TOUR shows current examples from the Eurobike
Hall 9.2 is a little out of the way on the exhibition grounds in Frankfurt and only a few visitors to the world's largest bicycle exhibition make their way there. And yet, a few hundred square metres of space impressively demonstrate which nation has long been the most important player in the global bicycle market.
"Changzhou Aimos" or "Shenzhen Highpower" is written on the advertising banners. The exhibition hall is full of exhibitors from China, covering the entire spectrum from complete bikes to small parts and accessories. According to ARD research, 75 per cent of bicycle frames imported to Germany come from China.
Made in Germany? A rarity when it comes to two-wheelers, accessories and components. But they do exist, the manufacturers with the black, red and gold proof of origin. The coronavirus pandemic in particular, during which China cut itself off from the outside world through restrictive policies, led to a rethink in the industry.
Huge factories in China
The reasons for production in China and Asia in general are obvious: bicycle parts can be produced in huge quantities and at low prices in the factory halls in Shenzhen & Co. because labour is available and still comparatively cheap. One Chinese factory, for example, churns out up to 250,000 carbon frames per year, most of which are also made by hand. Unthinkable in Germany - and in Europe.
Although there are also manufacturers of carbon fibre frames in Germany, this is not even remotely comparable to industrial production in the Far East. Bike Ahead Composites, one of the best-known carbon fibre specialists from Germany (see below), can produce around 1000 frames a year. However, the manual labour involved makes the manufacturing process and the end product significantly more expensive than a Chinese frame. The curious thing is that well-known manufacturers such as Merida and Specialized use German engineering skills in the development of their bikes, only to have them manufactured in Asia - and to a very high quality.
The fact that the bicycle industry has settled in China is primarily due to the almost inexhaustible pool of cheap labour, but also to less bureaucracy and lower environmental and health and safety requirements. Companies based in Germany, on the other hand, are facing the growing challenge of finding suitable staff. SKS Germany (see below) has always been committed to its site in Sundern, Sauerland, but can hardly find the labour to ensure the production of around 1.5 million air pumps and 5 million mudguards per year. There is also a lack of certain manufacturing technologies in Germany, as can be seen from the example of the Bavarian bag manufacturer Cyclite (below) shows.
Pandemic as a catalyst
However, not only has the whole world changed since coronavirus, the German bicycle industry has also started to reorganise itself and is making initial attempts to bring production back or expand it here. The interrupted supply chains to Asia in particular have led to a rethink, and the issue of sustainability is also playing a more prominent role than it did a few years ago.
With creative approaches, the companies want to create a counter-design to Chinese products and bring core industry from Asia into the country: electronics specialist Sigma from Neustadt an der Weinstraße, for example, manufactures its latest bicycle computer (below) at three locations in Germany. What cannot (yet) be realised in Germany is also brought to Europe. For example, a new carbon frame factory has been built in Portugal, which can produce around 55,000 frames per year at maximum capacity.
Interview with Frank Regge, who has been with Busch+Müller for 19 years and works in technical field service
The interview was conducted by Matthias Borchers
TOUR: Busch + Müller has its headquarters in Meinerzhagen in the Sauerland region. Is the location in Germany a model for success?
Frank Regge: Busch + Müller is owner-managed in the third generation, employs around 300 people in the region including 50 home workers and will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2025. You can speak of a successful model.
TOUR: That also speaks in favour of the bond with the location. What factors were and are the basis for this?
Frank Regge: Our employees, most of whom come from the region, play a large part in this. We also have a very high level of vertical integration at our site, including tool and mould making. This enables us to supply everything from a single source, from the initial product idea to the finished product ready for sale. We even assemble our circuit boards for the headlights and tail lights ourselves at our sister company in Wiehl.
TOUR: Does Germany also have disadvantages as a business location?
Frank Regge: We source individual electronic components such as resistors or capacitors - we call this "birdseed" - from Asia, sometimes America. There are no manufacturers for these in Germany or Europe.
TOUR: Do dealers and customers honour "Made in Germany"?
Frank Regge: In any case! Our dealers value Busch + Müller for its delivery capability and technical support. And the cyclists who ride with our lights appreciate "Made in Germany", as we know from letters and social media.
Bike Ahead Composites - Expertise in carbon
Christian Gemperlein has had two hearts beating in his chest for almost five years. The graduate engineer and founder of Bike Ahead Composites, one of the few carbon frame manufacturers in Germany, wears a T-shirt with the logo of his company based in Veitshöchheim near Würzburg. At the Eurobike bike show, however, we meet the Franconian at the Carbon Team stand.
Behind this is an association of several manufacturers who have recently started producing carbon frames on an industrial scale in Campia near Porto, Portugal. "When the enquiry came, it was a great opportunity to realise my dream project," says Gemperlein, who has been a technology partner with Bike Ahead Composites since 2019 and contributes his expertise to the production of carbon parts such as frames and wheels.
Gemperlein and his team have been manufacturing wheels in Veitshöchheim since 2011; shortly afterwards, the first order for a mountain bike came from the Swiss brand Stöckli, and two years ago, the first racing bike frame for Stoll Bikes left the "forge" in Veitshöchheim. Bike Ahead Composites can produce around 1000 frames a year, laminated by hand in a complex process and with the highest quality standards.
The frame set of the Stoll S1 Race (see TOUR 2/2023) is currently one of the lightest on the market. "We have a lot of enquiries from the high-end sector, but we reach our capacity limits relatively quickly," says Gemperlein. In addition to the manual and therefore relatively slow production process, the search for employees in particular makes it difficult to produce higher quantities.
However, the engineering graduate now has his "favourite project". With the plant in Portugal, a first step has been taken towards making carbon frame construction acceptable within Europe. "Many manufacturers are now looking for an alternative to Asia," says Gemperlein. The first racing bike frame has been manufactured and painted at the Carbon Team plant for a few weeks now, and Simplon has the new race all-rounder Pavo manufactured there.
With automated production, up to 55,000 bicycle frames can be produced annually in future, with 18,000 units scheduled to leave the plant next year and be delivered to European manufacturers. The consortium that made the site possible also includes the Portuguese aluminium frame manufacturer Triangle's Cycling Equipments. The project was also subsidised with state and European funding. According to Gemperlein, it is also easier to find staff there than in Germany.
SQ-Lab - Closed supply chain
It took almost four years for the ergonomics specialist SQ-Lab to close its supply chain for the production of saddles and soles in Germany. With the exception of a Swiss carbon manufacturer, which supplies the saddle frames, a total of seven producers spread across the whole of Germany contribute the individual parts, with final assembly being carried out by a service provider in Ansbach.
The decision to bring part of the production back to Germany had already been made before corona, says Head of Development Max Holz, explaining the lengthy search for suitable producers. A total of three saddle models - such as the 611 Infinergy Ergowave active 2.1 Carbon (230 euros, expected to be available from August/September 2023) - are now produced in Germany in five sizes each, as well as ergonomic insoles with different arch support. According to Max Holz, the clothing range is produced entirely in Europe.
Supernova - High beam from Breisgau
Supernova from Gundelfingen in Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, presented its first dynamo headlight with high and low beam at Eurobike. The M99 DY Pro is approved for road use, is available immediately and costs 325 euros. The highlight of this elegant light is its USB charging function, which can be used to charge GPS devices or smartphones when the light is switched off. A standard hub dynamo, for example from Shimano, is sufficient as a power source, adds David Gedanitz, Head of Marketing at Supernova.
A small note at this point, we have received the dynamo headlight from Supernova for testing. So take a look again to read our test results.
Li:on - By professionals for kids
At Eurobike, Marcel Kittel and Tony Martin presented a product that at first glance may not seem very obvious for former professional cyclists: the two stars are the inspiration behind a new children's bike brand called Li:on. The man behind the project is Franz Blechschmidt, who once went to school with Kittel and Martin and developed the bike together with the two ex-pros. A special feature of the bike is the frame, which is injection moulded by a partner company in southern Germany.
The bike with 24-inch wheels is designed for children from around six years of age and should grow with them for up to five years thanks to an adjustable stem. The developers have placed great emphasis on visibility; in addition to the reflective paint, the rear light in both rear struts should help to ensure that children are not overlooked in traffic. Delivery is scheduled to begin in spring 2024, with prices starting at 829 euros. The Pedal Lions will be sold via specialist retailers and directly by the Erfurt-based company li:on bikes.
Sigma Sport - The chain is getting shorter
Robin Schemdel (Chief of Product) and Daniel Conka (Senior Product Manager) have done it: Sigma's new ROX 12.1 EVO bike computer is produced in Germany. To be more precise, the circuit boards are fitted with electronic components and soldered here, and the housing is assembled to be waterproof and dustproof.
This takes place in Bavaria at so-called EMS (Electronic Manufacturing Services), while the final quality control and packaging is carried out at the company headquarters in Neustadt an der Weinstraße, where the GPS computer was developed. Schemdel and Conka are pleased that their entrepreneurial courage and decision in favour of a short supply chain in Germany has been rewarded. The realisation took four years and the basic model of the ROX 12.1 EVO will cost 380 euros.
SKS Germany - Racing compressor forever
The accessories manufacturer SKS can look back on more than 100 years of company history - and if the milestone anniversary had not coincided with the coronavirus year 2021, there would have been a lavish celebration at the company headquarters. The company name is made up of the first letters of the surname of its founder Karl Scheffer-Klute and the name of the town of Sundern. Today, the accessories specialist employs 650 people at three locations in the Sauerland region - and would like to have even more. "We put out flyers everywhere looking for employees, even in the kebab shop," says Sales Manager Marcel Spork.
Like many in the industry, the medium-sized company from the Sauerland region, which claims to produce 5 million mudguards and 1.5 million pumps per year, is constantly on the lookout for employees. According to Spork, well-trained staff and vertical integration from the product idea and design to toolmaking, production, assembly and packaging are the key to market success: "We can react quickly because we do everything ourselves." Even during the coronavirus crisis, the company has always been able to deliver thanks to its closed supply chain and low dependence on foreign suppliers. "We are able to supply suitable spare parts such as a seal or a brass valve for a 40-year-old racing compressor," says Spork, promoting the location with tradition.
Cyclite - It has to be light
"We started out with the aim of being light." This is how Christoph Kirsch, one of the two founders of bag manufacturer Cyclite alongside Max Barnsteiner, summarises the motivation behind why the enthusiastic bikers are now selling bike bags. Kirsch and Barnsteiner ride road bikes, gravel bikes and mountain bikes and were always annoyed by the heavy weight of panniers. "A racing bike is light, so the bags have to be light too," says Kirsch, summarising the core of their company philosophy; the two founders had previously gained the necessary experience and expertise in the outdoor industry.
The new products are developed and tested at the company headquarters in Grassau am Chiemsee, the material comes from Taiwan, the bags are welded in China, as the waterproof laminates used are not available in Germany or Europe and there are no service providers who can weld the wafer-thin material precisely. "The custom frame bag is produced in Halle an der Saale, but it's a customised product that is sewn and taped." When asked whether it is still appropriate today to found a company based on production relationships with the Far East, Kirsch replies: "As a young German company, we think it makes sense to enable people abroad to earn a living in a world based on the division of labour."
VSF Fahrradmanufaktur - Oldenburger Feinstahl
Until now, VSF Fahrradmanufaktur has tended to focus more on everyday and trekking bikes with steel frames than on high-tech sports equipment. Following the great success of a gravel bike, which was offered in limited numbers as a trial balloon two years ago, the brand is now seriously entering into the production of sporty bikes. At Eurobike, the Oldenburg-based company presented the GX series with a mass-produced steel frame from Asia. The frame offers a very comfortable riding position and has a number of mounting options for mudguards, pannier racks and accessories.
The GX-500 model comes with an aluminium fork and mechanical SRAM Apex 1x12 drivetrain for 2399 euros; the more elegantly equipped GX-900 with carbon fork and Campagnolo's Ekar with 13 gears costs just under 5000 euros. The flagship model is the GX-1600: the elaborately crafted frame with a flattened top tube and striking seat knot is handmade by a frame builder in southern Germany. Equipped with a SRAM Red groupset and a number of lightweight carbon parts from Schmolke, the bike is said to weigh well under nine kilos. If you are interested, you will need time and money: orders can be placed with VSF dealers and the price is expected to be 16,000 euros.
Julian Schultz
Editor
