BIKE: Why don't you show yourself in public?
ALEXLet's put it this way: with almost 900 time-consuming posts, my blog has so far been an intensive hobby. So that I can do my actual job well, I try to keep my private life and the blog separate. After all, it's about the bike parts, not about me. I can't be in the limelight, and that's well accepted. Something of a myth has grown up around "Alex from TEBP", but I don't think much of a personality cult.
What exactly is The European Bike Project (TEBP)?
It's primarily an Instagram blog where I report on bicycle products made in Europe. I also regularly post bikes that match the theme. I also write articles on this topic for a large North American website. With all this, I help bikers to make conscious purchasing decisions.
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What prompted you to set up TEBP?
My first "real" mountain bike was advertised in the shop with the statement that it was from Bavaria. That sounded great, of course! However, even as a teenager I was able to use the internet and quickly realised that this wasn't true. Over time, I became more and more interested in locally produced products. I think this is because the origin of foodstuffs is very precisely labelled here in Switzerland. In the case of muesli mixes, for example, each type of cereal is labelled with its origin. In 2018, I bought one Handlebars that I always thought were made in Europe. I unpacked it, was delighted, and then quickly realised that it wasn't from here after all. At this key moment, I decided to find out more about the subject. I didn't really get any further via websites, so I signed up to Instagram in 2019 and hoped to find out more there. Over time, I discovered more and more exciting products and started writing about them.
Why "project"? Is the whole thing finished at some point?
The blog gave rise to the idea of building a complete bike from European production. A project as a feasibility study. Similar to what you are doing now. I never thought it would develop into a larger blog. But the end is still a long way off.
THE EUROPEAN BIKE PROJECT
Almost 27,000 people follow Alex's Instagram account. Unlike our BIKE PROJECT EUROPE the blog not only covers bikes and parts from the EU, but from all over Europe - and has been doing so for over three years.
What makes parts from Europe so interesting for your followers?
My impression is that local production is generally more appreciated again. Be it apples from local farmers, clothing or bicycle parts. So anyone who rides a mountain bike and tries to shop consciously will also be interested in TEBP. I have at least four European manufacturers in mind for practically every bike product. The parts are also technically very interesting. So the blog is also aimed at technology nerds.
Where is there still some catching up to do with parts from European production?
Many products from Europe tend to be in the high-end range - both in terms of quality and price. On the other hand, there are high standards here in terms of environmental protection and occupational safety. I see difficulties above all with inexpensive small parts, such as shift cables or screws. The quantity is crucial here. We must also always bear in mind that the raw materials generally do not come from Europe. With Made in Europe, we are often only talking about the last links in an entire chain. If we focussed more on recycling, the raw material would no longer have to be transported around the world.
How do you research which parts really come from Europe?
Many manufacturers work with marketing slogans such as "Designed in Germany", or they emphasise particularly prominently that the company is based in Europe - even if perhaps only three people work there and nothing is produced. These sometimes misleading tactics make it difficult for customers to make informed purchasing decisions. I call this location-washing. In addition to the Internet, I rely primarily on personal contacts.
Do you think that more companies will be focussing on European production in the future? What's next for TEBP?
Yes, definitely, and across all price categories. At TEBP, there will be more background research on environmental topics and company reports. There will also be exciting projects for bikers and the industry.
Jan Timmermann
Editor
