All about bicycles, electric-assisted bikes, technology and safety in the press

In our daily work as we deal with bicycle safety, technology and user manuals we come across lots of safety risks. The most frequent ones are published in articles of the leading German special-interest magazines TOUR – Europas Rennrad-Magazin Nr. 1, BIKE – Das Mountainbike Magazin Europas Nr. 1 and E-Bike – Das Pedelec-Magazin to make this information important for the sector accessible to a wider public.

For many years now the Eurobike Show Daily accompanying the annual international Eurobike Show has given us the opportunity to publish our perspective on major developments in the cycle industry in full-page articles.

We also speak regularly in independent lectures about all topics relating to bicycle technology and bicycle market. In addition, we are regularly cited by further special-interest magazines or trade journals as well as more and more by radio and television and in their media reports, which shows us that we are completely right with our information. The section NEWS informs you about the latest news from our specialist fields. The reports and publications of this section are listed chronologically or according to topics of interest.

Velototal.de 05/2015
Reading time 1:40 minutes

Growth in the testing department: Zedler institute achieves record turnover in 2014

In 2014 after years of constant growth Zedler (Institut für Fahrradtechnik und -Sicherheit GmbH in Ludwigsburg) produced a record-setting development.   After a constant double-digit increase in the previous years, a new high was achieved with a plus of 27 percent in the past year. 

Whereas the business activities loss assessment and user manuals have been experiencing a linear increase in turnover, it’s the testing sector which has developed disproportionately.

Dirk Zedler explains: "This result is all the more encouraging, as we are now in a position to reap the fruit of our consistent work in the testing department. Word has spread that by means of our precise and realistic test methods we are able to work absolutely reliably and fast. Our test laboratory is meanwhile equipped with 37 partly highly complex static and dynamic testing systems. We are consistently able to conduct tests at short-term for our customers. Typically, it takes no longer than 48 hours until the respective test units are mounted on the testing systems; the results are available to the customer after one week at the latest."

In addition, the Zedler institute has started a few months ago to test in accordance with the new DIN EN ISO 4210 standard which includes some new requirements on 200 pages. Apart from the tests in accordance with the standard, further tests were developed and validated. They must be applied to bicycles and components which have to meet demands going beyond the minimum requirements, e.g. in the case of a higher permitted overall weight, sports user groups etc.

With the Multiload tests they are in a position to perform test cycles that vary or mix up load types as well as forces.

The tests are classified in the following segments:

  • Performance: Summing-up the riding characteristics in reliable and comparable figures.
  • Safety: Test of the operational strength and safety, comprising impact, fatigue and overload.
  • Quality: Tests which are not covered by the Performance and Safety tests, e.g. determination of the torque value or coating tests.

"We are happy with the previous development, would like to thank our customers and are convinced that our team will remain a strong partner of the cycle industry in 2015, as well", says Dirk Zedler.

Read the entire article here.

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