Medien

The press has reported on pedelec riders who knock down pedestrians or hit cars at full speed, and on a bicycle expert who says 80 percent of pedelecs shouldn’t be on the market. Then there are the stories about exploding e-bike batteries that burn down bike stores, or send cyclists flying through the air and suffering serious injuries.

SAZbike spoke with bicycle expert Dirk Zedler (managing director of Zedler - Institut für Fahrradtechnik und –Sicherheit) about the latest e-bike test of the German foundation for comparative testing (Stiftung Warentest). What the graduate engineer claims most is above all the non-transparency of test criteria, which are neither displayed to the manufacturers nor to the public. Furthermore, Zedler criticises the editorial realization of the test. However, the expert also reminds the manufacturers of their responsibility: The results of the brake tests, for example, are identic to his own findings, and the test hardness for monotube frames is another point that is approved by Zedler.

Bicycle specialist shops have good preconditions to position themselves in the market of pedelec/e-bike sellers, if they choose the products with care and provide comprehensive information to the customers. A few tips for the product choice[nbsp]and for the customer talk:

Aluminium, carbon, steel or titanium, the discussions about the proper bicycle material are older than the beginning of the mountain bike boom and the triathlon hype that started in the middle of the eighties. Today, about 25 years after the comeback of the bicycle, every material has found its place and both wood and bamboo are experiencing a revival. An emotionally detached and therefore technically oriented guide through the often imaginative names and additional titles of the manufacturers.

Fast pedelecs are a lot of fun and will reach new target groups. A few thoughts on what bicycles will need to have so as to be able to meet the growing requirements.

Current pedelecs and Ultegra Di2 are just the tip of an iceberg. The bicycle sector is standing on the threshold of the electronic revolution and thus of its biggest change.