Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 356 The New Fashion in Paris!

In the early summer of 1881, a new fashion was sweeping through the fashion capital's younger generation at an astonishing pace.

The afternoon sun was shining brightly on Boulevard Saint-Germain.

Jean-Pierre, the son of a wealthy lawyer, is rushing to a well-known café on the Left Bank to attend a small gathering of friends.

He was dressed meticulously, wearing the latest narrow-collared slim-fit coat, and his gleaming leather shoes made a crisp sound as they stepped on the stone slabs.

To appear dignified, he specially rented a brightly decorated two-wheeled carriage to go there.

However, when he arrived at the café and gracefully stepped down from the carriage, he found himself the center of attention among his friends—

However, this "focus" carries an undisguised mockery and ridicule.

His four friends had already arrived at the outdoor seating area outside the café.

Instead of sitting around the table as usual, they casually leaned against or sat on several gleaming Sorel 1 bicycles.

The bicycles had a uniform bright paint job and elegant diamond-shaped frames, which gleamed with a cool metallic luster in the sunlight, making them look so light, modern, and stylish.

Emil, sporting a neatly trimmed mustache, was the first to shout, "Look who's here!"

He was dressed in a comfortable Norfolk jacket and harem trousers, with leather boots on his feet: "Our esteemed Monsieur Jean-Pierre is even sitting on his 'medieval relic'!"

Another friend, Charlie, lightly pushed off with his foot and nimbly glided up to Jean-Pierre on his bicycle.

He circled around himself and his somewhat cumbersome carriage, the axles making a light "humming" sound.

“My dear Jean-Pierre, haven’t you heard? Horse-drawn carriages are a relic of the past! Only old fogies and babies need them. Look at this!”

He patted the leather seat of his bicycle: "This is freedom! This is speed!"

Jean-Pierre's face flushed instantly, and he tried to explain, "The road was too congested, my carriage was on Boulevard Saint-Martin..."

His third friend interrupted him: "We all ride 'Sorel 1' cars, and you're in an 'open carriage,' no wonder you're stuck in traffic!"

This friend also got on his bicycle, rode around twice, and then let go of his hands. Although it wobbled a bit, he succeeded, which drew a small cheer.

"The Sorel 1 won't get stuck in traffic! It can take you anywhere you want to go, bypassing all the congested streets."

Look at you dressed like that, sitting in a stuffy carriage, it's like you're going to a court ball at Versailles!
We are young people, not those old men!

Emil chimed in with exaggerated pity, "And what a blast you missed! I rode all the way from the Bois de Boulogne this morning—"

The wind brushes your cheek, sunlight filters through the leaves, and you can smell the scent of earth and grass, not…

He wrinkled his nose and pointed to the carriage and horses: "...this smell. Seriously, Jean-Pierre—"

Without a Sorel I, you simply couldn't show your face in Paris these days.

The driver seemed to sense the silent humiliation and shifted his body uncomfortably.

Jean-Pierre looked at the smugness and mockery on his friends' faces, and at the bicycles beneath them that represented "modernity," "freedom," and "style"...

A strong sense of embarrassment welled up inside me.

He had heard of this new type of bicycle before, but he always thought it was something for acrobatics or engineers, far less respectable than a horse-drawn carriage.

At that moment, he finally realized that he was wrong—the trendsetter of Parisian fashion had completely shifted!

He forced a smile and muttered, "Is this thing... safe? I think those 'high-wheeled vehicles' are much more impressive..."

Charlie scoffed: "Highwheel? What good is that thing other than making you break your neck and look ridiculous?"

The 'Sorel Type 1' is the most reasonable and safest design! Look at the height; both feet can touch the ground at any time. Look at the chain drive; it requires far less effort than pedaling those big wheels! Mr. Sorel's masterpiece is as moving as his play 'Thunderstorm'!

In the end, Jean-Pierre practically fled the café; he had become an oddity among his friends, a "country bumpkin."

His friends were excitedly discussing their next bike hike in the Fontainebleau forest, while he could only silently sip his coffee.

He has made up his mind to use his connections tomorrow to get a Sorel 1 bicycle as soon as possible!

He absolutely could not tolerate being the object of ridicule at the next party!

Similar scenes are playing out in every corner of Paris.

Fashionable young people dressed in "Anthony" style clothing appeared in groups on the Champs-Élysées, Place Royal, and along the Seine, riding shiny "Sorel 1" bicycles.

They pressed the bells on the handlebars, producing a crisp "ding-a-ling" sound that heralded the arrival of a brand new way of life.

Horse-drawn carriages seemed slow and cumbersome in their presence, while "high-wheeled carriages" appeared even more outdated and comical.

Owning a Sorel-Peugeot 1 bicycle has become an indispensable status symbol for fashionable young people in Paris.

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The Peugeot Brothers Hardware Factory in the suburbs of San Antonio is currently immersed in unprecedented busyness and noise.

In the past, this place mainly produced pepper mills, coffee mills, saw blades, springs... The sound of the machines running was regular and steady.

But now, every corner of the factory seems to be injected with stimulants.

In the machining area, lathes, milling machines, and drilling machines roared incessantly, processing rough blanks into exquisite parts.

On the final assembly line, one "Sorel-Peugeot 1" bicycle after another gradually took shape under the skilled operation of the workers.

The air was filled with the smells of metal, lubricating oil, sweat, and rubber.

Inside the factory manager's office, the young Armand Peugeot was surrounded by a happy dilemma.

His desk was piled high with telegrams, letters, and order books, almost overwhelming him.

Originally, according to the preliminary agreement reached with Lionel, the Peugeot factory was to produce the "Sorel 1" bicycle using an OEM model.

Peugeot charges fees based on production volume, while the brand and patents belong to Lionel.

The factory's previous production line could stably produce one to two hundred vehicles per month, which was enough to break even, but the profit was meager and the future was uncertain.

However, the successful performance of "Thunderstorm" changed everything.

Orders are pouring in from all over Paris like a flood bursting its banks!
In just a few days, the factory has received more than 3,000 orders!

Armand Peugeot was forced to urgently order the shutdown of production lines for profitable products such as pepper mills and coffee mills, and to devote all manpower and resources to bicycles.

The workshop was brightly lit, with workers working in two shifts and machines running almost 24 hours a day.

Even so, Armand felt dizzy in the face of the constant influx of new orders.

He knew he had to expand production, invest more capital, hire more workers, and purchase more equipment.

This requires a more stable and in-depth cooperative relationship, as well as more funding and a greater say in the deal.

Just as he was scratching his head over the table full of orders, his secretary announced that the notary, Mr. De La Ruwak, had arrived.

Armand saw his savior and almost rushed out to greet him!
(End of this chapter)