What is one relatively unknown thing that your country does much better than elsewhere, but that most people don't know about?
What is one relatively unknown thing that your country does much better than elsewhere, but that most people don't know about?
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Germany. Bicycle parts.
Sure, the market leaders for drivetrain components are Shimano from Japan and Sram from the US.
But look into the higher-priced niches and there's:- Bosch, market leader for e-bike motors
- Schwalbe and Continental, market leaders for bicycle tires
- SKS, market leader for bike accessories like fenders
- Ortlieb and Vaude, market leaders for bike bags
- Rohloff, makes the best gear hubs in the world
- Pinion, makes the best bottom bracket gearbox in the world
- SON, makes the best hub dynamos in the world
- Busch & Müller, makes the best bicycle lights in the world
Plus the general accessibility to free bike workshops that seem to be run by various nonprofits.
I’m still using a (Son) dynamo Busch and Müller light from a decade ago on my touring bike. It’s so reliable and the beam pattern is better than on my car. I also have schwalbe marathons and ortlieb panniers on that bike. Such a good setup for a bike built like a tank. It might be fully German if it wasn’t a Fuji with a Shimano groupset and Brooks saddle.
Why do e bikes even have fenders? I'm not going off-road with the thing, and I cannot imagine trying to ride one where it actually rains, rather than pretends to rain.
Of course you want to be able to ride it in the rain, what are you even talking about?
Even if you'ld wait until rain stops and even if you don't go off road: there's puddles on bike paths after it has rained!
A year ago I was surprised how large the Portuguese bicycle industry is, as I thought we had none. I assumed we wouldn't be able to compete with you guys, but turns out the Dutch are that Big an importer
LOTS of industry is also being outsourced to Portugal from other European countries.
It's basically the place to produce now, if you want your supply chain to be entirely within the EU.