Originally Posted by
JimR56
Yes, Oakland was one of the few U.S. locations where the Merciers were imported in those years, so there is an increased connection for those of us who lived (or live) in this area. For me it wasn't about having a racing bike vs a non-racing bike. I was 13 when I got my Mercier in 1969, and I rode it in the neighborhood and to school. I've never raced a bike in my life, and knew nothing about sewup tires. My 1969 Mercier was a beautiful thing to me, a utilitarian work of art, and also very special in that it was a significant gift from my dad (who treated us sparingly to things like new french bicycles, and never spoiled us). My bike wasn't a model 300, nor is my "new" Mercier, so I guess there are many readers here who will turn up their noses at the thought of talking about them as part of Mercier history. Oh my god, they're too heavy to race! Change those rims! How can you ride a bike with steel rims?
Jeez. My main bike for years has been a Schwinn cruiser, and it weighs a hell of a lot more than my Mercier. I'm 64 years old, and I'll actually be lucky if I can stay healthy enough to even ride a bike again. There's no racing in my past, or in my future. I just want to enjoy and appreciate my bicycle, which brings back some great memories. If at all possible, I'd like to learn as much as I can about the history of the company and their models, and maybe connect with others who share my interest. I really put a lot of time and effort into that thread. I scoured the web for info and images; and scoured this and other forums for weeks in an attempt to bring together all the information I could about the Mercier brand. I hope people will read it like a general reference source, and find a question to answer, or perhaps ask a new question. My Mercier thread began with me and my story, but I went on to try to make it about the brand in general.
Thanks for responding. Oh, and I know about Poulidor, of course, and have tried to engage French members who briefly joined in. Cheers.
I'm quite in agreement, and my reference to the racing models was merely to explain my own personal point of entry. I didn't race but I did ride fast and hard, and did serious long rides. I also did all my own mechanical work and had the tools, which was not at all unusual back then. But yeah, all the models from these makers were beautiful, and compared to the Schwinn Varsitys and Continentals very light and mechanically sophisticated. Nothing to look down on at all and far more than the racing models the mid- and lower-level bikes were responsible for the growth of bicycling as a popular activity for American adults (which we might take for granted now). I was not aware of the Oakland Mercier connection, and this does help explain the greater prevalence of these bikes up here. Growing up in Southern California I rarely saw them--until I went to college in Santa Barbara. Peugeot, on the other hand, had its US offices in LA (a fact which helped me later when I met someone retired from there who had a lot of spare parts!)