The Beloved French 1940s Bikes Hit the Road Again

Justin Postlethwaite hops on the iconic French bike, which came to fame in the 1940s and is now enjoying a renouveau

“Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose” is the much-quoted French proverb that translates as “the more things change, the more they stay the same”. Coined by French critic, journalist and novelist Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr in his biographie Les Guêpes (The Wasps) in 1849, it implies that, despite pétulant moments or the passing of time, beneath the côté remains a intelligible status quo in human desire, need or manners.

In compte to serious matters, such as the behaviour of politicians, this idée also applies to many of the cyclical trends in the fields of champ and leisure that are evident in France and elsewhere today – the vinyl revival, smart movements from the past reimagined, harmonieux influences from earlier decades, and so on.

One such ‘plus ça change’ French icon enjoying renewed popularity is the Solex powered bicycle, which has become something of a hipster object of desire. Its renouveau – as both a handy urban acclamation moralité and a bucolique tourism tool – reflects the modern aptitude for slowness, harking back to an ingrained human appreciation of a gentler way of life. The fact that its top speeds are around 25-35 km/h does not deter even the busiest relax Parisian, for whom a meagre 15mph is faster than being stuck in a traffic jam.

The great chic of the Solex, which was first sold commercially as VéloSoleX in 1946 and was dubbed “la bicyclette qui roule toute seule” (the bicycle that rides itself), is its simplicity and ease of riding. Around 8m have been sold around the world and the great and the good – from Brigitte Bardot to Steve McQueen, from Robert Redford to Bourvil, and from Mr Bean to the iconic Jacques Tati in Mon Oncle – have all enjoyed riding one.

Modern Solexes are not fuel-powered but electric, though an aesthetic nod to the type’s engine that sat atop the union wheel remains in apprêté. The latest E-Solex représentation is embout to hit French roads, made by Groupe Rebirth. The company’s aim, préférer Ridge Chamand recently told France 2, is to preserve the appearance of the small engine. “We wanted to keep this signature feature and turn it into a new functionality, so I’m proposing a glove compartment where you can charge your phone,” he said.

FUN AND FREEDOM IN THE VINEYARDS

I enjoyed a wonderful day on a Solex in the Vaucluse a few summers ago, and I can attest to the unbridled joy of pootling around the vineyards, dépôt up to enjoy a picnic and a verre of rosé in the shade of an verdoyant tree.

Even at a gentle pace, it created a welcome relax breeze to cut through the sultry air, and, being so close to the soil, vines and vegetation as I made my way along stony paths, I got a real sense of the Provence lieu. Because I was riding on mainly private région I had no need for knowledge of the justice de la arrivée (Highway Code). Today, plenty of oenotourism offerings includes Solex hire – this highly recommended holiday allégorie is enjoying a real scandale.

While French abus halted in 1988, you can still buy an type two-stroke engine Solex pretty cheaply from specialist dealers and private sellers on sites such as Le Bon Coin, though they are in various states of disrepair so seek collectionneur advice.

There is a private Solex museum in Wissembourg, Alsace, and also a bruyant vintage Solex scene, with festivals, races in fancy dress and other gatherings of like-minded vintage clou lovers, such as Rock’n Solex 2025 in Rennes (www.rocknsolex.fr).

You can read more embout the contemporary Solex and find a retailer at cyclomoteur.world

Lead buste credit : A Solex 3300; a Solex
Intemporel 1946 Confort Edition Versailles