Soon, we will be able to move into our newly constructed building. Eleven month after the ground-breaking ceremony, the outer shell of the new company building was finished. Recently, this memorable moment was celebrated together with the craftsmen, staff members and business partners at a small topping-out ceremony. We are very happy about the fast progressing of the construction in spite of the hard winter so that we can move soon.

The additional space will be of good use for us: The current, rented company building in Ludwigsburg is bursting at the seams. We cannot wait to further develop at the new location which is in close vicinity. In the new functional rooms we will be able to maintain the usual high level of services for our customers and render them even more efficiently. Provided that the interior construction will progress as planned, we will be able to start moving in June. The company-own test laboratories and the offices will then be relocated step-by-step.

Pleasant reading wishes
Dirk Zedler

Before moving into the new building already, Zedler-Institut extended their test laboratory. From now on our customers will benefit from additional testing systems for components and obtain the ordered test results as quickly as usual.

Not only frames, but also forks and add-on parts for bicycles and pedelecs must withstand the loads during the ride. To avoid material defects and defective constructions as well as expensive recall actions as a consequence thereof, more and more manufacturers also have components tested for fatigue strength and operational safety. Zedler-Institut responded to these needs by extending their company-own test laboratory. What's new is that eleven frames as well as forks, handlebars and seatposts are tested dynamically on two test stands respectively at the same time. For steerer tubes or handlebar/stem-combinations three test stands were set up side-by-side only recently.

New developments in bicycle technology and new legal regulations regularly require revisions of the user manuals. Zedler-Institut grabbed the chance: together with the latest updates of their popular Basic user manuals in terms of contents the layout was redesigned.

Bicycle and pedelec manufacturers and importers who want to position themselves as customer-friendly suppliers and protect themselves against unjustified liability claims cannot do without practicable user manuals for their products. Manuals which meet these requirements must be precise, detailed, up-to-date, easy to understand and comply with the ISO/DIN standards.

Zedler-Institut has been elaborating such manuals for more than twenty years. The two most widespread two manuals were subject to a comprehensive update. The Basic manuals with brand neutral layout and contents as well as the Brand Basic manuals with customer-specific cover were brought up-to-date in terms of bicycle terminology. The road bike version, for example, was complemented with thru-axle instructions. The mountain bike manual was updated with a new chapter on the adjustment, use and maintenance of vario seatposts. The EPAC manuals were completed with information on new drive systems. In addition, all contents were updated legally in consideration of legislative changes for bicycles and pedelecs in countries, such as Germany, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain or Great Britain.

The pedelec set the cycle industry in motion, it entails, however, additional challenges in terms of legislation, too. These will remain in the industry, like the pedelec itself. Therefore, it is already worth noting two lectures at this year’s Eurobike Show: Dirk Zedler will speak about modifications as a result of applicable law relating to the pedelec from the view of the manufacturers and the dealers.

Addressing the cycle industry, graduate engineer Dirk Zedler presents the technical challenges that pedelecs must fulfil in accordance with legislation, EN/ISO standards and court decisions in the European Union. In addition, he will explain why pedelecs should be tested under test requirements going beyond the EN/ISO standards.