)
Time
Transfil
Zéfal

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