Bergamont

BERGAMONT BACKSTAGE

Hamburg is probably not the first city that comes to mind when thinking of a typical German bicycle manufacturer. Normally you would think of somewhere in the south around the Alps, or more mountainous regions. But Bergamont is a little different.
Our humble beginnings as a small bicycle repair shop here at the Schlachthof right smack in the heart of Hamburg were back in 1993. We’re still here – but obviously much larger now. Perhaps it wasn’t only the love of bikes and German engineering, but the traditional Hanseatic proximity to world trade that allowed us to grow the way we have done to become one of Germanys leading bicycle manufacturers. With excellent connections to Asia, we were able to obtain professional production partners in China and Taiwan, with whom we’ve worked closely now for 20 years.
Today the heart of Bergamont beats in time with what has by now become Hamburgs pulsating and iconic cultural epicenter known as the "Schanze" and St.Pauli. Here you will find everything the modern urbanite is looking for, restaurants from around the world, clubs, pubs and poets are making this place a mulit-culural experience you won't find anywhere else. Well-known neighbors, like the boys from the German hip-hop band Fettes Brot, pop in regularly at Bergamont HQ for a little chat about new products. In early 2014 we needed more room and moved a few streets down the block, right across the street of the famous Millerntor Stadium where the players of Hamburgs cult football club FC St. Pauli are training and playing to the cheers of their die-hard fans.

Bergamonts product managers and engineers hit the streets with prototypes to cruise through this vibrant neighborhood and give the new bikes their very first shake down on the old cobblestone streets, embankments and rough construction sites. Then we load mountain or road bikes into our VW Crafter and head to the outskirts to ride them in their proper environment. Didn't think this is possible here in Hamburg, did you? Yep, the Harburg Mountains (ok, Hills), with their difficult trails and spectacular jumps are perfect for MTB freaks and just across the river Elbe. Also, there is a very good reason the Waseberg in posh Blankenese, with its 15% slope, is a part of the notorious Hamburg Cyclassics race track. Also our favorite and never abiding Hamburg drizzle makes many gravel roads in Duvenstedter Brook and Wittmoor nice and mushy for conducting the toughest of endurance tests. The thing tougher than our bikes? Probably the people riding them...

OUR FRAMES

Speaking of affairs of the heart, its frame is as close to the heart of a bike as it can be. From your everyday city ride and speedy E-bike for your daily commute, up to your high-end mountainbike, you’ll never build the perfect bike from just a choice of fine components. The frame is what holds it all in place and makes the difference. This means an ongoing challenge for our engineers and product managers to ever improve on their designs to create the perfect basis for the perfect riding experience.
Besides good ergonomics they also have to think of weight and durability. Here the engineers long experience in developing frames come to play. We also teamed up with the Technical University of Hamburg-Harburg where new frame designs are transformed into computer models to virtually test their strength and durability before the first prototypes are even put together. When the first of these prototypes are finished they are put through a series of grueling tests at the EFBE-Institute to guarantee static and dynamic stability even under extreme use. The serial production always involves a lot of craftsmanship. All frames are welded or in case of carbon fiber frames are laminated by hand.

OUR TEAM

Even the best of innovations will not survive on the market, if it is not adapted to the riders needs. Therefore the really decisive leaps in our development are not made on the computer but are made on the race track. Nowhere else but during competitive racing can you figure out the last final details that make a good bike an outstanding one.
Our team may be small but is ever so dedicated to perfection and making you feel every bit of their racing spirit. Be it at the cross country race, on the downhill track or a slopestyle course they always go to their limits and beyond to inspire us and the people who ride our bikes. We are proud to have such a dedicated circle of riders competing for us.