Dave
What about the Le Chemineau? They would get my vote. A Google search should turn up some interesting history on the marque.
David Lester
West Hartford, Connecticut, USA
http://www.wooljersey.com/
http://community.webshots.com/
http://velo-orange.blogspot.com/
What was the first *production* bike designed specifically for loaded touring that is recognizable as being the predecessor of the modern touring bike?
Was it the 1936 Peugeot PHL 41?
See: http://www.peugeotshow.com/
Defining my own terms here...
By "production bike" I mean a bike that was produced as a defined model and sold as a complete bike with stock components. I mean to exclude from this bikes that were built as quasi-custom bikes, but I understand that "model" in this sense is squishy.
By "designed for loaded touring" I mean a bike that was purpose built to carry racks and capable of carrying an overnight camping load. By this I mean to exclude bikes like the Lenton/Raliegh Clubman (and its predecessors) which were designed and sold as multipurpose bike which were, in the words of Peter Kohler, "Suitable for roadracing, touring or time trailing"
See: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/
Lastly, by "recognizable as being a predecessor of the modern touring bike" I mean having: a) Multi geared drive trains b) The ability to afix racks and bags c) Handling characteristics suitable for carrying a load (noting that the understanding of this has continued to change over the years) d) Turned down or drop style handlebars
The earliest I can find currently based on web accessible
resources is the Peugeot PHL 41, 44 and 50 "Grand Tourisme"
bikes. My understanding of French has shriveled, so I can't
fully parse this scan....
http://www.peugeotshow.com/
Based on my reading of the other catalogs listed here:
http://www.peugeotshow.com/
-Dave Mann, Boston, MA