Vélocio

Paul de Vivie known as " Vélocio" (1853-1930)

It is the emblematic figure of the French bicycle touring. Vélocio is its literary pseudonym. This pseudonym evokes the bicycle and speed, it can result in " That which goes quickly to vélo".

Biography

Paul de Vivie was born on April 29th 1853 in the town of Pernes-the-Fountains, Vaucluse. His/her father, Edmond de Vivie was a Gascon gentleman going down from an old noble family, originating in Saint Germain of Sauvetat and exerting the trade of Master of the Stations. His/her mother, Marthe Novel, were Arlésienne.

He lived with Tarascon, Meyzieu, made his secondary studies with Lachassagne close to Lyon until in 1870. He entered the silk industry as broker and, its owners testified their confidence to him while allowing him to create a subsidiary company with Saint-Etienne or he Maria in 1876.
It is in 1881 that it enfourcha its first bicycle, a large Bi, in order to flee large the ville.
He became secretary of the Club of the cyclists inhabitant of Saint-Etienne and organized the first race of the area on July 9th 1882.
Its trade of silk trade often brought it in England from which it could appreciate the high-quality of its cycle industry. Envisaging the future of this activity in France, it founded in 1882 Stéphanoise manufacture of Cycles “the Gallic one” and in 1886 “the General Agency Vélocipédique”. It also created in 1887 the review the cyclist Forézien who became the Cyclist in 1888.

In 1889, Vélocio militated for the creation of a Touring Club of France, on the model of Cyclists Touring Club English. In spite of charges of clubs seeing a competition there, the CTF counted more than 500 members in 1890. It was reversed by a tram on February 27th 1930 and died on March 4th with Saint Etienne, of a fracture of the skull and without to have begun again knowledge. A monument is dedicated to him with (collar of the Large Wood) or Col of the Republic, on main road 82, with 17 kilometers of Saint-Etienne.

It is buried with the cemetery of the Loyasse, with Lyon. On its commemorative plaque: " has their venerated Master, the touring cyclists inhabitant of Saint-Etienne ". Anecdote : In the years 1960 was posed a plate comprising an error. It was engraved as follows: " Homage to Vélocio of the Lyons companies of touring cyclist ".

Its activities

Amateur of great excursions, it was at the origin of the “Diagonals of France”. He traversed many times of long distances, such as these 660 kilometers between France, Switzerland and Italy in 1900 (9 000 meters of rise). he was also the initiator of great friendly meetings like “Easter in Provence”.

It one was impassioned of the " small reine" as a leisure. It is him which invented the name of " Bicycle touring ". It had an tireless activity to promote this practice which it passionately liked by articles in the review “the cyclist” that it had created. This review survived to him and it had become the oldest French sporting publication before disappearing in its turn in 1973.

Vélocio was interested in the Esperanto. This language, founded on the bringing together between the people, was used by many touring cyclists before 1914 in their voyages abroad.

He was also an enthusiastic follower of the Végétarisme and proved that one could pedal vigorously and live a long time with this food Régime.

Industrialist, founder of manufactures of cycles, it is him which invented or improved the framework without connections, the pedals, the hubs detachable, the ajustability of the toothed wheel of the pedals to all the lines of chains, the framework équiangle and, especially, the shifting track.

Improvement of the shifting track

With regard to the Dérailleur, Paul de Vivie was eager that the bicycle is most convenient possible for the touring cyclists. He will put at the testing ground multiple machines with shiftings of speed (with bichaîne, floating chain…). It will be interested in all of the experiments made in this field and will fight for the “polymultiplication” or “shiftings of speed”.

It is in Chanteloup in 1913 qu' took place for the first time the race of the “Polymultipliée” where the runners tried out various systems of shiftings of speed.

Commands of Vélocio

It was precursory in dietetics while showing at its time that one could roll a long time (it made some 40 hours stages), while following some elementary rules of practice and hygiene. Its " seven commandements" remained in memory and remain still today precepts to follow to roll well and a long time.

7 commands of Vélocio

rare and short Halts, in order not to drop pressure.
light and frequent Meals: to eat before being hungry, drinking before being thirsty.
never not to go until the abnormal tiredness which results in the lack of appetite and sleep.
to cover itself before being cold, being discovered before having hot and not fearing to expose the skin to the sun, the air, water.
To stripe food, at least in the course of road, the wine, the meat and the tobacco.
never not to force, to remain in inside of its means, especially during the first hours when one is tempted to be spent too much because one feels full with forces.
never not to pedal by self-esteem.

Quotations

1898 “I am primitive endeavouring to prune existence all the complications of outside, seeking the pleasures which are born from ourselves. ”
1903 “Towards and against all appearances, I persist in believing that the man originally good and is more been willing to render service to his similar than to strip it. ”
1903 “the bicycle is not only one tool of locomotion; it becomes still a means of emancipation, a weapon of delivery. It releases the spirit and the body of concerns morals, of the physical infirmities that the modern existence, very of ostentation, convention, hypocrisy - where to appear is all, being not being nothing - causes, develops, maintenance with the great detriment of health. ”

External bonds

Random links: