[A small step into history]

In 1996 Bionicon founders Andi Fesl, Stefan Albrecht and Daniel Kohl bought their first full-suspension bike and only half a year later they started to think seriously about how to optimise their daily ride, as they were not satisfied with the uphill performance.

The rising front wheel on uphill sections and a hurting neck drove them insane. Lots of brainstorming, doubts over existing products and inspiration from nature showed the path towards suspension travel and geometry adjustment as a way to optimise the daily ride, apart from simply reducing weight.

Step by step theories were developed, the first basic model was created in 1998 and many versions followed. In 1999 the development was shifted to a pneumatic link system.

It was more logical to adjust the front and the rear of the chassis simultaneously as animals do. More then 20 different versions were created in their little work shop in Bavaria.

On May 1st 2000 this technology was presented for the first time to the world of Mountainbiking at the Lake Garda Bike Festival. This was the point of no return and they found themselves in the centre of attention with envious onlookers from within the bike industry.

Winning the ISPO DuPont Brand New Award 2000 for the most innovative sports product gavetons of PR and drove them to bring this system into the market.

In April 2002 this pioneering product was finally available for everybody and the company was created… [Source: www.bionicon.com]

Meanwhile Bionicon has an approx. turnover of 2 million Euros a year, 20 employees in Germany and another 10 abroad. The strategy diversifys for other areas as well. The frame adaption patents are used by renowned bicycle producers all over the world, the company invests in high quality bicycle wear and started recently to support MTB- Tourism projects…

Join a small tour through Bionicon headquarter:

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Special thanks to Marco Toniolo, who authorized me to use his perfect pictures from an earlier visit a year ago. But they were so much better than my poor “drive-by-shootings” that it would be an offence to anyone’s eyes to use them in this article…

Alternatives? Do it with BAMBOO !

Anyway:

In April 2010 the brand new Bionicon TESLA will come to Portugal!

I met two exhausted heroes, dropping just in after one week of organisation and participation at Greifmasters Bikepolo.

Recep and Holger started their biz in 2004 and they did it right from “zero”. In the beginning they were the “bad boys” – being chased away from the fairground when promoting their bikes in a ”guerrilla-way” Meanwhile they are the proud holders of a Eurobike award and several design awards around the world. They turned their company from a garage story to an established brand in the bicycle market. When I was visiting them last week they proudly presented their new warehouse which sets up another milestone in logistic capability. We agreed upon an individual strategy for the Portuguese market, to allow the brand to grow as well in Southern Europe. Meanwhile we´ve got 4 dealers in the Lisbon area and we are looking for more enthusiastic entrepreneurs who are visionary enough to invest in UrbanMobility with style.. [*Marketing mode "OFF"]

Fortunately in Portugal we are not (yet) in the situation of this bike messenger from Berlin, who must use his Bullitt Cargo Bike under the worst circumstances.  Anyway – back to the topic: Since this year we have three Danish bike brands represented in Portugal: After the Bullitt Cargobikes – made by Larryvsharry – were introduced by E-Mobility.pt our  collogues ofCenas a Pedalfrom Lisbon made a hugh effort to order a Christiana – Truck – sorry – a three-wheeler from independent bike builders Christiana/Copenhagen.

BTW: Talking of “Christiana-bikes”…, These days I got caught by an international topic origin from NY Times, published for ex. on Copenhagenize.com and in local newspapers:

Christiana bike stolen, with 3 sleeping children in it:

A bicycle thief in Copenhagen got rather more than he bargained for when he stole a Christiania transport bike in the Danish capital when he subsequently found three children sleeping in the cargo box.

The children’s father had left them asleep while he popped into a shop in the city’s Nørrebro district, and according to the Copenhagen Post, as soon as the thief discovered his haul, he asked the eldest child, age seven, where they lived, and promptly delivered them to a neighbour.

The latter contacted the police, who arrested a 39-year-old man shortly afterwards, with duty officer Mads Firlings of Copenhagen Police saying, “he actually acted very responsibly once he discovered the children.”

So far to this serious but in a certain way funny episode. Perhaps it could had happened because of the non-transparent tent, that was fixed over the Christiana cargo compartment?

Or maybe it is just a symbol for the urgent need of cargo tricycles in European cities?!

To come to an end and clear up the secret around “Wint(h)er time:

At my visit in Copenhagen in December, I decided finally to step into that market too and it was just a small step from the Bullitt bikes (designed by the famous Danish designer Lars Malmborg) to the WINTHER bikes (as well designed by the famous Danish designer Lars Malmborg

We will offer three different models:

• The sophisticated Kangaroo three-wheeler that could carry 2 or 4 (!) children in the front compartment

• The new and innovative Wallaroo two-wheeler (based on the Bullitt cargobike) in a ladie´s frame version and 18 cm longer than the classic Bullitt

• An industrial cargo solution for professionals - A Real work-cycle, that will last and drive as easy as a two-wheeler cargo bike..

So.. stay tuned, I´ll be back soon!

And don´t forget: Always use a transparent cover to protect your children from the rain! (and from being stolen by hazard..

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Luigi Colani on his knees in front of a Fixie-Inc. Single Speed

…in 2004 the producers of the Fixie-Inc. bicycles made the famous Luigi Colani fall on his knees! It even looks like he is praying to a object of design in the shape of a single speed/fixed gear bicycle.

But it is not just any bicycle - it is the one and only Nr. 1, a prototype and the first produced bicycle ever from Fixie-Inc. Karlsruhe …

Luigi – a real hero and idealist from the 80ies – was impressed by “Cycles-for-heroes” – This is a real story and a nice side-kick for marketing , but it is a confession! Congratulations, guys!

So it was for shure not the wrong transport that he had chosen, when he was kicked off the road by a bunch of civil agents of the state police.

His main problem was, that he carried a loaded gun and a mobile phone with him. Another problem was, that during one week the whole German police was searching him, after he left his home-jail – JVA Achen – using a key for the front door..

They tracked his mobile phone that was switched “on” while he was observated already during days. On a lonely, German country road they efficiency of Police-work lead to a stunt-look-a-like arrest scene. (There was not so much efficiency before and especially @ JVA Achen, where a prison guard did help him to escape… but this is another story)

So what do we learn from this?

1. Do not use a  28er Kettler, 6-gear bicycle on the wrong side of the Dutch border.

2. Use of mobile phones on a bicycle is dangerous

3. Never, ever a commuter bike had such a public attention:

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