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MAFAC’s story is that of a specialist brake innovator facing the rise of integrated groupsets. For 20 prosperous years, MAFAC filled a crucial gap by creating brakes—like the cantilever Criterium and center-pull Racer—that were revolutionary in their effectiveness and adjustability, setting the standard for bicycle braking until the late 1960s.
However, as cycling transitioned toward more compact, reliable side-pull brakes perfected by giants like Campagnolo and Shimano, MAFAC’s attempts to adapt with its own side-pull versions proved late and unreliable, leading to a rapid decline despite efforts like the French component partnership Spidel. MAFAC’s legacy lies not in its 40 year duration, but in establishing the foundational designs for effective cantilever and center-pull braking systems that remain influential (well, copied) today.
Here is an historical timeline that includes major MAFAC corporate and product events over the years:
| Year | Event Type | Event Description |
| 1894 | Corporate/Personnel | Auguste Bourdel, MAFAC founder, is born. |
| c. 1920 | Corporate/Personnel | Auguste Bourdel begins dedicating himself to industrial interests, including building his own bicycles. |
| 1946 | Corporate Founding | The company is founded by Auguste Bourdel in Clermont-Ferrand, post-war France, under the initial name “Securité”. |
| 1946 | Product | The “Securité” cantilever brake is introduced, known as a “foundational triumph” and marketed under models like Kathy, Driver and Criterium. The Criterium series remained in production for some 40 years. |
| Late 1940s | Product | MAFAC introduced rubber brake hoods (initially half-hoods, later full-hoods) that featured built-in barrel adjusters, allowing riders to fine-tune clearance while riding. |
| 1947 (Autumn/Fall) | Corporate Rebrand | Securité changes its name to MAFAC (Manufacture Arvernoise de Freins et Accessoires pour Cycles). |
| 1947 (Post-Rebrand) | Corporate | The factory and headquarters were established at the former Michelin workshop at 25, Rue d’Estaing in Clermont-Ferrand. |
| Pre-1953 | Product | Early MAFAC center-pull brakes featured tiny oil holes located above the pivots. |
| 1951 (November) | Product | An advertisement for the MAFAC Racer appears in Le Cycliste. |
| 1952 | Product Breakthrough | The Racer center-pull brake is unveiled at the Paris bike show, hailed as MAFAC’s “undisputed magnum opus” and the first effective center-pull design. Its superiority allowed for the bold slogan: “Un doigt suffit!” (“Braking with one finger is enough”). |
| 1952 (Debut Period) | Product | Center-pull calipers were initially forged from durable duralumin and stamped “Dural Forge”. |
| 1953 | Market | The MAFAC center-pull brake design became available in Britain. |
| 1954 (June) | Corporate/Personnel | Founder Auguste Bourdel dies at age 63. |
| 1957 | Product | The Tiger center-pull model is introduced (a 1950s design featuring wider-set arms to increase leverage). |
| 1957 | Product | The Top 63 center-pull brake is introduced (a 1950s design manufactured for only a short period, making it a rare component). This model was advertised in 1964 as being tested at 60 m.p.h. under load. |
| 1958 | Corporate/Personnel | Paul Bertrand begins his stewardship as manager of the factory. |
| 1960 | Corporate/Personnel | Mme. Mazen-Bourdel (Auguste Bourdel’s daughter), who played a pivotal role in advancing sales and industrial capacity after her father’s death, dies in a road accident. |
| Mid-1960s | Product | The stamping on center-pull brake stirrups changed from “Dural Forge” to “Racer”. |
| End of 1960s | Product | The stamping on levers changed from “Mafac” to “Mafac France”. |
| 1968 | Market | Campagnolo launches its first Record caliper, increasing competition for MAFAC. |
| 1970 | Product | The Raid center-pull model is introduced, featuring a longer-arm length to increase clearance, aiding 650 B and 700 C wheels with fenders. |
| 1970s | Product | The Racer brake iteration featured red bushings framing the engraved script. |
| Mid-1970s | Product | The Competition center-pull model is introduced as a later high-end brake, featuring brass bushings (instead of plastic) and using a straddle cable with double ball ends. |
| 1970s | Product | The MAFAC 2000 model is introduced, offered as a variation of the Racer design and available in gold-anodized finishes. |
| Late 1970s – Early 1980s | Product/Market | MAFAC attempted to adapt to new trends by producing side-pull brakes (LC, LS, LSX, and LS2 models) concurrently with their center-pull lines. These models ultimately suffered from reliability problems. |
| Early 1980s | Product | Production of the legendary Racer brake ceases. |
| 1980s | Corporate/Market | MAFAC joined the Spidel consortium (with Maillard, Simplex and Stronglight) to compete with groupset manufacturers, supplying Competition and MAFAC 2000 calipers and levers. |
| 1981 | Product | MAFAC cantilever brakes appear on the Specialized Stumpjumper, one of the first commercially built mountain bikes, highlighting their superior tire clearance. |
| Mid-to-Late 1980s | Corporate Closure | Economic pressures and strong competition from Japanese and Italian manufacturers led to the company’s disappearance. MAFAC ceased operations around 1985. |
| Post-Closure | Legacy | The engineering principles of MAFAC’s cantilever and center-pull designs influenced later systems by companies like Dia-Compe and Shimano, and their designs are considered current even by modern standards. |
