In a message dated 7/27/2002 8:50:04 AM Eastern Daylight Time, jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net writes:
<< I recently saw these in a local shop (actually one of a chain of shops - Cycle Spectrum or something like that) here in Houston. The shop also sells the current Taiwan-made "Motobecanes". The quality of the "Merciers" was about the same as the "Motobecanes". The shop guy indicated that the Mercier name is now owned by the owner of the chain of shops, who I think was associated with the former infamous World Cycles. >>
Yes, thanks Jerry, this confirms my guess... This guy is quite the opportunist. This World Cycles fellow is supposed to be the same fellow who caused the demise of Peugeot USA. World went broke owing Peugeot something like $2 million, which Peugeot could not recover from! (Of course, Peugeot really did it to themselves by extending that much credit!) Those Cycle Spectrum shops are real doozies. I have visited a few and was really depressed.
Dale Brown cycles de ORO, Inc. 1410 Mill Street Greensboro, North Carolina USA 27408 336-274-5959 Fax 336-274-6360 <A HREF="http://www.cyclesdeoro.com">cyclesdeORO.com</A> <A HREF="http://www.classicrendezvous.com/main.htm">Classic Rendezvous</A>