The Mercier frame that I have is a lower quality, entry-level, bike, similar to most popularly priced French bikes in the 70's and 80's. Oddly, in my opinion, it doesn't make them less desirable. It was in this time period that most Americans were discovering the "10-speed racing bike". The European bike producers were suddenly finding a welcoming and enthusiastic market for this new generation of cycling in the U.S. As a professional bike mechanic throughout that time it was exciting to see lighter weight, and often "exotic", bikes arriving for sale from European producers. These brands marked a watershed in American biking. In retrospect the quality of most popularly priced European bikes was quite poor compared to the next generation of road bikes to come. But to this day, when I see when of these "first wave" bikes it immediately triggers that excitement of discovering a new world of cycling.

Of course, the high-end of the European market was, and is, exquisite. These comments about the entry level Mercier are focused on the broad market aimed at the recreational cyclist. I have seen a lot of photos of Mercier bikes that are high-end and beautiful - would love to find one someday.