Das Fahrrad and Other German Bikes

In this post, I’m going to talk about my Kettler “Selection” and similar German bikes which I get the impression aren’t too well known in this country, but should be (in my opinion, of course!) Kettler also make garden furniture and exercise equipment, and this was their top of the range back in 2009 when I bought it. It is a hybrid (designed for general purpose utility and commuting on a variety of surfaces) with lots of equipment to make it more useful around town as shown in my previous post. Bought it after a friend gave me a Sunday newspaper magazine with an advert for them on the back. I wouldn't have been any the wiser otherwise as this brand (or any German one) isn’t that well known in the UK.

I thought it was and is excellent value – lots of equipment including 9 speed SRAM hub (over £300 alone), came virtually complete (you only had to fit the pedals) with a comprehensive instruction manual and even a little tool kit. This was in contrast to my previous bike, a Dawes Geneva which came disassembled (was a nightmare to put together for a novice like me), and no tool kit. Kettler were one of the first I understand, to use aluminium to make frames; the UK importer guarantees these frames for 5 years, but in Germany, the guarantee is for 10, indicating the confidence the manufacturer has in their product.

 Surfing German bike sites (shops, manufacturers and ebay) suggests that this type of bike is quite common over there. Kettlers are at the cheaper end of the scale starting from £500, with the others nearer the £1000 mark, and you can add another £1000 at least if it has a Rohloff gear – I’ve added a few links at the end of this post.

I think these bikes great all-rounders for utility and transport – good for longer & hillier distances, whilst useful for grocery shopping; the Dutch bikes are a lot more specialised – aimed at short trips on flattish ground so may be a bit limited when it comes to longer distances and hills, whilst the designer/artistic bikes can be lacking in practicality – the emphasis is on style, although I still like them all and plan to buy some in the near future.

With my Kettler, the baskets, wheel lock and computer were added by me after purchase, everything else came as standard. All in, it weighs well over 20 kilos. Bought in early 2009, I’ve covered over 9000 miles on it, mainly in short trips, although I do 40-60 milers quite regularly in the summer.

Anyway, here are some links:

Kettler

Kettler GB (importers)

VSF Fahrradmanufaktur

Diamant

Quitmann

Rabeneick

Schindelhauer

idworx

Kalkhoff

Tout-terrain

...and there’s probably loads more – surprising how vibrant the German pushbike industry is, but I don’t have the time right now to seek them out! They are not that easy to come by in the UK, but a few selected shops import them. As with most things I’ve needed to get info on, a first step is a Google search.