Fongers

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Former factory building in Groningen, Hereweg
Prince Hendrik, husband of Queen Wilhelmina, visits the Fongersfabrik (1909)

Fongers was a Dutch bicycle , moped and motorcycle manufacturer . The company was founded in Groningen in 1884 . In addition to the bicycle manufacturer Burgers, it did pioneering work in the development of the classic Dutch touring bicycle and was particularly dedicated to the production of high-quality bicycles, which were reserved for the affluent upper class of the population at least until 1910. Fongers developed its own product line with many special details, such as the Fongers handlebar lock , a rod-operated rim brake or the Fongers hygiene saddle . The construction of motorcycles, primarily in the 1910s and 1920s and of mopeds in the 1950s and 1960s, was one of Fongers' sideline activities.

Along with Burgers, Simplex and Gazelle , the company was one of the so-called "Big Four" of the Dutch bicycle industry.

history

The blacksmith Albertus Fongers, who came from Warffum in the northern Dutch province of Groningen , set up a blacksmith's shop in the city of Groningen in 1871 and began manufacturing bicycles on a small scale in 1884. Until Fongers concentrated on the production of bicycles, the company operated as a factory for carriages, bicycles, sulkys and devices for horseshoes . In 1895, Fongers presented his models at an exhibition in Amsterdam's Paleis voor Volksvlijt , organized by the newly founded Association of the Dutch Bicycle Industry ( De Nederlandse Rijwielindustrie ). There Fongers exhibited a number of velocipede models that were significantly cheaper than bikes from British, American and German brands.

In 1896 Fongers founded the NV De Groninger Rijwielenfabriek A. Fongers, voorheen alleen onder de naam A. Fongers' , in order to commence industrial bicycle production on a larger scale. In March 1897, production was relocated from the forge to a new factory building. In addition to high bikes , the English safety low bike was increasingly part of the Fongers product range, which he built in different versions. In 1918 Fongers employed more than 300 people and was the second largest employer in Groningen; 5000 to 6000 bikes were produced annually. After Albert Fongers' death, his son Ties took over the chairmanship of Fongers AG in 1921, which he held until his death in 1944.

In the 1920s and 1930s, the company had to increasingly reduce production costs and prices as the bicycle had developed from a previously exclusive to a mass-produced item: in the 1890s, an average bicycle cost around 300 guilders. By 1935, prices gradually fell to around 60 guilders (the cheapest model at that time was only 37.50 guilders). After this low point, a slow increase began until a Fongers bike in 1970 with around 350 guilders was almost the same price as in 1890. G. Minck calculated that in 1890 you had to work about six months for the purchase price of a bicycle. In the 1930s this was about a month and in the 1960s it was two weeks. Fongers also had prominent customers such as Edsel Ford and the royal family.

During the Second World War , production almost completely came to a standstill; after the war, sales recovered thanks to a pent-up demand. During the 1950s, the demand for sporty bikes increased, a trend that Fongers missed. In 1961 it was taken over by the bicycle manufacturer Phoenix from Leeuwarden . A few years later, Phoenix also took over the manufacturer Germaan from Meppel and has been called PFG (Phoenix / Fongers / Germaan) since then. In 1969 the PFG was taken over by Batavus . In 1971 bicycle production in Groningen was finally ended. The brand name Fongers was used by Batavus for a long time.

Factory building

The Fongers Rijschool in Amsterdam ( ca.1901 )

In March 1897 the factory building, the construction and furnishing of which was financed with the accumulated capital of 400 shares at a unit price of 1000 Dutch guilders (fl), went into operation in Groningen-Süd. The building complex consisted of three halls with a length of 100 meters each and a protruding ornate main building in the neo-renaissance style , which was characteristic of this period. The management and administration floor was housed in the main building. There was a shop facing the street and directly behind it a cycling school, where cycling could still be practiced until 1940. In 1936, Fongers had a ramp built for several weeks under the motto “Rijdt Veilig - Rijdt Fongers” (“Drive safely - drive Fongers”) on which customers could test brakes. Production was integrated in the halls behind the main building. With the commissioning of the new factory building, more bicycle parts were produced in-house and no longer had to be obtained from other manufacturers. This gave Fongers the opportunity to create a certain standard and its own standardization. In addition to machines for various bicycle components and accessories, the factory also had its own tool shop.

In October 1917, one of the new production halls and the cycling school provided shelter for a few weeks for around 600 Belgians who had fled the war in Flanders . The management had released the space from production for this purpose.

The cycling school in Groningen was the focus of an international art exhibition in 1933 and the associated celebration on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the De Ploeg artists' ring .

After the factory was closed, various tenants used the factory complex at times. It stood empty from the early 1980s and was largely demolished in 1985 after a major fire, only the monumental facade of the main building was restored. Behind it there has been a three-story office building with approx. 3600 square meters and a new residential area with approx. 200 apartments with the historic name Fongersplaats .

Products

Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands on a Fongers wheel in Soestdijk Park (1938)

Fongers began manufacturing small numbers of high bikes around 1884, and in 1892 production was switched to the English safety low bike. In the 1890s, the rapid development of the bicycle was also reflected at Fongers by the constant appearance of new models. Around 1898, based on the great British manufacturers, the touring bike finally got its classic shape in terms of frame geometry, while other bicycle parts still differed in many respects from the later standards.

The large number of available bicycle models was unusual: as early as 1899, bicycles were offered in 54 different designs. The product range continued to expand in the years before the First World War . Different frame sizes from 50 to 75 centimeters as well as frame painting in colors other than the usual black were already available in the 1930s for an extra charge. In 1895 the company built the first tandems, racing bikes and cargo bikes have also been available since this time, and from 1899 children's bikes have also been available. From 1903 on, bicycles with gear shifting (initially two gears) were available, which were initially very expensive and almost unaffordable. The supplier for the gear hubs was the British company Griffin, from 1908 Sturmey-Archer .

In addition to bicycle production, the construction of motorcycles began in 1922 in a modest engine workshop opposite the factory building .

Tandems

From 1898 to around 1907, tandems were available in the sales range and in various designs (DD, DH and HH). The letter designation stood for the intended seating arrangement for the male and female driver. DD has a women's frame for the front and rear of the tandem, HH a men's frame. The DH model with the lady-gentleman arrangement was exceptional, as the man in front did not have to steer as usual, but could also be done by the man behind using the steering linkage.

Tricycle, utility bike and army bikes

Around 1905 Fongers manufactured tricycles that were equipped with an eccentric bottom bracket as a chain tensioner. Tricycles and three-wheel tandems were available on request until around 1940. In 1905 the armed forces commissioned Fonger with the production of a considerable number of army wheels, which were specially tailored to the military requirements and were not advertised in the advertising catalogs. The first bikes were delivered in 1909. However, Fongers used the military bicycle in advertising in a series of posters. There was also a variant of the army bike as a folding bike . In 1923 the utility bike (model HHZ) and the transport bike (model T) came onto the market.

Special components developed in-house

Handlebar lock

From 1908 to the mid-1930s, steering locks were often fitted to expensive models to protect against theft. The bike was initially secured with a removable rotary knob instead of a key by blocking the steering function.

Rod operated rim brake

A Fongers Comfort ladies bike from 1973
A fonger from 1960 (photo taken in June 2014 on a passenger train)
Rod operated rim brake on the front wheel

From around 1900 the rim brake, which came from England, was established, which achieved a greater braking force than the conventional punch brake . Around 1903 Fongers began to mount this system on his bikes; at first only on the front wheel, later also on the rear. In 1904 a further developed, but expensive brake system with Bowden cables came on the market, which was not very common in the Netherlands. In 1908, Fongers introduced its new rod-operated rim brake. By operating the brake lever on the handlebars, you pulled the brake pads on a rod, which were attached to a U-profile frame that pressed against the rim. The rear brake rods were attached to the frame with hinges and guided by leather straps (from 1909 with three metal cams). The rear brake was located under the saddle, which was more expensive due to an additional deflection of the brake rod, but was also much less susceptible than the usual installation on the rear fork.

Hygiene saddle

From 1910 to 1960 Fongers assembled so-called hygienic saddles from their own production and under their own brand names. Like the early English bicycle saddles, the hygienic saddle initially had individual steel springs for comfortable, sprung seating, which were later replaced by double springs. From the 1920s onwards, there were nickel-plated springs and rivets on the top of the leather deck covering. In 1924, Fongers developed his own seat post, where the saddle could be moved horizontally.

Cardan drive

In 1899 Fongers presented a model of a bicycle operated by a cardan shaft . In the advertising brochure it was stated that they were not actually a proponent of this model concept, but that they were still offering it to meet the needs of a (presumably small) customer base. Shortly after 1900, wheels in this version no longer appeared.

Fenders

The mudguards from Fongers, like the other in-house products, had a distinctive shape. Until 1923 it was still quite narrow boards with a laterally rounded profile end approx. 5 cm wide that were attached to a protruding tab on the fork and with eyelets on the axles. In 1934 the mudguards were given a rounder and tubular appearance (in cross-section) and widened to around 6 cm. Until 1923 the front fender ended directly at the fork, from 1924 it was lengthened with a separate, flat piece of fender that left enough space for the U-profile of the bar brake. Most Fongers models had double green stripes on the fender.

Advertising and sales

Draft for an advertisement by JG van Caspel from 1898

More than any other Dutch bicycle manufacturer, Fongers made a name for itself early on in the field of marketing . Until 1940, a bicycle brochure based on a uniform template was published every year. In addition to the description of the large number of models on offer and their prices, these brochures contained a lot of technical information in which the construction and operation of the special bicycle parts developed by Fongers was described in detail. From the 1950s onwards, the brochures were given a less formal appearance and in the 1960s only “normal” leaflets were issued.

Fongers' advertising posters are famous: from 1896 to 1920 at least a dozen large posters were published which were reserved for the branches and agencies as advertising material. Well known are the posters by FG Schlette and a poster by Jan Rotgans depicting “ The Dutch Virgin ”. Other well-known Dutch artists such as Willy Sluiter , André Vlaanderen and Johann Georg van Caspel were also under contract with Fongers. The "Army" poster series is perhaps the best known.

Fongers also frequently advertised in magazines. In the pre-war period, there was often a full-page advertisement in the magazine Toeristenkampioen des Algemene Nederlandse Wielrijdersbond (ANWB, German: General Dutch Cyclists Association). Enamel advertising signs rounded off the marketing concept.

Company sign of a branch

In terms of sales, Fongers differed from other bicycle manufacturers in that it set up eight sales branches at an early stage, which, in addition to the main branch in Groningen, had been opened in several large Dutch cities since around 1895: Zwolle , Arnhem , Utrecht , Rotterdam , Amsterdam , s'Gravenhage , and most recently in Assen and Middelburg . Fongers was probably the owner of these shops, where the entire Fongers range could be viewed and, if the customer requested, it could also be delivered for inspection prior to purchase. Five of the eight branches had their own in-house cycling schools.

Thanks to a wide range of models and the possibility of producing special models in individual orders, Fongers had a good starting position in the still modest but rapidly growing Dutch bicycle industry. From 1900 to 1905 production rose to a level of 2000 bikes per year. Around 1905, in addition to various state institutions such as the police, even the military joined the clientele. The visit of Prince Hendrik (Prince Consort of Queen Wilhelmina ) to Fongers in June 1909 helped the young company to get a lot of publicity. In the same year the first bicycles were delivered to the army in the Dutch East Indies . The Queen herself rode a Fongers bicycle, which was exhibited in the Velorama in Nijmegen after extensive restoration in the 1990s .

After this delivery, in the first decade of the new century, the export of bicycles for a wider range of customers to the Dutch East Indies began; further branches were established in Suriname and New Guinea . Mainly traders on the islands of Java and Sumatra were bulk buyers.

Todays situation

Fongers' products as well as the advertising material are sought-after and coveted collector's items among enthusiasts, and bicycles can also be found here and there for everyday use. As a former Dutch colony and a major importer of Fongers bikes between the two world wars, Indonesia is experiencing a renaissance. Riding on old Dutch bicycles, often even dressed in colonial clothing, is fashionable there.

Web links

Commons : Fongers  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Dutch bikes, Part 1. In: rijwiel.net. Retrieved October 3, 2018 .
  2. ^ Herbert Kuner: Bicycles and the bicycle industry in the Netherlands (part 1) . In: Association of historical bicycles (ed.): The bone shaker. Magazine for lovers of historic bicycles . tape 31 , no. 2 , 2004, p. 4 .
  3. ↑ a b c d e f Bedrijf. In: fongers.net. March 12, 2018, accessed October 3, 2018 (Dutch).
  4. ↑ a b c d e f g Fongers. In: rijwiel.net. Retrieved October 3, 2018 .
  5. ^ Herbert Kuner: Bicycles and the bicycle industry in the Netherlands (part 2) . In: Association of historical bicycles (ed.): The bone shaker. Magazine for lovers of historic bicycles . tape 32 , no. 3 , 2004, p. 8/9 .
  6. ^ Herbert Kuner: Bicycles and the bicycle industry in the Netherlands (part 1) . In: Association of historical bicycles (ed.): The bone shaker. Magazine for lovers of historic bicycles . tape 31 , no. 2 , 2004, p. 5 .
  7. ↑ Maarten Gerrit Jan Duijvendak: Stad van het Noorden. Uitgeverij Van Gorcum, 2003, ISBN 978-9-023-23984-0 , p. 139 ( limited preview in the Google book search).
  8. ↑ Stoneart BV: History. In: fongersplaats.nl. September 19, 2013, accessed October 3, 2018 .
  9. ↑ The development of the folding bike in the Netherlands. In: rijwiel.net. Retrieved March 30, 2019 .
  10. ↑ frames. In: fongers.net. March 14, 2018, accessed March 30, 2019 (Dutch).
  11. ↑ Remmen. In: fongers.net. March 14, 2018, accessed March 30, 2019 (Dutch).
  12. ↑ Zadels. In: fongers.net. March 14, 2018, accessed March 30, 2019 (Dutch).
  13. ↑ 1890 - 1900. In: fongers.net. March 18, 2018, accessed March 30, 2019 (Dutch).
  14. ↑ Spateboards. In: fongers.net. March 14, 2018, accessed April 3, 2019 (Dutch).
  15. ↑ Fongers filiaal (of magazijn) Nassaukade 287 (voorheen 500). In: oudefiets.nl. December 19, 2014, accessed March 30, 2019 (Dutch).
  16. ↑ a b branches. In: fongers.net. March 14, 2018, accessed March 30, 2019 (Dutch).
  17. ^ Gertjan Moed: Restoration of the Queen Wilhelmina Fongers . In: Hans-Erhard Lessing / Andrew Ritchie (eds.): Cycle History 10th Proceedings of the 10th International History Conference. Nijmegen, the Netherlands, 22-24 September 1999 . Van der Plas Publications, San Francisco, ISBN 1-892495-05-8 , pp. 163-164 .
  18. ↑ Gowes Sepeda Onthel, Napak Tilas Rasa VOC. In: majalahpeluang.com. March 4, 2015, Retrieved March 30, 2019 (Indonesian).
  19. ↑ Restoration. In: fongers.net. March 18, 2018, accessed March 30, 2019 (Dutch).