Even in the post-war period, it was still considered an important means of transport. In the sixties the bicycle was displaced by the car – those who could afford it now moved around by motorized means.
For about a decade now, however, the bicycle has been experiencing a renaissance, and especially since e-bikes and pedelecs have been on the market, more and more people are discovering their love of getting around on two wheels. In germany alone, the number of pedelecs more than doubled from 1.3 million to 2.8 million between 2012 and 2016. The market for electronically assisted bicycles has developed rapidly, and in a very short time a large number of new types of e-bikes with increasingly refined technology and elegant design and a high level of comfort have come onto the market.
Popular sport
In the region’s cycling communities, this boom is being experienced firsthand – this year even more than ever before. Cycling has long since become a popular sport, according to a survey of specialist retailers in the district. Jurgen schulz from the cycling store of the same name in neuenmarkt: "the cyclists have not become more, they are just riding more now because they have more time in the corona crisis. The normal cyclists, who have nowhere else to go because of corona, have taken their bikes out of the cellar or the shed again."
Many had then come to the conclusion, in view of ancient bicycles, that they should invest after all. "Many have invested the money that was actually earmarked for a vacation trip in a new bike instead. Most of the time it was an e-bike.
Radsport-schulz has been assembling bicycles according to the individual dimensions and requirements of its customers for 35 years. Bike-fitting is what they call it. A properly fitted bike, says schulz, makes you tired less quickly, reduces the risk of injury, relieves the strain on your joints – and thus also helps you perform better.
The right wheel for everyone
In the kulmbach uplands, the trammer cycling store is a good address for cyclists in the frankenwald region and beyond. The team consists of kurt trammer, who is in his element when it comes to selling bikes and is happy to pass on his knowledge to customers, and stefanie trammer, who is responsible for the commercial side of things and everything else that comes up in the store. The couple trammer took over the business in 2009 from the previous owners egon barth and ernst fischer. Kurt trammer: "we try to find the right bike for every customer, so that they can get on their new bike happy and satisfied. Biking is only fun with a well-fitted and adjusted bike." The enthusiasm for cycling is also felt at the trammer cycling store – and the customers appreciate it.
Well booked out
In kulmbach pays "el dorado" to the top addresses when buying bicycles. Managing director jorg geuther and his team are currently busy satisfying their customers: "we are fully booked with repairs and new purchases from morning to night. Our store is open from 10 a.M. To 6 p.M., but the men in the workshop are working from 8 a.M. To 10 p.M."
Are there spare parts?
Also at "el dorado the demand for e-bikes is currently unbroken, regardless of whether "mannlein" or not or "female". How much to spend on a good bike? "The lowest limit is around 2,500 euros", says jorg geuther. There are certainly spare parts for such bikes, and many of them can be repaired.