Mavic, a mere 125 years old

Mavic is old. The French wheel, shoe, helmet and apparel company got its start 1889 as Manufacture d’Articles Vélocipédiques Idoux et Chanel, or Mavic for short. “Idoux” is Charles Idoux and “Chanel” is Lucien Chanel, two of the founders.

Throughout 125 year, Mavic has been involved in various parts of the bike. They’ve made hubs, front and rear derailleurs, and even electronic components, such as the Zap Mavic System in 1992. In the 1930s, Mavic made a pedal car for kids; in 1984, ultra-light motorized planes for the kids at heart. For 2014, they’ve release a shoe, the Zxellium Ultimate, which is a head-turning piece of performance equipment.

In honour of their milestone year, Mavic has put out a video. It’s pretty contemporary in its focus, looking mostly at the work of two employees: Service Course (neutral-race support or those guys in yellow on motos) tech Denis Greffet and lead research engineer Jean-Pierre Mercat.

So, what’s the best birthday present for a 125-year-old?