-----Original Message----- From: P.C. Kohler Sent: Sun, Aug 16, 2009 3:42 pm Subject: [CR] How Remarkable is Mercier? Are You Kidding?
But there's no convincing most folks around here about anything French in cycling, is there? All of those horrid pink Mercier pros you find should be put on eBay for a Buy it Now for $199 with a warning about French threading, stems and squeeling Mafacs. How many can Jerry and I buy between us? How many have you got?
Peter Kohler Washington DC USA
Hear, Hear Peter!
While never really having been a Francophile I do enjoy my collection of French bikes - Bertins, Gitanes, Motobecanes and yes 2 Peugeots. At least they are not.... "Oh NO! Another Campy bike". ;-)
Our shop was located a few blocks from a large college campus. Every fall and spring students from all over the US would show up with their bikes from home needing assembly or service.
This was around the end of the Bike Boom and we got to see a lot of bikes from many of the smaller European producers. Like most of the bikes the students brought in, the few Merciers that I saw were entry level models. I did like their decals and striping though, it was a departure from the Mylar foil decals that was common on a lot of French makes from those days.
During the past year there were a number of "pretty in pink" Mercier pro bikes that showed up on eBay. Unfortunately they all sold for more than I wanted to fork out. I'd still like to add one of them to my collection.
French bikes may not have had the best finishes but they were built to ride, not look at!
Chas. Colerich
Oakland, CA USA