Epo Bicycles

Bob Schiller’s graduation project Epo bicycle, inspired by the way cars are produced, revives the local industry and brings production back to the Netherlands.

Every single person in the Netherlands cycles; even the prime minister uses his bike to get to work. Cycling is part of their culture and it has been for centuries.

However, an affordable, contemporary Dutch bicycle disappeared from the streets. A bicycle is a labour intensive product. For this reason, almost all bicycle manufactures moved their production to China or Taiwan. Epo revives the local industry and brings production back to the Netherlands.

Inspired by the way cars are produced, the Epo bicycle is made out of two sheets of metal, pressed into form and spot welded together. This results in a strong and light frame. Most importantly, its production is efficient and drastically lowers labour costs; making production in the Netherlands possible.

In the design of the frame Bob Schiller wanted to show this process. That’s why he chosed it for the sharp lines and high edge that visually splits the frame in half. Epo is a city bike so it must be easy in maintenance, that’s why the wheels are mounted on one side, when changing a flat tire the wheels can stay attached to the bike.

Epo is Bob Schiller’ graduation project at Design Academy Eindhoven and is still in development. The goal is to start the production next year.