Eurobike / Market: With increasing popularity and constantly growing range, the e-bike market is also becoming increasingly confusing. Nowhere was this fact clearer than at this year's Eurobike. However, the German plastics specialist Rehau managed to stand out from this sheer mass of e-bikes and pedelecs at its premiere at the trade fair. The 'name:e' e-bike project keeps attracting curious looks - for many reasons. We would like to briefly introduce some of them to you.
Reason 1: Plastic as frame material
While in the good old days bicycle frames were made solely of steel, today you are spoiled for choice: aluminum and carbon dominate the market, there is still a choice for steel lovers and frames made of bamboo or even wood are becoming more and more common. Perhaps the selection will be even larger in the future: The nam:e frame from Rehau consists entirely of a composite material - you could also say plastic.
That is no coincidence: The German manufacturer Rehau is a specialist in this field and has been producing plastic components for the automotive, aircraft and building industries for many years. A bicycle frame is therefore new territory, but the technical know-how is undoubtedly available. In addition, with Storck Bicycles, a well-known manufacturer was brought on board, who brought their expertise from the bicycle sector to the design.
The nam:e emerged from a project funded by the federal government to develop integrative frame structures for e-bikes using material and process innovations. If you have any doubts about the stability of a 'plastic frame', Rehau will reply with a maximum load of up to 280kg - more than 99% of the bicycles currently available made of conventional materials.
Reason 2: Modular framework concept
The decision in favor of plastic as the frame material opens up numerous new possibilities for developers and designers. The modular frame concept is particularly exciting: for example, a luggage rack or a child seat can be attached to the frame with just one click. The possibilities here are almost unlimited, also because, due to the production process, it is possible to react much more quickly to the wishes and requirements of the customer - this also includes design requests such as surface structure and color.
Rehau also calls its nam:e an e-bike 'body', i.e. a basic carrier that can be expanded with numerous add-on parts. Just as little was saved on clever detail solutions, for example there is a small, lockable compartment in the frame directly in front of the head tube, in which a smartphone, wallet or similar can be stowed. The battery and drive are of course also fully integrated in the nam:e.
Reason 3: Completely made in Germany
Last but not least, it is quite remarkable that Rehau wants to manufacture the nam:e entirely in Germany. This is quite contrary to the current trend, in the course of which even traditional manufacturers are increasingly deciding to outsource their frame production to Taiwan. They also want to make a statement that it is still possible today to produce in Germany or Europe and still remain competitive.
Our impression
With the nam:e, Rehau has realized a really extremely exciting project, and we are really looking forward to its market launch. The mere fact that the frame is made of plastic and the associated advantages make you sit up and take notice and could cause waves in the bicycle industry. With Storck, they have also chosen a partner who can contribute their many years of experience in the construction of bicycles. So the conditions are really excellent and we will keep you informed about the Rehau nam:e.
Leave a Comment