Velo de Ville: The manufacturer from Münsterland makes completely customized e-bikes and bicycles possible with individual assembly and its own paint shop. This means that you can build a completely unique dream bike in the online configurator instead of having to make compromises with a series model.
An e-bike that only exists once? That sounds unusual at first, especially since electric bikes have long since become a mass phenomenon. Today, the variety of models is so obvious that you rarely see the same bike twice. Does it even make sense to concern yourself with the topic of customization?
Absolutely – it just depends on what your requirements are. And it's not about choosing the very best material. The appeal of a configurator is that you can choose the components that are particularly important to you and specifically select the quality you want.
Velo de Ville: Individual selection of (almost) all components
With e-bikes and off-the-shelf bicycles, it's like this: With every price point (i.e. in increments of 100 or several hundred euros), all components become a little higher quality - the gears get more gears, the lights get brighter, better suspension forks are installed, etc. With e-bikes, it's also often the case that the cheaper models have less torquey motors, while the more expensive ones have more powerful units. It's entirely conceivable that someone would prefer a more harmonious motor with less thrust, but still want high-quality components. With e-bikes, the display is also an important issue: some people only want basic information and don't need a large screen; others value navigation etc. and therefore may want to attach their smartphone to the handlebars.
So customization makes sense, and this is where Velo de Ville comes in. The provider from Münsterland can look back on a company history spanning almost 60 years, in which the "construction kit" theme played an important role early on. The practice of having a dealer put together a new bike component by component was once widespread among quality-conscious customers; today, of course, this can also be done at home on the computer. However, getting advice from a VdV dealer is no problem given the dealer network that includes several hundred companies. In any case, the individually configured bike is delivered via the dealer, who carries out final assembly and adjustments. There is an exception if there is no specialist dealer within a 70 km radius that sells the brand's bikes - in this case, the customers are delivered directly.
Starting point of the configuration: the base model
Velo de Ville does not offer standard bikes; the configuration is based on so-called basic models. Of course, it can happen that a dealer configures the bike himself or has display models in the shop that someone likes just as they are. Apart from that, however, every bike or e-bike from the brand is unique, which is not least due to the most striking feature: the color of your choice. In addition to 16 colors, you can even choose between matt and glossy.
The configuration naturally begins with the choice of the basic model. If you click on it, a menu opens that can contain eight different motor variants - from Bosch Active Line to CX, and in different model generations. But there are also models where you are limited to one drive variant - such as the CEB Pro with Bosch SX motor, which requires a different frame interface for installation.
The second point is the gear system, divided into hub, chain and electronic gear systems. Depending on the motor variant, there are up to 18 options, although drives with less torque offer more options. For example, Velo de Ville combines the popular eight-speed hub from Shimano with a Bosch Active motor. Each variant is provided with the respective complete price of the bike; for example, you can see that the Rohloff gear system costs 1.700 euros more than a Shimano XT 12-speed. The points frame shape, size and color follow; then there is the option of choosing an equipment package. This allows you to specify various components at once - for example, the "Traveler" package includes a suspension seat post, a bright spotlight, a larger battery and carrier systems; the popular "Style" package includes tires, saddle and handles in chic brown.
Packages make configuration easier
If you decide on a package, the components included in it can of course no longer be adjusted individually. Adjustments to the handlebars and stem are very popular with users of the configurator; when it comes to tires, particularly puncture-proof products are often important. According to Velo de Ville, there is also great interest in particularly bright headlights. There are regional differences in the choice of gear system: in the north, secondary gears are particularly popular, while in the south, derailleur gears are more common.
The personalization options in the configurator vary from model to model. For the non-motorized bikes, you can choose Shimano's Alfine eleven-speed gear hub, which is no longer often found on complete bikes. An option to add on to this is a chain or toothed belt. For the G 400 gravel bike, you get the Commuter package with lights, mudguards and rear carrier for just over 100 euros.
At the end of the process, you will receive a PDF file with all the details of the desired bike and an ID number. Two to four weeks pass from the time you send the order to the time it is delivered. Of course, buying a standard bike in a bike shop is much quicker - but if you want to ride a really special bike or e-bike, you shouldn't have a problem with the waiting time.