Moustache Bikes
French electric bicycle company
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Moustache Bikes is a French brand of EPAC (electronically power assisted cycle), named Cycle Me, a company based in the Vosges since 2011.
Concept
Vosges-based Cycle Me designs and assembles electric bicycles under the Moustache Bikes brand in the Vosges region. The name refers to the moustache-shaped handlebars of the early 20th century. The company's bicycle designs include integrated frames and proprietary components. The bicycles are positioned in the premium price segment.[1][2][3][4]
The brand offers models for various uses, including city, mountain, and cargo bikes.[4]
The metal frames are primarily imported from Taiwan, although a wooden frame was also tested.[4][5] All models feature batteries and an electric motor from German equipment manufacturer Bosch.[4][6]
The bicycles were first sold through approximately 100 independent retailers in France and a hundred or so in Europe (England, Germany and the Benelux countries) and in 2019 were shipped to 500 dealers all over the world. 45% of their production is exported.[1][4]
Story
Cycle Me was created in 2011 by Emmanuel Antonot and Grégory Sand, in Golbey, near Épinal.[1][7] Emmanuel Antonot previously worked for Lapierre bikes, one of Europe's oldest bicycle manufacturers.[8]
Sales increased from 1,500 units in 2012 to 3,000 in 2013.[1] In 2015, the FCPR Initiative et Finance announced that it had acquired a stake in the company's capital. Following the investment, the founders maintained a majority stake in the company.[4]
In 2017, the assembly plant moved to Thaon-les-Vosges with capacity to produce 100,000 bikes per year. The assembly workshop can assemble 200 bikes per day. The research and development department handles prototype design at the Thaon-les-Vosges facility. The company employs around one hundred people and had a turnover of around 70,000,000 in 2019.[4]
In 2021, the company added a third assembly line and began assembling wheels at their facility.[9]
