The overwhelming majority of all bicycle frames are produced in Asia. There are also some well-known manufacturers in Europe. A striking number of them are based in Germany. However, even if a brand may be based in a European country, it is often not so easy to find out whether production actually takes place in Europe. With our BIKE PROJECT: EUROPE we decided in favour of an MTB frame from Alutech and owners were able to watch Jügern Schlender welding right over his shoulder - guaranteed regional! With our ready-made Europa-Bike we completed the project, but not the search for mountain bike manufacturers from Europe. The current list of European frame manufacturers therefore contains some exciting latecomers.
More and more mountain bike frames from Europe
New additions to the list include Norwid. In Schleswig-Holstein, the northerners not only weld customised gravel frames, but also steel MTB frames. In Hesse, more precisely in Offenbach am Main, they produce customised Agresti also customised steel frames - including titanium frames on request. When building the steel frame gravel bikes from Big Forest you can even do it yourself in Potsdam if you wish. The small label Liny is based in Bayreuth and does not manufacture mountain bike frames in Düsseldorf, but does produce a small range of steel gravel bike frames. Welded in Dresden Sour the steel frames of its Homebrew series directly on site. Following the takeover by Pierer Industrie AG Liteville new ways. The carbon frame of the strictly limited new Liteville 301CL MK1 is made in Portugal.
The young brand is based in Regensburg XProwho is fully committed to the slopestyle scene. Your dirt bike frames are made in Travnik, Bosnia-Herzegovina. The German company Radoxx does not manufacture complete frames, but does produce frame parts such as rockers, adapters and other milled aluminium parts in its own country. A favourite photo object of the bike community is the CDuro from CompoTech, on which Intend mastermind Kornelius Kapfinger tests his prototypes. However, the Czechs also sell their unconventional single-pivot carbon frame to mere mortals. Rewel manufactures fine titanium frames in South Tyrol and Triton has now relocated the production of its titanium frames from Russia to Portugal.
Bicycle frames from Europe, not just from the EU
To make the challenge even more exciting, we limited the BIKE PROJECT: EUROPE to Manufacturers who produce their products in member states of the European Union. Of course, there are also numerous frame builders who build their jewellery in Great Britain or Switzerland, for example. Geographically, of course, these countries also belong to Europe and we have included them in our updated list. On the British Isles, bikers love to weld titanium and steel frames. For example, the frames from Sturdy and Ra Bikes "very British". Starling takes an intermediate route, welds steel hardtails and the main frames of the fullys in England, while the rear triangles come from Taiwan.
In Machynlleth, Wales sets the bike family Atherton 3D-printed titanium sleeves from domestic production with carbon round tubes from Taiwan. Not far away in Barnoldswick, colourful milled aluminium parts are produced alongside also the carbon frames from Hope. Even in small but mountain bike-enthusiastic Switzerland the company attaches great importance to frame production in its own country. The forge Scar welds fine steel frames in Switzerland and Gamux has chosen Germany's neighbouring country not only as its company headquarters, but also as a production site for frame parts and exciting downhill prototypes.
These MTB frames are built in the EU
Our list is not exhaustive and we look forward to your additions. Do you know where other mountain bike frames are produced in the EU? Then send us an e-mail: j.timmermann@bike-magazin.de
Manufacturer / Headquarters / Production / Remarks
- Actofive / Dresden (DE) / Dresden (DE) / Two aluminium models
- Agresti / Offenbach (DE) / Offenbach (DE) / Customised steel and titanium frames
- Alutech / Ascheffel (DE)/ Ascheffel (DE) / Aluminium models recently from DE, carbon rear triangles still from the Far East
- Ancilotti / Valperga (IT) / IT / Three aluminium models
- Antidote / Krakow (PL) / PL / Three carbon models
- Atherton / Machynlleth (GB) / Machynlleth (GB) / Titanium sockets from GB, carbon round tubes from Asia
- Big Forest / Potsdam (DE) / Potsdam (DE) / Steel gravel bikes
- Cavallery / Maclas (FR) / Maclas (FR) / An aluminium model with Effigear gearbox
- Cduro / Sušice (CZ) / CZ / Carbon-Fully
- Cheetah / Gingen (DE) / Gingen (DE) / Four aluminium models
- Crossworx / Rudolstadt (DE) / Rudolstadt (DE) / Three aluminium models
- Gamux / Wangen (CH) / CH / Frame components and downhill frames made of aluminium and carbon
- Ghost / Waldsassen (DE) / Herent (BEL) / Lector carbon frame from BEL, other models from the Far East
- Hope / Barnoldswick (GB) / Barnoldswick (GB) / Carbon frame with milled aluminium parts
- Chicken Cycles / Bischofsgrün (DE) / Bischofsgrün (DE) / Three models in titanium/steel
- Load / Dortmund (DE) / Veitshöchheim (DE) / Three carbon models from DE, aluminium models from the Far East
- Liny / Bayreuth (DE) / Düsseldorf (DE) / Small range of steel gravel bikes
- Liteville / Tacherting (DE) / PT / Carbon frame 301 from PT, aluminium frame from the Far East
- Crusty / Przasnysz (PL) / PL / Carbon models from PL
- Madnes / Montferrier-sur-Lez (FR) / Montferrier-sur-Lez (FR) / Two steel models
- MDE / Reano (IT) / IT / Two aluminium models
- Nicolai / Elze (DE) / Elze (DE) / Nine aluminium models
- Nize / Amtzell (DE) / DE / Children's bikes
- Norwid / Neuendorf (DE) / Neuendorf (DE) / customised steel frames
- Pole / FIN / FIN / CNC-milled aluminium models
- Portus / Pforzheim (DE) / Pforzheim (DE) / Stahl-Bikes
- Project 12 / Berkel en Rodenrijs (NL) / Schiedam (NL) / Steel hardtails
- Ra Bikes / York (GB) / GB / Steel bikes
- Radoxx / Rimsting (DE) / Rimsting (DE) / Frame milled parts on order
- Rewel / Bolzano (IT) / Bolzano (IT) / Titanium hardtails
- Singlebe / Choceň (CZ) / Vysoké Mýto (CZ) / Steel hardtails
- Sour / Dresden (DE) / DE / Steel bikes of the Homebrew series from DE
- Starling / GB / GB / Hardtail frame and fully steel main frame from GB, rear triangles from Taiwan
- Stoll / Beringen (CH) / Veitshöchheim (DE) / Four carbon models
- Sturdy / Frome (GB) / GB / Titanium hardtails
- Fir forest / Roschbach (DE) / Roschbach (DE) / Steel hardtails
- Triton / Troviscal (PT) / Troviscal (PT) / Titanium hardtails
- Unique / Markkleeberg (DE) / Markkleeberg (DE) / Stahl-Bikes
- Wikkit / Egmond aan Zee (NL) / Egmond aan Zee (NL) / Aluminium hardtails and bikes for beach racing
- Wittson / Klaipeda (LT) / Titanium hardtails
- XPro / Regensburg (DE) / Travnik (BIH) / Alu-Dirtbikes
Discussion: Why is the list of European bike manufacturers so short?
Before European frame builders can fire up the welding machine or start laying out a carbon frame, many hurdles have to be overcome. Most of the raw materials, such as carbon fibres, aluminium tubes and many milled parts, are produced in the Far East. Even small parts, such as cable holders, bearings or derailleur hangers, usually come from non-European countries. Whether and when all these parts can be assembled into a mountain bike frame depends on the delivery situation.
In addition, frame construction is still largely manual labour. European social laws and a higher wage level than in Asian countries make labour expensive. Skilled workers, such as experienced aluminium welders, are in high demand on the labour market. Unlike in Europe, a large industry with a lot of expertise has been established in countries such as Taiwan over many years. Higher environmental standards are also driving up the cost of frame production in the EU. Small forges, such as Gasventinove (IT) or Zonenschein (DE, insolvency after flood disaster), have disappeared from the scene over the years. Unno has relocated the production of its latest generation of frames from Barcelona to Asia for price reasons.
Why could the list of European MTB frames soon become longer?
Well-known companies such as Kavenz, RAAW, Thömus, Falkenjagd, Rennstahl and Sour are based in Europe, but have their MTB frames produced in Asia. Arc8 is based in Switzerland, but manufactures the frames in China. When there are supply bottlenecks for parts from Asia, smaller frame builders in particular are left behind and are supplied late or not at all. Jürgen Schlender from Alutech has therefore decided to do so, Aluminium frames can now be welded again in Ascheffel in northern Germany. Load as well as Stollon the expertise of All Ahead Composites and has carbon frames produced in Würzburg. Other manufacturers could follow these examples. However, European mass production of bicycle frames comparable to Asian capacities does not yet exist. Most European frame manufacturers currently produce small and very small series in-house.
When will European mass production of carbon frames start?
Promising approaches for European frame production in large quantities are currently being developed in Portugal, among other places. The brand new Carbon Team factory could produce up to 55,000 frames a year in the next few years. Carbon expert Christoph Gemperlein (All Ahead Composites) is one of the key contributors to this expertise. In particular, extensive automation of production could make European frame production competitive in the future. This is why Ghost on automated production with thermoplastics in Belgium. Key technologies, such as 3D printing, play a decisive role here. For example, the aluminium frame of our BIKE PROJECT: RIDE GREEN Bikes 3D-printed by the Canyon company in Germany.
Jan Timmermann
Editor
