Originally Posted by
Wildwood
Extinct companies whose name still exists for marketing purposes = Raleigh, Mercier, Masi, Motobecane, Austro Daimler
Gone but not forgotten = Serotta, Merlin, Klein, Lemond
Just gone = Softride
Components = Huret, Simplex, Zeus (components and bikes)
edit: Does Peugeot still manufacture bikes?
Softride brings to mind a funny situation. The owner of a bike shop that specializes in custom steel frames in Seattle likes to ride a tandem with his wife (and a convertible tandem/triple/quad with the whole family). However, many years ago his wife tried a softride and won't use anything else, so he has to incorporate that thing into the bikes they ride, even though it is no longer something he can sell.