Cycles Follis

Cycles Follis was a long-established French bicycle marque founded in Lyon in 1903 by Joseph Follis. It operated as an artisan manufacturer rather than a high-volume industrial bicycle company, building bicycles under its own name and, at times, producing branded tandems and racing bicycles for financing or competing companies. The company became particularly associated with tandems and racing machines, while its broader range included other bicycles made for road use and competition. The brand’s historical importance was reinforced by its involvement in bicycle racing. During the 1940s and 1950s, Follis supported teams and individual competitors who raced under the Follis name. Jean Forestier was the most prominent rider associated with the marque. He won several stages of the Tour de France between 1954 and 1957, finished fourth overall in 1957, and won the race’s green jersey. This sporting visibility helped position Follis as a performance-oriented French maker whose reputation rested on craftsmanship and competition rather than mass-market scale. Follis also developed a technical identity through patents obtained during the 1940s and 1950s. These patents were concentrated mainly in braking systems and drivetrain components, reflecting the practical engineering concerns of a specialist bicycle builder. The company’s work combined frame construction with component-level experimentation, although the available historical material does not provide a complete list of the patented inventions or their commercial impact. In 1973, management passed to Myriam, the granddaughter of founder Joseph Follis. She operated the business with her husband, Jean-Claude Chollet, a former Follis employee. Under their direction, production became explicitly centered on made-to-measure steel frames and forks. The company did not maintain serial production during this period. Instead, each customer could specify numerous details, including lugged or fillet-brazed construction, component specifications, and paintwork. Follis sold complete bicycles rather than frames alone, making the finished machine a highly individualized product. This later operating model placed Cycles Follis within the tradition of French custom bicycle manufacture. It offered a high degree of customer involvement and preserved labor-intensive steel-frame techniques at a time when larger manufacturers were increasingly relying on standardized production and newer frame materials. The same approach limited output and kept the brand’s identity tied to specialist craftsmanship rather than scale. Cycles Follis marked its centenary in 2003 by producing 100 bicycles, each identified by a number on its steerer-tube badge. The anniversary edition represented the company’s continued emphasis on individually made bicycles and its connection to a century of French cycling history. The business ended operations in 2007 after Myriam and Jean-Claude Chollet retired. Its former address was 10 rue Danton in Lyon. The brand is therefore defunct as an operating manufacturer, but remains associated with French artisan framebuilding, tandem design, racing bicycles, custom steel construction, and mid-century cycling competition.

Cycles Follis emerged in Lyon in 1903 under the direction of Joseph Follis. The company became part of France’s specialist bicycle-building tradition, producing a range of bicycles while developing particular recognition for tandems and racing machines. Rather than being remembered primarily as a mass-market producer, Follis is associated with small-scale construction, technical experimentation, and bicycles made for demanding riders. The company’s sporting profile grew during the 1940s and 1950s. Follis supported teams and individual racers who competed under the company name, linking the marque to the period’s road-racing culture. Jean Forestier was its best-known rider. His achievements included multiple Tour de France stage victories from 1954 to 1957, fourth place overall in the 1957 Tour, and the green jersey. These results gave the manufacturer visibility beyond its Lyon base and connected its products with high-level competition. The same mid-century period saw Follis obtain numerous patents, chiefly involving brakes and drivetrain parts. The available account identifies these areas but does not enumerate every patent or establish how widely each design was adopted. They nevertheless indicate that Follis was not solely a decorative or frame-focused workshop; it also pursued functional improvements in the mechanical systems that affected bicycle control and propulsion. In 1973, the business passed to Myriam, Joseph Follis’s granddaughter. She was married to Jean-Claude Chollet, who had previously worked for the company, and the couple managed the business together. Their period of stewardship defined the marque’s later identity. Production consisted entirely of hand-crafted, made-to-measure steel frames and forks, with no serial-production line. Customers could choose between lugged and fillet-brazed construction and could specify component details, paint, and other aspects of the finished bicycle. Follis sold complete bicycles, allowing the workshop to deliver a fully integrated custom build rather than functioning only as a frame supplier. The company also produced bicycles for other parties in some circumstances. Many tandems and racing bicycles were made for and branded by financing or competing companies, showing that Follis’s workshop capabilities could be used beyond its own retail identity. This work broadened the practical role of the business while preserving its custom and craft-based production model. Follis celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2003 with a commemorative run of 100 bicycles. Each bicycle carried an identifying number on the steerer-tube badge, turning the anniversary into a tangible expression of the company’s individualized manufacturing tradition. The business continued until 2007, when Myriam and Jean-Claude retired and the company closed. It had previously operated from 10 rue Danton in Lyon. Cycles Follis is consequently a defunct brand, remembered for French custom steel bicycles, tandem production, racing associations, patents relating to brakes and drivetrains, and a century-long presence in bicycle manufacturing.

• 2007

  Operations cease

  [1]Cycles Follisen.wikipedia.org

  Cycles Follis closes after Myriam Follis and Jean-Claude Chollet retire in the summer.

• 2003

  Centenary commemorative bicycle series

  [1]Cycles Follisen.wikipedia.org

  The company celebrates its 100th anniversary by offering 100 bicycles numbered on their steerer-tube badges.

• 1973

  Myriam Follis takes over the business

  [1]Cycles Follisen.wikipedia.org

  Myriam, granddaughter of founder Joseph Follis, assumes control and runs the company with her husband, former employee Jean-Claude Chollet.

• 1957

  Jean Forestier reaches fourth overall and wins the green jersey

  [1]Cycles Follisen.wikipedia.org

  Forestier finishes fourth overall in the Tour de France and wins the green jersey, providing the brand with a major racing association.

• 1954

  Jean Forestier wins Tour de France stages for Follis

  [1]Cycles Follisen.wikipedia.org

  Jean Forestier, associated with Follis competition activity, begins a sequence of Tour de France stage victories recorded between 1954 and 1957.

• 1940

  Expansion of racing and technical activity

  [1]Cycles Follisen.wikipedia.org

  During the 1940s, Follis supported racers and began a period in which it obtained numerous patents, mainly concerning brakes and drivetrain components.

• 1903

  Cycles Follis is founded in Lyon

  [1]Cycles Follisen.wikipedia.org

  Joseph Follis establishes the bicycle manufacturer in Lyon, France.

A French artisan bicycle marque positioned around custom steel construction, individualized specifications, racing heritage, tandem expertise, and small-scale craftsmanship.

• Road and competition bicycles

  Racing bicycles

  Racing bicycles were a central part of the Follis identity, both as commercial products and through the company’s support of riders competing under its name. The marque’s competition associations included Jean Forestier, whose Tour de France results in the 1950s gave Follis visibility among road-cycling audiences. In the later period, racing bicycles were built as hand-crafted, made-to-measure steel machines, with customers able to specify construction, components, and paint.

• Tandem bicycles

  Tandems

  Tandems were among the bicycle types for which Cycles Follis was particularly recognized. The company built tandems under its own name and also produced many tandems for other financing or competing companies. Their place in the product range reflected Follis’s ability to handle specialized bicycle construction beyond standard single-rider road models.

• Custom bicycles · 1973

  Made-to-measure steel bicycles

  From 1973 until closure, the company’s production was centered on complete bicycles built around hand-crafted steel frames and forks. Customers could select lugged or fillet-brazed construction, specify components and other details, and choose the paint finish. The workshop did not use serial production during this period, making each bicycle a customized commission.

• Commemorative bicycles · 2003

  Centenary numbered bicycles

  For its 100th anniversary in 2003, Cycles Follis offered a commemorative series of 100 bicycles. Each example was identified by a number on the steerer-tube badge, combining the company’s centenary marketing with its established practice of producing individually distinguished bicycles.

• 2007

  Business closure following owner retirementStrategy

  Background

  Myriam Follis and Jean-Claude Chollet had operated the company since 1973 and retired in the summer of 2007.

  Action taken

  The company ceased manufacturing and closed rather than continuing under new management.

  Aftermath

  Cycles Follis became a defunct bicycle brand, ending its production of custom steel bicycles, racing bicycles, and tandems.

  Source

• 2003

  Centenary limited bicycle seriesOther

  Background

  Cycles Follis reached its 100th anniversary while continuing to operate as a specialist custom bicycle maker.

  Action taken

  The company offered 100 commemorative bicycles, each marked with an identifying number on the steerer-tube badge.

  Aftermath

  The series documented and promoted the brand’s century-long history and individualized production approach.

  Source

• 1973

  Shift to fully custom, hand-built productionStrategy

  Background

  After Myriam Follis and Jean-Claude Chollet took over, the company’s documented production focused on made-to-measure steel frames and forks rather than serial manufacturing.

  Action taken

  Follis built complete bicycles to individual specifications, allowing choices such as lugged or fillet-brazed construction, component selections, and paintwork.

  Aftermath

  The strategy reinforced Follis’s identity as an artisan French custom builder, but the business remained a small-scale operation and ultimately closed after the owners retired.

  Source

1. 1Cycles Follisen.wikipedia.org