They do exist, the manufacturers who produce their mountain bike components in Europe - you just have to find them. The variety of European manufacturers differs greatly according to the structure of the various parts. We went on a search for the BIKE PROJECT: EUROPE and compiled a list of companies whose production is based in Europe. With our finished European bike we finalised the projectbut not the search for brands from Europe. The current list of European manufacturers of bicycle parts therefore contains some exciting latecomers. Almost everything can be sourced from European manufacturers: from the headset to the spacers to the seat clamp.
Bikeparts: More and more saddles and seat posts are coming from Europe
New additions to our list of European manufacturers include Coco Design. The French specialise in super-light carbon saddles and manufacture them exclusively by hand in their own country. The journey continues to the Czech Republic. There, with Posedla a manufacturer of 3D-printed custom saddles, which are produced in Ansbach, Germany. In Italy, the traditional brand Fizik has now built up a large range of bike accessories. Some of the saddles are still manufactured in bella Italia. For the sake of the challenge, we had for the BIKE PROJECT: EUROPE Only companies from the member states of the European Union are wanted. In the meantime, we have also expanded our list to include other manufacturers from geographical Europe.
YEP for example, sits and produces Vario supports in Switzerland, but commendably makes it clear that some of its suppliers manufacture their parts in the Far East. We also came across manufacturers with local production in the UK. Among them Dward Designwho offer aluminium and titanium seat clamps. You can hardly talk about British bike companies without Hope to mention. The cult brand's CNC milling machines produce seat clamps and, most recently, a remote lever for telescopic seat posts. Also Unite mills colourful saddle clamps on the British Isles. Brooks stands for traditional leather saddles like no other manufacturer and produced at home in England. Even the leather comes from British cows.
These bike parts from the Sitzzone are produced in Europe
Our list is not exhaustive and we look forward to receiving your additions. Do you know where other add-on parts are produced in the EU? Then please send us an e-mail: j.timmermann@bike-magazin.de
Manufacturer / Company headquarters / Production site / Remarks
- 77designz / Billerbeck (DE) / EN / Saddle clamps
- ax-lightness / Duderstadt (DE) / Duderstadt (DE) / Saddles and supports
- Beast / Dresden (DE) / Dresden (DE) / Saddles and supports
- Bike Ahead / Veitshöchheim (DE) / Veitshöchheim (DE) / Seatposts
- Brooks / GB / Smethwick (GB) / Leather saddles
- Carbonice / Denkendorf (DE) / Denkendorf (DE) / Seatposts
- Coco Design / FR / FR / Carbon saddles
- Crown Saddle / Straubenhardt (DE) / Straubenhardt (DE) / Saddles
- Carbon-Ti / Brescia (IT) / Brescia (IT) / Saddle clamps
- Darimo / Lliria (ES) / ES / Seatposts and clamps
- Dward Design / Wheel centre (GB) / GB / Titanium and aluminium saddle clamps
- Eightpins / Enns (AT) / AT / Integrated telescopic support systems
- Fizik / IT / Pozzoleone (IT) / Saddles
- gebioMised / Münster (DE) / Münster (DE) / Custom saddles
- Gelu / Alhandra (PT) / PT / Carbon saddles and supports
- Hope / Barnoldswick (GB) / Barnoldswick (GB) / Saddle clamps and telescopic support remote
- Intend /Freiburg (DE) / DE / Saddle clamps
- Light tin / Chemnitz (DE) / Chemnitz (DE) / Saddle cover repair and reconditioned saddles
- Leonardi / Madrid (ES) / Madrid (ES) / Seatposts and clamps
- MCFK / Leipzig (DE) / Leipzig (DE) / Saddles and supports
- Posedla / Varnsdorf (CZ) / Ansbach (DE) / 3D-printed custom saddles
- Schmolke / Constance (DE) / Constance (DE) / Saddles and supports
- Selle Italia / Asolo (IT) / Asolo (IT) / Saddles
- Selle Royal / Pozzoleone (IT) / Pozzoleone (IT) / Saddles
- SMP / Casalserugo (IT) / Casalserugo (IT) / Saddles
- SQlab / Taufkirchen (DE) / DE / Saddles
- Tune / Buggingen (DE) / DE / Supports and clamps
- Unite / GB / GB / Saddle clamps
Stems and handlebars are also increasingly coming from Europe
As British companies not part of the EU, but now also part of our list of European manufacturers of cockpit parts are Hope and Unite. In Switzerland Ceetec specialises in lightweight components. Rulezmann from Italy, who are actually better known for suspension tuning, have joined the ranks of stem manufacturers and produce special bike parts with a length of just 15 or 18 millimetres. The Italian e-bike manufacturer Agezzini has recently added an adventurous elastomer stem to its programme. The Regensburg dirt bike label XPro recently went public with a stem milled in Bosnia-Herzegovina. But even in Germany Fraezen from the Allgäu milled new stems. Vecnum has a suspension stem on offerwhich is aimed primarily, but not exclusively, at gravel bikers. In contrast, little is happening in the area of grips. A good year after the end of the BIKE PROJECT: EUROPE, the four European grip manufacturers have not been joined by any others.
These cockpit parts are built in Europe
Manufacturer / Company headquarters / Production site / Remarks
- 77designz / Billerbeck (DE) / DE / Stems from DE, handlebars from CAN
- Acros / Renningen (DE) / Renningen (DE) and Veitshöchheim (DE) / Stems not from EU
- Agazzini / Grignasco (IT) / IT / Elastomer stem
- Atelier Suji / Paris (FR) / Paris (FR) / Wooden handlebars
- ax-lightness / Duderstadt (DE) / Duderstadt (DE) / Carbon handlebars and stems
- Beast / Dresden (DE) / Dresden (DE) / Carbon handlebars and stems
- Bike Ahead / Veitshöchheim (DE) / Veitshöchheim (DE) / Carbon handlebars
- Carbonice / Denkendorf (DE) / Denkendorf (DE) / Carbon handlebars and spacers
- Carbon-Ti / Brescia (IT) / Brescia (IT) / Topcaps and expanders
- Ceetec / Müstair (CH) / CH / Carbon handlebars and stems
- CloseTheGap / Ede (NL) / IT / Carbon inner bar ends
- Cörrent Components / Lofsdalen (SWE) / Lofsdalen (SWE) and DE / Carbon handlebars from SWE, aluminium stems from DE
- Darimo / Llíria (ES) / ES / Carbon handlebars and stems
- Ergon / Koblenz (DE) / DE / Rubber from DE, GXR completely from DE
- Extralite / Graffignana (IT) / Graffignana (IT) / Lightweight aluminium stems and top caps
- Fraezen / Leutkirch (DE) / Leutkirch (DE) / Aluminium stems
- Frozen / Dresden (DE) / DE / Handles
- Gemini / Barcelona (ES) / Barcelona (ES) / Handlebar-stem units made of carbon fibre
- Hope / Barnoldswick (GB) / Barnoldswick (GB) / Aluminium stems and carbon handlebars
- Intend / Freiburg (DE) / Freiburg (DE) / Stems and headsets
- Jäger screws / Schwelm (DE) / DE / Screws
- MCFK / Leipzig (DE) / Leipzig (DE) / Carbon stems and handlebars
- Nevi / Görlitz (DE) / Görlitz (DE) / Birch bark handles
- OAK / Regensburg (DE) / Regensburg (DE) / Stems
- Reset Racing / Hanover (DE) / DE / Tax rates
- Rulezmann / Savona (IT) / IT / extra-short stems
- SB One / Munderkingen (DE) / DE / Stems
- Schmolke / Constance (DE) / Constance (DE) / Carbon handlebars and stems
- Six pack / Vogt (DE) / DE / Stems from DE
- Syntace / Tacherting (DE) / Tacherting (DE) / Spaceforce stem from DE
- Three Rock Components / Dublin (IRL) / DE / Aluminium stems
- Trickstuff / Freiburg (DE) / Freiburg (DE) / Trixer Gyro control unit
- Tune / Buggingen (DE) / Buggingen (DE) / Stems and headsets from DE
- Unite / GB / GB / Handlebars, stems, spacers
- Vecnum / Isny (DE) / DE / Sprung stem
- XPro / Regensburg (DE) / Travnik (BIH) / Aluminium stem
Discussion: Why is it so difficult to determine where bicycle parts really come from?
As we have already seen with other components in our BIKE PROJECT: EUROPE As we have been able to establish, "Made in Europe" is all about the definition of this slogan. Very few bike-related raw materials come from Europe, but are mined or industrially produced in China, Japan, Australia, Africa or South America. Depending on how you count, a complete bike consists of around 2000 individual parts. Manufacturers either have to produce all these small parts themselves or - as in most cases - buy them from suppliers. This is often done on a tight budget in favour of economic competitiveness.
If the small parts assembled into a brake, for exampleyou could at least call it "Assembled in Europe". However, for a genuine European part, the majority of the individual parts must also be manufactured in Europe. This is easier if the component consists of a single piece of aluminium or carbon, as in the case of handlebars, for example. In the case of grips, there may be two pieces of rubber as well as metal and plastic parts, screws and bar ends. Stems usually consist of a body, a front plate and six bolts. In addition to the shells and the bearing balls, a headset contains other small plastic or metal parts, lubricants and seals.
The more complex the bike part, the more difficult the question of origin
The individual parts of a seat clamp can usually be counted on one hand: Aluminium or carbon body, screw, threaded insert, washer. The saddle is a little more complex, but not yet wild. Its construction requires a shell made of carbon or plastic, a frame made of titanium, carbon or steel, padding, cover and often other small parts made of plastic, rubber or foamed materials. Rigid seat posts usually consist of fewer than ten individual parts: the carbon, titanium or aluminium post tube, two bolts, each with a washer and a threaded piece, and the two clamping jaws that hold the saddle frame.
With the triumphant advance of lowerable telescopic stabilisers, however, a far more complex part has found its place in the seat zone. They are usually controlled via a handlebar lever, which in turn consists of several small parts. There is also a cable pull with an outer casing and end stops or a hydraulic line with connecting parts, or a radio unit with battery. A retractable seat post itself contains a large number of small individual parts: Tubes, pistons, cartridges, hydraulically, mechanically or pneumatically controlled units, guide rails, bolts, pins, screws, threaded parts, air chambers, seals, bearings, springs, lubricants and much more.
Jan Timmermann
Editor
