The second sketch featured in my first Sketchbook Travels article for The Classic Motorcycle back in 2015 was sketched on Sunday 22nd March when I made my annual pilgrimage to Brighton for the Pioneer Run.
This wonderful 1902 Clememt seemed to have suffered a broken pedal during its trip from Epsom despite this this early incarnation of a cycle motor made it to the Brighton seafront. The direct relationship between the bicycle and the motor bicycle is beautifully presented here with the Clément clip on motor driving the rear wheel via a slender belt.
The creator of this machine, Adolphe Clément was born in 1855 Pierrefonds. At 16 he left his village on a bicycle to seek his fortune. In 1876 he started cycle racing and set up a small buisness making bicycles. Eventally he moved to Paris and in 1880 he eopened a cycle business at the Rue Brunel under the brand name of “Clément”.
After much sucess Clément soon had 150 labourers working on the manufacture of his bicycles. From 1895 on he focused on motorized tricycles, quadricycles and cars. In 1902 he entered the field of motorized bicycles with a small engine of 142 cc capacity. This machine became very popular they were sold as complete machines fixed to a Clément or Gladiator cycles. You could also order a kit complete with engine and fittings to bolt this to you very own bicycle.