I recently came into possession of a wheel set. They are chrome steel Rigida rims inscribed with “Rigida Deco =Std= A. Flancsplats Stries, Made in France”.
It is believed that they came off a women’s bicycle built by A. Sutter.
Research on the web and elsewhere suggests that Rigida rims, also associated with the company Ryde, can be traced back to the early twentieth century. At one time they produced rims in France and the U.K. The rims above are chrome plated steel, 36 hole and laced to A.S. hubs. The rims are 600mm in diameter which according to chart below suggest that they are suitable for so-called 650B tires. Sheldon Brown suggested that this is a French size suited for French utility, tandem and touring bicycles, presumable to take extra weight.
The rims that I have do not appear to have a fabrication date inscribed. However, based on research I have undertaken it would appear that they date from the late 1940s or early 1950s.
A quick search on the web reveals that Rigida produced a wide variety of rims, sizes and profiles in steel and aluminium, including “Deco” and “Super Chromix” some examples of which are below:
marcfellman 