A bike forever

What is sustainable cycling? Used for as long as possible – finds a study by ETH Zurich Juniors. This work was commissioned by Veloplus, the bicycle and accessories specialist from Wetzikon ZH, which has eleven stores in German-speaking Switzerland. The company wants to make a bike as sustainable as possible and thanks to Helena Rupp (37) and Thomas Hofmann (54) now knows how prototypes are received by customers.

“I am very interested in sustainability. As a family of five, we don’t have a car. That’s why we travel a lot by bike,” says Helena Rupp (37) from Aargau, so she set aside a whole day to test the “Cumpan” bike.

«screw the weight»

Together with Thomas Hofmann (54) from the canton of Zurich and other testers, he went to Wetzikon on November 13, 2021, and from there he cycled for about 40 kilometers with the Cumpan prototypes in wet and cool weather.

“It basically worked,” says Hofmann. “There are only minor details that can be improved.” You can tell the professionals are at work. From his point of view, the weight of the bike can still be increased, that is, made lighter. The cyclist rode 13,000 kilometers last year and spent eight weeks in Andalusia as a cycling tour guide.

“It was a real race ready for me on the Cumpan motorcycle,” says Helena Rupp enthusiastically. “I’ve been playing with a belt drive and hub gears for a long time, so this would be my favorite thing to test,” she says. He then briefly tested this prototype as well and realized for himself: It doesn’t suit him. “I miss a very small item because I have to go uphill with a lot of luggage at home,” she says.

Casual cyclist and hobby cyclist

Rupp is a casual cyclist who usually travels with luggage. Hofmann is a cyclist but above all a sporty hobby cyclist. But they both come to the same conclusion: they will recommend the Cumpan bike to their friends. Why is that? Why? “Because the idea of ​​offering a bike of the highest quality that can be repaired and converted as easily and effectively as possible convinces me,” says Rupp. And Hofmann is considering whether to buy one as a daily bike for commuting.

life is very important

How does a bike become more sustainable? “Lifespan is very important,” explains Christoph Ruprecht (45), project manager for the Cumpan bike at Veloplus. Therefore, the bicycle frame is designed in such a way that it can be equipped with different protrusions (pronounced on the bicycle frame or fork, which hold the axle of the wheels), thereby accommodating components of different setups. standards – ie axle widths and diameters.

The best choice for Veloplus is the steel frame and fork. On the one hand, a high-quality steel frame is more durable and easier to repair than an aluminum or carbon frame. «CO generated during production₂ and the practically unlimited recyclability of steel clearly confirmed our choice of frame material,” says Ruprecht. From ore and mineral mining to the finished steel frame, around 11 kg of CO emissions₂-equivalents exported. This value is six times higher with an aluminum frame and nine times higher with a carbon frame.

the road is not the destination

All bikes are made in Taiwan. Why not in Europe? “Because most of the components are already in Taiwan,” Ruprecht says. He explains this using the frame example: ore and mineral mining in China and the production of crude steel and high-grade frame pipes in Taiwan provide less CO.₂ than the variant produced in Europe. According to Ruprecht, it usually looks like this: steel in Germany, steel pipe set in Italy, and iron ore from Brazil, which is made into a frame in the Czech Republic.

The lasting advantage is that almost all parts such as Shimano gears can be found in Taiwan. The complete bikes then arrive in Switzerland in a shipping container.

However, it will take some time before the 777 Cumpan bikes arrive in Switzerland. The bikes are scheduled for release in the fall of 2023 and the price is not yet known. “We have already calculated that, but we are still waiting – there are always surprises after all – but the bikes will not cost 3,000 francs.”