Ērenpreiss Bicycles
 | |
| Industry | Manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2010 |
| Headquarters | Riga, Latvia |
Key people | Toms Ērenpreiss |
| Products | City bicycle |
| Revenue | 60% of product is exported to around 15 countries |
Number of employees | 12 |
| Website | www |
Ērenpreiss Bicycles is a manufacturer of city bicycles based in Riga, Latvia.
Ērenpreiss Bicycles as a company is founded and directed by Toms Ērenpreiss - Gustavs Ērenpreis' great grandnephew.[1] Gustavs Ērenpreiss bicycle factory was a manufacturer of bicycles and bicycle parts in Riga, Latvia and in 1930s became the largest and most important bicycle factory in Baltic states.[2]
Design
All Ērenpreiss bicycles share the classical look of the bicycle combined with contemporary approach[3] – the frames are made of steel, upright or semi-upright riding position, wheels are 622 mm (700 C) rim size. As of 2015 the combinations allow single-, two-, three-, or five-speed gearing options.[4]
Models
Each Ērenpreiss bicycle model has a name which describes the type of the bicycle.
The flagship bicycles Paula and Gustav have gearing, color and frame size options, Tom and Greta bicycles has the same Matt black colour, two-speed gearing and an option of the frame size. Paula and Greta have a female frame, Gustav and Tom – a male frame.
Bicycle name Gustav comes from Gustavs Ērenpreiss – a founder of historical Gustavs Ērenpreiss Bicycles factory, Greta from Gustavs Ērenpreiss’ favorite actress Greta Garbo, Tom – bicycle in the name of Ērenpreiss Bicycles founder Toms Ērenpreiss.[5]
In 2014 new models were launched – Sparrow and Finch bicycles.[6]
Sparrow bicycles has a semi-upright riding position, silver grey color, male and female frame option, single or two-speed “kick-shift” gearing option, two frame size options.
Finch are female bicycles with upright riding position, two color options, three-speed gearing, one frame size option.
Both Sparrow and Finch names come from the bicycles' resemblance to the birds, meaning bicycle riding is like the flight of a bird.[5]
Company
The company was founded in 2010 by Toms Ērenpreiss, before that in 2006 Toms with his friends opened historical bicycle restoration workshop. Over 100 historical bicycles were restored, renovated and repaired including bicycle brands made in Latvia (G. Ērenpreis bicycles, Latvello, Omega), as well as bicycles of well-known foreign brands such as Triumph, Brennabor, Crescent and others, and Soviet bicycles from the 1960s.[7]
In these years of restoration an idea of new Ērenpreiss bicycles is created and in 2012 Toms Ērenpreiss and his team launch their first bicycle collection applying knowledge and skills gathered in long years of restoration work.[1]
The same year company Ērenpreiss Original wins the Swedish Business Award.[8]
In 2013 Ērenpreiss Original launches its second bicycle collection.
In 2014 company wins the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia Export and Innovation Award in the category "Industrial Design".[9]
Today, the Ērenpreiss team consists of 12 young professionals.
In the Latvian capital Riga, the Ērenpreiss company is promoting the development of safety measures for bike traffic and also organizes events such as Riga’s Tweed Run, which draws crowds of cyclists dressed in vintage outfits (Tweed Run tradition launched in London in 2009).[10]
Footnotes
- ^ a b The bike brand that helped Latvia rediscover its cycling heritage by Emily Chappell, 06 May 2015. The Guardian. Retrieved on 26 January 2016
- ^ Liepiņš Edvīns and Seregins Jānis, From Leutner to Erenpreis: 100 Years of Bicycle Manufacturing in Latvia. Industrial Heritage Trust of Latvia, 2009; pp. 99
- ^ Velo - 2nd Gear: Bicycle Culture and Style. Gestalten, 2013; pp. 134, ISBN 978-3-89955-473-1
- ^ Ērenpreiss Bicycles, www.erenpreiss.com. Accessed on 26 January 2016
- ^ a b Beloved Bicycle Company Gets Rebirth by Amy Guttman, 2 December 2014. Forbes. Retrieved on 26 January 2016
- ^ Ērenpreiss Bicycles: Sparrow, www.erenpreiss.com. Accessed on 26 January 2016
- ^ Ērenpreiss Bicycles: Restoration, www.erenpreiss.com. Accessed on 26 January 2016
- ^ Swedish Business Awards Year 2012, www.swedishbusinessawards.com. Accessed on 26 January 2016
- ^ Winners of Export and Innovation Award 2014, www.liaa.gov.lv. Accessed on 26 January 2016
- ^ Like Riding a Bike by Annabelle Chapman, Monocle: The Escapist, 2013; pp. 257. Article available: http://monocle.com