When things get tricky in the world of cycling technology, Dirk Zedler really gets into his stride. He examines the bicycle from a technical perspective with a meticulousness rarely seen elsewhere. But anyone who thinks Zedler is just a tech-obsessed nerd is mistaken: the German engineer isn’t interested in crash tests, but in improving the bicycle so that more people will ride it.
It all began with a serious accident caused by a mudguard. The mudguard had become entangled with the front wheel and blocked it, leading to a serious accident. As a young engineer, Zedler immediately realised that the accident and the resulting suffering could have been prevented with a better design. He recognised the risk of further serious accidents and took action. He published an article on the subject in the cycling magazine ‘Tour’. A few years later, safety fastenings for front mudguards became standard.
He remained loyal to the magazine for years thereafter, describing and analysing road bike technology. In 1994, he countered the lightweight trend of the 1990s with the STW value, based on a defined testing method. The stiffness-to-weight factor made it clear that a super-light road bike is only good if it possesses the necessary stiffness. The STW factor would shape bicycle development over the coming years and narrowly avert a dangerous misguided trend in the industry. In 2006, he developed a new testing system that measures the comfort of road bike and mountain bike frames, thereby significantly influencing the further development of these components.
Zedler has been a sworn bicycle expert in Stuttgart since 1994. In this role, he clarifies the technical facts regarding bicycles in disputes arising from serious accidents and the resulting human suffering. Yet he finds this work too backward-looking. He is even more interested in preventing such accidents and court cases. So he began offering testing services to the industry through his company, enabling parts and bicycles to be systematically tested and improved before they reach the market. What was initially still unusual for the bicycle industry has now become standard practice for reputable manufacturers, in the knowledge that the costs of testing are lower than if problems arise afterwards. He also regularly carries out tests for magazines. In doing so, he remains committed to the bicycle. Whilst other institutes are keen on destructive testing, Zedler is driven by a desire to improve the bicycle as a technical device. And by ensuring that his testing facilities reflect reality as closely as possible. To this end, the entire team develops test setups which, where necessary, deviate from, supplement or go beyond current testing standards. The reason for this is that whilst many standards define minimum requirements, real-world stresses in everyday use are often more complex and dynamic, for example due to higher system weights in e-bikes or new usage profiles in urban traffic. The test laboratory now comprises over 80 dynamic test systems for practically all bicycle components and bicycle types.
SUSTAINABILITY: CONSISTENT AND THOROUGH
In 2017, the Zedler-Institut moved into its own newly constructed building. Zedler’s straightforward approach is also evident in the building’s design: in addition to the extensive use of wood, the recyclability of the building materials and excellent insulation values, even the waste heat from the compressors – which are required to operate all the test facilities – is reused. The new company building meets the highest sustainability criteria and has received several awards. Yet Zedler takes a broader view of sustainability: for him, it also extends to corporate culture, social responsibility and the training of tomorrow’s specialists: He has three apprentices in his company, has entered into educational partnerships with schools, and budding engineers carry out their project work there. On the top floor of his company, Zedler has set up a training room where he – in his fourth business division – offers further training for product developers, technicians and bicycle mechanics.
After all these years and all these initiatives, Dirk Zedler sometimes cannot hide a certain sense of disillusionment. Whether it is when companies fail to respond consistently to product defects, thereby accepting the risk of accidents and a poor image for the industry. Or whether it is that, in his work as an expert witness for insurers, he uncovers all manner of minor or major fraud committed by perfectly ordinary citizens. Or when he observes that many major industry players show absolutely no commitment to the bicycle itself or its importance in society or transport. He is right to point out the disparity in commitment between his small firm and large corporations, and indeed, the industry could learn a thing or two from him when it comes to a passion for cycling.
THE ZEDLER-INSTITUT
Dirk Zedler founded his company in Ludwigsburg (near Stuttgart) in 1993 and now employs 30 people. He is involved in four areas of the business:
TESTING TECHNOLOGY AND -SERVICES Developing innovative, precise and reliable testing systems for bicycles, e-bikes and cargo bikes. These testing systems are used in the laboratories of bicycle manufacturers and cycling magazines. Testing services for bicycle and bicycle component manufacturers, from the prototype stage through to production testing.
TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION Drafting user-friendly and legally compliant operating instructions, conducting risk assessments for manufacturers, and providing support and advice to manufacturers in the event of product recalls or market surveillance procedures.
EXPERTS REPORTS AND LOSS ANALYSES He produces up to 750 expert reports a year for courts, insurers, companies and private individuals in cases involving accidents, defects or theft. In doing so, he draws on findings from the testing laboratory as well as an extensive archive of bicycle documentation spanning the past 30 years.
TRAINING AND WORKSHOPS Training courses for dealers, mechanics, manufacturers, product developers, managers and insurance staff.
The four business divisions, operating under one roof, complement and enrich one another: experience gained from work in the testing laboratory forms the basis for expert reports and consultancy work. Findings from this consultancy work, in turn, are incorporated into the operating instructions and provide input for testing procedures.
Author: Marius Gaber
