Cycle touring in the early 20th century was a lot like cross-country mountain biking today - the key issues were rough roads and steep, ungraded, climbs. Louis-Francisque Prével d’Arlay sought to deal with these problems in two ways that would be very familiar to modern mountain bikers - using front suspension (covered in this patent) and derailleur gears (covered in the addition to it).

Both of these patents feature his signature, strange, circular, spring arrangement - which is anything but familiar.

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• Publisher: L’Institut national de la propriété industrielle
• Inventor: Louis-Francisque Prével d’Arlay
• Country: France
• Date: French application December 1906
• Derailleur brands: Prével d’Arlay
• Derailleurs: none