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.

Zedler-Institut does not only offer load tests complying with the currently applicable standards and ISO standards, but also extended test cycles upon request. These exceed the minimum requirements of the standards and realistically simulate the loads in service. In doing so each bicycle category is considered specifically. The bicycles and components are tested dynamically for fatigue strength, whereas the loads are adjusted to the forces of the respective categories realistically occurring in service.

Due to this increase in capacities we do provide our customers with the results at constantly high speed, regardless of the fact that the testing volume at Zedler-Institut has multiplied in many fields in the past months. It is a rule that each frame and each component is mounted on the first testing system 48 hours upon arrival at the test institute at the latest. After that the results can be made available within three to seven days depending on the test. This accelerates the processes in development and shortens the time to market of new developments.

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.

Legal certainty by means of confirmed quality
“Our manuals meet all necessary requirements and release our customers from liability in legal issues”, says Petra Grunewald, Head of Technical Documentation at Zeder-Institut. The bicycle experts from the Ludwigsburg, Southern Germany, know what they are talking about, because their manuals have repeatedly been tested and approved by the authorities when customers were in critical situations. With the help of the carefully compiled contents it has already been possible to prevent officially threatened sales bans in several cases.

The value in use of the Zedler manuals was repeatedly pointed out by independent bodies, such as the German foundation for comparative product testing (Stiwa). In comparative tests of the consumer protection organisation they have come out as winner already several times. Many bicycle suppliers trust in this quality. In the past years the Basic and Brand Basic manuals were printed for more than 100 customers with a total print run of more than one million copies.

Small quantities, fast availability
In order to be able to serve customers in line with demand, Zedler-Institut deliver the Basic user manual in six languages starting from quantities of 50 pieces. All versions for mountain bikes, city/trekking bikes, kids’ bikes, BMX bikes and road racing bikes as well as the supplementary instructions for pedelecs/e-bikes are available in Germany ex warehouse within about four working days. Brand Basic manuals with an individualized cover from our German print shop or from our production partners in Taiwan can be shipped upon approval by the customer to a desired destination within about four working weeks.

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.

He will advise manufacturers and dealers on how to prevent lawsuits with disappointed customers. From his experience as publicly appointed and sworn-in bicycle expert he will show ways of how to harmonize processes in companies with applicable legislation and standards.

The lecture addressing the cycle industry will be held in English, the other one addressing manufacturers and dealers in German language. Both seminars will last 45 minutes and take place during one of the business days at the 2017 Eurobike Show. Detailed information on the precise date and the conditions of participation will be published online in the following weeks at www.eurobike-academy.de

BIKE 06/2017
Interview with Dirk Zedler, bicycle expert, Zedler-Institut

SAZbike 07/2017 and 2017/05/02
Parts replacement on pedelecs

LKZ, 2017/04/04
What to keep in mind when buying a bicycle

LKZ, 2017/04/04
Tips for sound cycling

RadMarkt.de, 2017/04/04
Pupils prepare an exhibition “When the wheels learned to move"