From various Paris Show reports...........
1951
Herse includes velomoteurs in his display for the first time, as do many of the other manufacturers large and small.......
1952
Herse had none on show, but will still make them to order where there is a demand. Singer has one on his stand. Charles Pelissier when asked if he was intending to start producing Velomoteurs replies "I am a cyclist and I am only interested in real cycles". The larger French factories reduce there output of ordinary machines, due to the demand for motor-assisted machines.
- Herse Randonneur (15-speed) selling for 63,000 ff (all-chrome) and weighing 10.2 kg.
- Singer (10-speed) 58,000 ff (chromed) 52,000 ff (enamelled)
1953
The show is so taken over by Velomoteurs, that 75% of the report is taken up by the thought that it might be the end for traditional bikes. All but three stands included Velomoteurs. Prior to the show, the French Ministry of Labour declared "It seems we are watching the demise of the bicycle which has been given the coup de grace by an insignificant little motor". Even Charles Pelissier came off his moral high ground ; The cycles on his stand were all but hidden by motorised machines, in the form of motor-scooters and cycle motors.....
1954
Salvation !
Traditional cycles are brought back to the fore. At least one maker had given up production of them altogether (Charles Garin). Despite last years profits of doom, the demand for motor-assisted machines never transpired [Probably due to the publics ability to buy real "Scooters" by Lambretta et al.....] A lot of manufacturers were caught of guard - Peugeot were unable to meet the demand for unassisted cycles !
Herse Randonneur (15-spd) 65,000 ff !
a PLX-10 'special-course' a paltry 35,000 ff.........
Bob Reid Stonehaven Scotland
> From: halbike <halbike@yahoo.com>
> Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2002 16:23:24 -0800 (PST)
> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Subject: Re: [CR]RE: Motorized Rene Herse
>
> Would greatly like to see a scan of that catalog!
> Paul Genaro
> over trexlertown pa
> --- Bicycle Classics inc <bikevint@tiac.net> wrote:
>> As one of the lists Herse fans, I thought I'd
>> mention that Herse in perhaps
>> his first catalog (late 40's?) shows a ladies
>> bicycle with a pretty fancy
>> motor built onto it. As I understand it, motorizing
>> even a top-tier French
>> touring type bike was in vogue at a certain time in
>> the late 40's or
>> perhaps 50's. If I recall a conversation I had with
>> a French bicycle
>> expert, the famous builder Daudon (I could be
>> mistaken on the name of the
>> builder here) basically phased out most regular
>> bicycle building and took
>> up exotic work on these strange bicycle/motorized
>> contraptions.
>>
>> As for me, the thought of imposing the smells of a 2
>> stroke engine and the
>> noise on an otherwise tranquil spring morning makes
>> no sense. Then again,
>> for many folks the idea that someone would enjoy a
>> brisk morning climb up a
>> 2,000 foot mountain is equally silly. Mike
>> "starring at the mountains in
>> Boulder" Kone
>>
>>
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