msl109

Hello all - was wondering about this topic - I have always made the assumption that Miche is the same company that in early production produced pedals wearing the full Michelin name. (And the same company that is renowned for tires, of course, and in France, the ubiquitous travel guides ..) I digress. Both pedals are made in Italy, both close approximations of the classic Campy design (not that that's unique), and it would make sense to think their marketing dept for some reason shortened the name soon after starting to produce the pedals - very few with the Michelin name around. Obviously only Michelin held the copyright to their name, but is Miche, who still makes components, possibly a separate company?
If the same company, why with such a well respected and recognized name wouldn't they continue labeling their products Michelin?

nashvillebill

Michelin Tire Company is a France-based company, not Italian. (I worked at the Michelin headquarters in Clermont-Ferrand, France for a year and a half in the mid-80's.) Even ran into Francoise Michelin there in the parking lot.

Chombi1 

Miche pedals and components are/were made in Italy.
I think by a company originally started by a French man but lived/worked in Italy.
I don't think they had any connection with the Michelin tire company.

msl109

So both pedals were indeed made by the sane manufacturer? How could they possibly get away with using the name if there were no affiliation? Maybe that's why it changed ...

msl109

Small world. Yes, absolutely. I realize the tire company is French 100 pct. I just thought they might have had the parts manufactured in Italy for them. So you're saying the tire company never got into bike components. Then maybe the Italian company Michelin became Miche because there was a trademark infringement? Or maybe the Michelin branded pedals are unaffiliated with either company ...

msl109

On closer inspection, the castings look different.

unworthy1

There was an article about this Michelin/Miche story from one of the Bike History experts (such as Angel of the Italian Bike blog or maybe Steve Maasland AKA Citoyen du Monde) that explained IIRC that Michelin (yes, in ITALY) was the original family name of what is now MICHE (and they make more than just pedals). I do think there was some family connection to the French (tires, maps and restaurant stars) side of the family and this Italian branch but I may be guilty (once again) of half-brained mis-remembering!

unworthy1

It's LONG, but here's the story:
‘My grandfather, Ferdinando Michelin, started the company in 1919, just down the road from where we are now in San Vendemiano,’ says Michelin, speaking of the factory’s location in the heart of the Veneto region. ‘The original business made bicycles and at one time mopeds under the name Ciclopiave – Piave is a famous river near here on whose banks the Italian soldiers repelled the last Austrian attacks in the First World War.

‘We first started making components and accessories in 1935, then in 1963 my grandfather decided to split the business, giving one half to each of his sons. He thought it was only fair that they both had the same opportunity to do well in life. My father, Italo, took the components, and his brother, Tideo, was given the bicycles and made them under the name Stella Veneta.

However the family business was soon to run into a spot of bother. ‘We were known as Fac Michelin, in other words “Factory of Michelin”, but when we started stamping that on our components Michelin in France – the tyre company – got in contact and said they were not so happy about the name.


‘It’s funny to think about it now, as it would never happen that way today, but instead of involving lawyers we drew up a gentlemen’s agreement with Michelin whereby we could brand our products “Miche” so long as we promised to never make tyres. I still have the letter Michelin sent from France confirming the deal.’

After the death of Tideo Michelin the bicycle arm was sold on and latterly closed, but the component side went from strength to strength. Before long Miche was not only making its own products but was also doing contract work on behalf of Campagnolo, Gipiemme, Pinarello, Peugeot and Raleigh, among others.

JohnDThompson 

“The Michelin family founded both the Miche bicycle component brand as well as Ciclo Piave and are distantly related to the Italo-French family of tire fame.”

Ciclo Piave, Main