German Manufacturers attack ADAC test findings

[flecc]

Report from Bike Europe on this link

 

[Kenny]

If the unfavourable Test results have stilted sales as much as they say, at least we might see the bike prices dropping a bit.

 

[trex]

I can't see why they should complain: safety test will have to go a fair bit beyond normal load, if some bikes have their handlebars broken during test then the simplest thing to do is to offer worried customers a chance to buy upgrades.

 

[John F]

I had personal experience years ago of handlebar failure. I was riding a lightweight drop handlebar bike quite fast and the bar just sheared of next to the stem for no apparent reason. I was very lucky to not crash.

If bike manufacturers cannot even make a simple aluminium tube, it doesn't fill me with confidence that they can cope with the higher stresses of ebikes

I can't see why they should complain: safety test will have to go a fair bit beyond normal load, if some bikes have their handlebars broken during test then the simplest thing to do is to offer worried customers a chance to buy upgrades.

 

[KTM Bike Industries UK]

Keith Bontrager once said....

"Strong. Light. Cheap. Pick Two."

this was talking about early MTBs, but its certainly also true and relevant to the developing eBike market.

 

[Streethawk]

Things break, in all my years mountain biking I never broke a handlebar and the worst I did to a frame was bend it quite badly. I did not always have good quality bars and the frame I bent was a cheap one. I've seen others break almost every component, even on DH bikes designed for extreme use. You're extremely unlikely to ever break a frame or a handlebar on the road or a cycle path. I've never heard of it.

 

[KTM Bike Industries UK]

Things break, in all my years mountain biking I never broke a handlebar and the worst I did to a frame was bend it quite badly. I did not always have good quality bars and the frame I bent was a cheap one. I've seen others break almost every component, even on DH bikes designed for extreme use. You're extremely unlikely to ever break a frame or a handlebar on the road or a cycle path. I've never heard of it.

you'd be surprised. I've working in this industry for 20+ years now, its shocking what a pot hole can do to a bike being ridden by a rider who wasn't expecting to hit it.

 

[flecc]

The ADAC test was ridiculous, it's obvious that as a motoring organisation that they were thinking motor vehicle rather than bicycle.

Of necessity for it's human power element a bicycle or e-bike has to be built to a lightweight formula, sufficient to cope with normal use but not engineered for grossly excessive forces.

ADAC should stick to their areas of expertise and not indulge their anti-cycling bias in areas where they know nothing.

 

[Clockwise]

I have seen potholes take out wheels, bars, frames, seatposts and pedals. I think the one when someones pedal came clean off was the worst as they then slammed a foot into the floor and made a nasty hole where the pedal left a sharp mess. All had just been on regular bikes not ebikes but many parts aren't specific.

 

[trex]

The ADAC test was ridiculous, it's obvious that as a motoring organisation that they were thinking motor vehicle rather than bicycle.

Of necessity for it's human power element a bicycle or e-bike has to be built to a lightweight formula, sufficient to cope with normal use but not engineered for grossly excessive forces.

ADAC should stick to their areas of expertise and not indulge their anti-cycling bias in areas where they know nothing.

Their (ADAC's) reply seems reasonable enough:

Google Translate

expensive bikes need to last long enough justify their purchase price.
If you pay £2,000 for a bike, you'll want it trouble free for at least 10,000 miles, that is 20p per mile.
If you buy a Tesco Hopper for £400 then you only need it to do well over 2,000 miles to get your money's worth.

 

[flecc]

Their invalid defence is easily argued, but the same criticisms of e-bikes can be applied to any bike as Clockwise has noted. As I've said, the necessities in bike design make that sort of reliability and defence against huge forces impossible.

Being completely trouble free for 10,000 miles is nothing more than wish for bicycles, it's not always a practical target. Relating that to the price of the bike is ridiculous as ADAC should know from their car knowledge. Does a car costing twice as much last twice as long as the lower cost one? No, the cost of the higher price car represents all manner of factors, image value, lower sales volume, the percentage effects of value added margins like dealer profit and VAT. Only a proportion of the extra cost is true added material content.
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