By Mike Barry Sr.

Photography by Walter Lai

 

The Mercier Company was established in St. Etienne, France in the early part of the Twentieth Century. They produced a large range of bikes from kid’s bikes to top of the line racing bikes. For fifty years, 1933-1983, the company sponsored top level racing teams that finished high up but never won the Tour de France. Long time Mercier team leader Raymond Poulidor twice finished second and five times third.

Tour de France 1964. Jacques Anquetil  and Raymond Poulidor. Puy De Dome.

In 1985,Mercier, along with many other French bike and component manufacturers succumbed to the competition from the Asian bike industry.

This Mercier was not their top model racing bike but was equipped with the best French components from that era. The Simplex Super LJ derailleurs are, in my opinion, the best derailleurs ever produced before Shimano introduced indexing in the early 1980’s. The French manufacturers specialized in one component, Simplex the derailleurs, Mafac the brakes, Maillard the freewheel, hubs and pedals and Stronglight the crankset, headset and bottom bracket. Together they formed a group, which they named Spidel, to compete with the groups of Shimano and Campagnolo who produced all their group components.

This bike was purchased at a very reasonable price at a French flea market in 1996 by my son, Michael Barry when he was racing as an amateur for Velo Club Annemasse in France. He acquired a number of old bikes with interesting parts at the French flea markets, which he would often stop at along his rest day training routes.


5 thoughts on “Mercier, France. 1975

  1. Nice ride. I have a 1975 mercier special tour de france with the mafac “racer” engraved on the brakes. Not sure if its anything special. It has a bike registration in Vancouver from 1975. I bought it at a yard sale.

  2. I bought this bike near Annemasse in 2012. I still have it. I’m 98% sure it’s the same bike. Did your son resell it?

  3. I have a 1975 Mercier special tour to France bike. It has just been destroyed by a falling tree. It was reconditioned last year for $450. Can you give me an estimate of what my bike is worth for insurance purposes? I would be grateful. Thank you, Mike says:

    I have a 1975 Mercy a special tour to France bike. It has just been destroyed by a falling tree. It was reconditioned last year for $450. Can you give me an estimate of what my bike is worth for insurance purposes? I would be grateful. Thank you, Mike

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