The history of cycling in France is deeply intertwined with the country’s industrial past. Although the invention of the bicycle is credited to German Baron Karl von Drais, who patented his draisine in 1816, it was the French who popularized this two-wheeler.
In the 1860s, the Michaux family, Parisian coach builders, developed a new drive mechanism, placing pedals and cranks on an enlarged wooden front wheel. Their factory started producing “velocipedes”, leading to the commercialization of bicycles as we know them today.
Other influential French bicycle manufacturers were Alcyon, Alex Singer, and Automoto.
Peugeot, a company with a rich history dating back to 1882, produced bicycles in France until the late 1980s—and won ten Tours de France between 1903 and 1983.
Lapierre and Look are other notable manufacturers, and more recently, companies like Moustache and E-Mazing have become leaders in the production of electric bikes.
Read on to discover some of the less-travelled highways and byways of French cycling history, from stylish classics to obscure custom builds.
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