Interview with Mike "The Bike" Kluge: 60 years and not a bit quiet
EMTB
· 20.11.2022
The career of Germany's most versatile and successful cyclist began with the Zehlendorfer Eichhörnchen, a Berlin cycling club. He was double world champion in cyclocross, raced road races, won a downhill world cup and is still the only male German winner of the overall MTB cross-country world cup. In 1992 Kluge founded the Bike brand Focuswhich he sold to Derby Cycle in 1999. Today, he is a Focus rider, trainer and works with the company bike-ovation on hydrogen drives for e-MTBs.
EMTB: Mike, are you already starting to make plans for retirement?
Mike Kluge: No, there's still too much to do. There is still so much that I notice that is missing. Whether in terms of safety or freedom from maintenance, comfort or sustainability. And as long as I enjoy it - and as long as I'm still chasing 30-year-olds on rough trails - I won't worry about what retirement might look like.
Can an experienced man like you still bring freshness to the industry?
I don't think it's a question of age. I'm out and about a lot, I test a lot, I coach - and above all, I've never been afraid of new things. I've moved from one discipline to the next and have generally always tried to think outside the box. In my opinion, this should happen more in every company, in society in general. Blinkers off, openness on. What annoys me is that reservations prevail at every step. The professionals used to be against brake discs. I fitted hydraulic rim brakes from Magura to my crosser in 1992. And the most recent example is that people have been reluctant to use E-MTBs. Why? For me, it was the other way round: for me, the E-MTB was the best thing that could have happened to me. I was almost bored at the time. This new riding experience and the technologies have rekindled the fire.
Whether in terms of material or racing formats, you often have the feeling that you were too early.
And I often wore myself out too much with persuasion. That wastes a lot of strength and energy. It really was the case that people were often not yet receptive. In hindsight, they are wiser and so are you - but in a different way. I currently have a lot of visions, but the time is not yet ripe. I'm waiting longer now.
Focus - the brand you founded exactly 30 years ago - was also the first manufacturer to install a lightweight Fazua motor and present a 14 kg hardtail with the Raven 2017.
I had my prejudices about the minimal assist drive, but I try things out. And that's when I realised how sensational it is when the motor decouples at 25 km/h, how cool it is when you no longer have to pedal into the resistance. And when it came to weight, I was told for years: It doesn't matter if the components are heavier, it has a motor. That added up and added up. And then you're left with 25-, 26-kg eMTBs that you have to be able to handle - uphill, downhill, when you lift them onto the trailer ... It's the same with the motor power: 85 Nm of torque is great, but you have to be able to control it on demanding uphill sections, otherwise the motor will run the bike out from under you.
Will the popularity of lightweight E-MTBs continue?
People have realised that if the weight is less, then riding with less power is ultimately not that much worse. I think 60-65 Nm is a great solution for many, many e-bikers. And contrary to the attitude five years ago, the issue of weight will continue to be a major concern in the coming years.
If you could set the course for the E-MTB now - which way would it go?
In fact, in the right direction: more range and less weight. And with hydrogen. I am part of the bike-ovation company, with which we are currently working on a hydrogen prototype. For me, this is clearly the future. The bikes will be lighter and at the same time won't slow you down in terms of range.
Let's talk a little about racing: in which discipline would a 20-year-old Mike Kluge be competing today?
Difficult question, but basically I would probably do everything similarly and ride as many disciplines as possible. Pidcock & Co. show that it's possible. (The Brit Thomas Pidcock became world champion in cyclocross and European champion in MTB cross-country in 2022 and won a stage of the Tour de France. Editor's note) I was denied that back then. I wasn't encouraged, but penalised for my multisport ambitions. One discipline benefits from the other. So I would compete in cyclocross and cross country, learn all the technical riding skills, take the experience with me and then also ride e-MTB races. Although downhill would also appeal to me ...
Has much changed in competitive sport over the years?
Absolutely. Today, the teams have become super professional, very structured and well organised. You need that at this level. But I was still able to experience the adventure, see places, take life with me.
The Swiss led the way, and the French once again broke all the moulds at the World Championships in Les Gets: crowds lined the course and the sport of biking was celebrated like never before. But the e-MTB races tended to go unnoticed. Will that change?
I do believe that E-MTB could become the supreme discipline. But I would open up the bikes to higher speeds and at the same time regulate their weight. They need to become more powerful and lighter, and the riders would have to get by with the battery. Then the races would be super spectacular.
