Zéfal
| Zéfal | |
|---|---|
| legal form | SA à conseil d'administration |
| founding | 1880 |
| resolution | 1935 |
| Reason for dissolution | Merger to Poutrait-Morin |
| Seat |
Jargeau , France
|
| Branch | Cycles |
| Website | www.zefal.com |
Zéfal (previously AFA , then Poutrait , then Poutrait-Morin ) is a French bicycle pump manufacturer from Jargeau on the Loire .
history
AFA was a French manufacturer of bicycle pedals for bicycle racing. The company was founded in 1880 and specialized in the manufacture of pedal hooks, pedal straps, bells and luggage racks. The company was later renamed Poutrait .
In cooperation with the racing cyclists Octave Lapize and Eugène Christophe , the company developed products under the brands: Lapize and Christophe . With the entrepreneur Etienne Sclaverand , AFA developed and built hose valves for high pressure - as they are required for racing bikes . These valves are now known worldwide as "French valves" or "Presta valves" .
In 1900 the Morin company was founded by Edward Morin. The company specialized in hand and foot pumps and selling them under the brand name ZEFAL. In 1935 the companies merged to form Poutrait-Morin . In 1945 Morin founded FREXA (France Export Association) together with other manufacturers from France. In 1949, Poutrait-Morin had the Solidbloc technology patented: The piston of the hand pump is made of aluminum and can withstand higher pressures (higher Pascal values can be achieved) without damage.
Pedals and accessories continued to be sold under the brand name AFA until the early 1980s.
Today, Zéfal produces almost all production steps for its bicycle accessories products in its 15,000 square meter plant.
Products
In addition to air pumps, Zéfal also produces other bicycle accessories. The company still sells classic pedals, toe clips and bells under the name Christophe.