I would think that an understanding of the "Golden Age" of (French) handbuilt bicycles would be incomplete without some acknowledgement of that most mysterious human phenomenon, the Fashion Trend. I do not understand fashion trends, but their reality and power cannot be denied. Like a nuclear reaction sweeping through a society, more and more people begin to see a certain thing, or style, as Cool, and in short order an entire industry develops to meet the demand. Economic circumstances may have a role in starting the trend, but once it gets rolling, people rearrange their priorities in order to participate. The affluent may spend more freely, while those of humbler means scrimp and scrape and compromise, but both are motivated by a desire to enjoy something that everyone agrees not only looks cool, but is cool, intrinsically. What I'm trying to say is that fashion trends seem to flourish almost in defiance of purely practical considerations such as actual basic needs, the availability or lack of resources, and the existence of viable alternatives.
There is a long and ongoing history here in the U.S. of looking to France for style, which causes me to imagine the French, as a society, as being both style-conscious and having good taste. So it seems somehow appropriate that France was the epicenter of a trend that raised the bicycle to an art form emphasizing the best compromises of beauty and utility. The trend was so powerful as to extend its influence around the world. However, although good design has a timeless quality about it, trends come and go inexplicably. A core group continues to carry the banner while the rest of the culture moves on to something else.
John Hurley
Austin, Texas, USA