Acatene - chainless, France c.1897/98

"Acatene Metropole" refers to a famous brand of vintage French chainless bicycles (with a cardan shaft) that were manufactured by the Parisian company La Métropole in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. "Acatene" (from the French "acatène") literally means "without chain" and refers to the innovative cardan transmission system (a bevel gear system) instead of the traditional chain. "Métropole" was the name of the Parisian company that manufactured and sold the system and the complete bicycles. Many smaller manufacturers bought the transmission system and used it to assemble their own bicycles.