The Unsung Hero
Ferdinando Michelin setup his engineering workshop to produce bicycles and components in Italy in 1919. From his surname he branded these products "Miche" and today, in typical Italian tradition, the company is still family owned and run. For the first time in a long history, Miche is branching out beyond the EU borders and supplying its superb groupsets, wheels and parts to bike riders around the world.
With the onslaught of the early 1990's integrated gear/brake lever development from Campagnolo and Shimano, almost all European groupset manufacturers closed their doors and went home for good. Miche, battle scared but not deterred, not only survived but managed to establish a successful product range through continual investment in high tech machinery, a business philosophy Mr Ferdinando himself had always followed. Today Miche is able to produce everything at their factory in Italy, even for other brands, contributing significantly to the Italian bicycle industry. It is this that led them to form a strategic alliance with Campagnolo and reintroduce complete Miche road bike groupsets. Miche also builds wheels for not only road but track and mountain bike. In a unique move, Miche have made it possible for a rider to select their own rear cog combinations. These are made for all brands and can have any teeth number from 11-29 for 8,9,10 and 11 speed setups. The performance benefit from riding at the optimum cadence with perfectly suited gearing is significant. Chainring sizes offer similar flexibility with the track bike versions being made in just one tooth increments. Five complete road groupsets are manufactured by Miche at varying performance levels and all displaying excellent value for money due to on-site manufacturing. With Miche components years of reliability, high performance use is assured as almost every small part is available individually. To ride with Miche is to experience an almost forgotten special connection to Italy, a level of prestige, an unwavering passion for cycling, on every single bike ride.
