Tech Gallery – A Visit to Mavic

The 2010 VeloNews Buyer’s Guide will be in mailboxes and on newsstands within days.

One of the feature stories in this year’s edition is the tale of my visit to four of France’s major cycling companies. Over the course of a week, after the Eurobike trade show, I had the fortunate opportunity to stop in on Mavic, Time, Look, and Cyfac. As you can imagine, such a trip resulted in far more photos and words than can possibly fit in one magazine, so I’ve compiled a photo gallery for each of these legendary companies.

What’s so special about France? For starters, there’s a strong cycling culture, evidenced in part by that little race they’ve hosted every July since 1903. But the Grand Boucle aside, the bicycle has a long history there. Some of the earliest pedal driven bicycles (known as velocipedes) were popularized in Paris, where riders took to the streets beginning in the late 1860s. As the sport grew, and bicycle designs matured at the turn of the century, the industry boomed. Of the companies I visited, Mavic is the oldest, founded in this early era around 1889.

I’ll start here with Mavic, and over the course of a week or so, bring you with me some 1000 kilometers across France (from Annecy to La Fuye, by way of Lyon and Nevers).

Mavic actually has three facilities in France: a design center in Annecy, a preproduction assembly shop in Annecy la Vieux, and a rim production factory in Saint-Trivier-sur-Moignans, north of Lyon. I wasn’t allowed to take many photos inside the factories, but here are the best from my collection. For the rest of the story, you’ll have to find a Buyer’s Guide …

FILED UNDER: Bikes and Tech TAGS: Buyer's Guide / Mavic