What's inside the seatpost and co.
As we have already seen with other components in our BIKE Project: Europe As we have been able to establish, the definition of this slogan is particularly important when it comes to "Made in EU". 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. If the small parts are assembled into a Brake If the parts were assembled in the EU, one could at least speak of "Assembled in EU". For a genuine EU part, however, the majority of the individual parts must also be manufactured in the European Union. This is easier if the component, such as in the case of a Handlebarsconsists of just a few raw materials and individual parts. It is much more difficult with small parts, such as a Suspension fork.
What about the Dividing the seating zone out? The individual parts of a seat clamp can usually be counted on one hand: Aluminium or carbon body, screw, threaded insert, washer. A little more complex, but not yet wild, is the Saddle. Its construction requires a carbon or plastic shell, a titanium, carbon or steel frame, padding, cover and often other small plastic parts. 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.
Telescopic supports are complex components - what about Europe?
With the triumph of the lowerable Telescopic supports However, a far more complex part is located 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 with an outer casing and end stops or a hydraulic line with connecting parts, or a radio unit with a battery. A retractable seat post itself contains a large number of small individual parts: Tubes, pistons, cartridges, hydraulic, mechanical or gas-controlled units, guide rails, bolts, pins, screws, threaded parts, air chambers, seals, bearings, springs, lubricants and much more.
BIKE Project: Europe - a look at the list
Seat clamps are often part of a larger portfolio. There is no company that exclusively manufactures seat clamps for mountain bikes. As is the case with 77designz (Germany) or carbon-ti (Italy), for example, they are sandwiched between many other products. The situation is different at Bicycle saddles. Especially in Italy (Selle ItaliaSelle Royal and SMP), globally established companies produce saddles for the bike industry. Smaller companies, such as Selle Montegrappa (Italy) or Berthoud (France), also build saddles by hand in Europe, but do not offer mountain bike products, only road bike and trekking products.
Traditional manufacturer Brooks manufactures its famous leather saddles in the UK and therefore in Europe, but not in the EU. Bike fitting expert gebioMized manufactures custom saddles in Germany that are adapted to the customer's anatomy. In Chemnitz, Leichtzinn sources worn saddles with new covers and also sells remanufactured models from Tune and Selle Italia. In Portugal, Gelu builds saddles and seat posts by hand from carbon fibre.
Thanks to new manufacturing processes and a co-operation with the Middle Franconian plastics specialist Oechsler and BASF, the SQlab saddle production is gradually being returned to Germany. The Bavarians presented the 60X Ergowave "Made in Germany" back in 2020. The 610 Infinergy model followed at Eurobike 2022 in Frankfurt. German versions of the 611 and 614 are set to follow shortly. The individual parts of the German SQlab saddles have to travel a maximum of 390 kilometres.
Rigid seat posts manufacture, among other things Tune in the Black Forest or Darimo in Spain. The list of adjustable telescopic supports from the EU is much shorter. YEP produces in Switzerland, a non-EU country. Eightpins build their integrated supports in Austria. However, the system requires a frame designed for it. In Germany alone Vecnum Dropper posts. After bad experiences with external production, Vecnum decided to manufacture everything in-house and with independent control over the availability of parts. The posts have therefore been produced in Isny in the Allgäu region since 2016.
BIKE Project: Europe - These parts of the seat zone are produced in the EU
Our list is not exhaustive and we look forward to receiving your additions. Do you know where other parts of the seat zone are produced in the EU? Then please send us an e-mail: eu-projekt@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
- Carbonice / Denkendorf (DE) / Denkendorf (DE) / Seatposts
- Crown Saddle / Straubenhardt (DE) / Straubenhardt (DE) / Saddles
- Carbon-Ti / Brescia (IT) / Brescia (IT) / Seat clamps
- Darimo / Lliria (ES) / ES / Seatposts and clamps
- Eightpins / Enns (AT) / AT / Integrated telescopic support systems
- gebioMised / Münster (DE) / Münster (DE) / Custom saddles
- Gelu / Alhandra (PT) / PT / Carbon saddles and supports
- Intend /Freiburg (DE) / DE / Saddle clamps
- Leichtzinn / 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
- 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
Our solution in the BIKE PROJECT: EUROPE
The Selle Italia X-Bow TI 316 Enduro saddle is used in the seating zone on our EU project bike. All of its individual parts are manufactured at the foot of the Italian Alps in the small municipality of Asolo. Apart from the raw materials, the X-Bow from the province of Veneto is therefore one of the rare 100 per cent EU parts. No wonder Selle Italia proudly bears its origins in its name: Bicycle saddles have been produced in their home province for over 120 years.
The rest of the seat zone is supplied by Vecnum from Germany. The purely mechanical adjustment range of 182 millimetres Nivo Seatpost on the project bike. It is controlled by a trigLOC thumb lever, which is also manufactured in Isny im Allgäu. For mounting in the Alutech Fanes 6.1 Pinion frame is provided by the Vecnum tooLOC saddle clamp, which is produced in-house. According to engineer and Vecnum founder Marcell Maier, the main advantages of in-house production are a better overview of parts availability and faster realisation on the company's own machines. However, Vecnum relies on cables and outer casings from Shimano (based in Japan, manufactured in China and Taiwan) due to their good function. A tested European alternative was not convincing in terms of frictional resistance.
We have found a German-Asian compromise solution for our BIKE Project: Europe and rely on cables from Capgo. The foam liners, which prevent the cables from rattling in the frame, come from Germany and Belgium. Small injection-moulded parts, such as clips and end caps, are manufactured in Nuremberg. The OEM and aftermarket packages are assembled by Capgo in Germany. The plastic-free packaging for the sets also comes from the company's own country. Overall, the company endeavours to keep maximum added value in Germany. However, European raw material prices for stainless steel are currently so high that Capgo is already sourcing finished outer casings and cables from Taiwan at the same price. There are plans to relocate production to the EU in the future, but the local machine set-up is currently not economically viable.
Jan Timmermann
Editor
