Davy Ladies Bike 1890s

Davy was one of the earlier French bicycle manufactures. They had their headquarters in Neuilly sur Seine, which is basically Paris. There they made a full range of frames including our Davy ladies bike from the late 1890s.
The bike comes with some great features like the wooden mudguards and wooden rims. The front rim is metal reinforced to be able to cope with the forces of the stamp brake.
To make riding more elegant and ladylike, each pedal stroke turned an inch pitch chain which then again turned a freewheel coaster hub. Coaster hubs were the dernier cri at the end of the 19th century with numerous patents filed. Those hubs made riding a fair bit safer and less straining. Another safety feature is the light: To get a bit more safely through the night, a proper lantern with shock suspension is mounted. Just stick a candle inside and you are ready to go.

The frame itself looks surprisingly modern:
it comes with overized tubes and the joints have been carried out 'invisibly' with smooth transitions between the tubes. A look you would expect from a ladies bike of today, not of its 120 year old ancestor.

This rare piece is certainly a fine addition to a collection - though it is generally rideable as well.