The news that Rigida's Noyon plant has just been shut down is dreadfully sad news, but I suppose it had to be expected sooner or later. Presumably it was a casualty of the fact that French producers of everyday bikes and mountain bikes, no longer make anything but simply source products in the far east. As for top-end machines, the vast majority have factory produced complete wheels such as Campagnolo, Shimano and the score or so of other carbon and specialist wheel makers
In the UK it is now impossible to buy MAVIC rims from wholesalers who have decided to sell direct to retailers. who have to place minimum orders of £5000. And of course Mavic want you also to buy their expensive ready=built wheels some of which are made in Rumania instead in the pleasant village of Chatillon-sur-Chalaronne in the countryside NE of Lyon. A knock-on effect of this situation is that many wholesalers, not being able to sell rims, have stopped stocking hubs in pairs except for pow-end Shimano.
Rigida was part of my youth...I always thought that their dimpled -edged steel rims that shod millions of Gitanes, Peugeots, Lejeunes, Motobecanes etc etc etc epitomised French city and sports bikes. Although never in the foreflight of quality and innovation, the rims did offer good value for money.
My Parisien mate had recently showed me some prototypes of new lines that he had obtained from Rigida. These were deep section rims in bright colours...one range even having a mock wooden finish, These were aimed at the hi-style fixie bike being sold in their thousands around France.
Let's hope that the closure of the Noyon plant is not the end of the company but a restructuring into new premises.
With Wolber, AVA, Super Champion, Lyotard gone, MAVIC playing hard-to-get, and Rigida in some doubt, that only leaves MACH1 to fly the French flag.
It's a sad sad day.
Norris Lockley...Settle.. just about to don my Bretagne beret and light up a Gauloise to reflect upon happy days gone by.