
Mavic was founded in 1889 in Lyon, France by two brothers Léon and Laurent Vielle. At first, the brothers wanted to get into the nickel-plating business, but shortly after they began manufacturing and selling bicycle components.
In 1934, Mavic released the Apron fender that better protected the rider from rain and spray. Shortly after, they released their first rims. They were the first to be made out of duralumin, a mixture of copper and aluminum, and they dropped the overall wheel weight from 1.2 kg to 750 g. Many innovations throughout the years can be accredited to Mavic.
However, Mavic was not just manufacturing increasingly better products, but was helping in the race circuit as well. For example, they drive a team-neutral car at races to help any rider who has mechanical issues. This first started when a team manger’s assist car broke down and the then Mavic chair Bruno Gormand lent his own car so the manager could finish the race. Since then Mavic has been a part of the professional and amateur racing scene.