Bike parking garage - of course!
And what else would you expect in the case of a bicycle expert: there is a completely wood-panelled bike parking garage with digital access gate open to guests and team members, the last detail being a connected e-bike charging station. And inside there was a big party. Dirk Zedler’s ears must have been burning as various laudators truly poured a horn of plenty of praises over him. It started with Baden-Wuerttemberg’s Minister of Transport Winfried Hermann who stated when entering the impressive building that he would also like to work in such a building. He also paid tribute to the industry which were constantly further developing with its innovations by decision-makers with heart like Dirk Zedler. Ludwigsburg’s Mayor Spec took the same line and declared that the bicycle industry would contribute enormously to sustainability. And he added that this would only be crowned by success when both local public transport and bicycle would experience more support in future.
Bernhard Lange presents certificate
As third in a row of congratulators Bernard Lange presented in his function as presidium member of the German Bicycle Association (ZIV) a certificate to a visibly moved Dirk Zedler in recognition of 25 years of innovation and commitment to the bicycle. “Honour to whom honour is due”, is the only thing one can state. “Making bicycles better”, this is reportedly his incentive and the incentive of his about 25 team members - the cycle industry can be proud of Dirk Zedler and his team. During the past decades this team has to a great extent contributed with their expertise to the fact that bicycles have become safer. Zedler-Institut draw up 600 expert reports per year. In doing so they have built up an extensive wealth of experience. There is probably nothing in terms of damage claims that can shake Zedler. Further business fields of the Zedler-Group are testing services, such as for example the strength tests of forks or frames. These however not only individually, but in combination with changing parameters. This also includes the development of testing systems for industrial customers - evidence for the fact that Dirk Zedler is not only a good engineer but has also become a good businessman in the course of the 25-year long company history. The drawing up of user manuals in countless languages belongs to the daily tasks like recall documentations and risk analyses. And whoever needs for example a let’s say Stevens price list from 2003 or the April issue of the BIKE-magazine from 1998 will certainly find what he is looking for in Zedler’s archives.
Last but not least Zedler is often booked for speeches and he has also been active as a technical journalist for decades. In this connection he developed together with his very old friend, companion and laudator Thomas Musch the internationally acknowledged term “STW - stiffness to weight” describing the ratio between strength and weight.
Bicycle forever
With so much bicycle technology one must not forget the bicycle museum comprising about 130 exhibits of a special kind at present. Anyone who is even a little at home in the subject goes from amazement into rhapsodies. The bicycles are from all over the world and originate from the most various eras. They all hang on the walls of the seminar room and provide a special atmosphere. Can there be better closing words than Bernhard Lange’s future scenario? The number of pedelecs and e-bikes on Germany’s roads would increase up to 15 million by the year 2030. Visionaries like Dirk Zedler and his team would continue to play an important role in future.
Author: Paul Lange & Co.
Photos: Werner Kuhnle
