A few years ago I bought a cross frame in France, quite a heavy one. In the meantime I found out that there is a French collector who owns exactly the same model: that’s why I guessed it was produced in France. In this chapter you will find pictures of his bike as well as mine, they are different in minor details. My bike has serial number 644 which is inscripted in many parts,
including front fork, frame, brake lever and the inside of the cranks.
The Frenchman's bike has a number that is not even 100 bikes newer. Both wheels measure 30 inch.
The bike has some interesting details which made identification easy ... when in october 2012 I looked through a lot of antique bicycle catalogues in the Velorama museum. Most specific are the two stays which were used to attach the rear mudguard. And I found it in the catalogue of F. Mégret from Paris, the year is unknown but I guess 1892. Strange is that the catalogue calls it a childrens bike, with small wheels, while the illustration shows no children's bike at all. The bike of my French fellow collector even has the same saddle.
My conclusion: it must be an older model from F.Mégret, I guess 1890-1891. Maybe someday I'll find an older catalogue?
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