Should I buy a mountain bike? Or maybe a racing bike? But I also need a city bike… So that we no longer have to ask ourselves these questions, the young Munich cycling entrepreneur convert a solution and found it. Interview with founder Florian Roebbeling.
1. Who are you and what do you do?
We're Florian and Fabian, and after almost ten years together in financial communications, we decided to do something "honest." So, over the last 14 months, we've developed the convert FF1, a bike that can be converted from a road bike to a mountain or trekking bike in less than five minutes.
This is ideal for anyone who wants to have different bikes but has limited space. For example, campers and other vacationers who want to take different bikes with them on vacation. Or people who live in Schwabing and keep one or even several bikes in their apartment for fear of vandalism and theft.
convert – three different bikes in one
2. But that's been around for a long time!
Well, admittedly, gravel bikes, i.e., road bikes that you can also use to take a turn onto a forest path, are currently all the rage. But with the convert FF1, we're taking it a giant step further. With us, you can not only swap the wheels, but also the fork and handlebars in seconds.
This changes the geometry and seating position on the bike, each optimized for the specific application. So, you get three completely different bike types—for commuting, mountain trips, and training in the surrounding area—with just one bike. And the conversion is child's play. No one else offers anything like this!
3. What has been your biggest challenge so far?
Take your pick. The bicycle market is already very crowded, so getting into it is tricky. It starts with the fact that, with relatively small quantities at the beginning, you have to purchase and produce significantly more expensively than the major manufacturers. This also makes the product more expensive. We also have to break through the established sales channels. Last but not least, finding investors is a bit more difficult with such an "old economy" topic...
4. Let’s get down to business: How is business going?
We're currently producing a pre-production run of six or seven bikes. All frame sizes and already equipped like the final product. As soon as people can test these bikes at events, we'll start accepting pre-orders. Delivery of the first 50 bikes will take place after the Eurobike trade fair in July, where we'll officially present the bike. Ask for the numbers again after the trade fair...
Munich is the perfect testing and sales environment
5. What does Munich mean to you?
Munich is the perfect location for us in many ways—both professionally and personally. I moved here over 15 years ago; now I live in Hadern with my wife and two children, and we feel right at home here. Fabian was born here and has lived here almost his entire life. He is also a cycling enthusiast, owns seven bikes, and—like many others—uses them extensively in the Munich area.
The greater Munich area, with its high rents and diverse offerings for bikers, is the perfect testing and sales environment for a product like ours. I wouldn't want to locate production here due to lease and personnel costs. But of course, we will keep production in Germany.
6. How will your startup become the next unicorn? Or will we see you soon at Epic Fail Night?
The convert GmbH will have a disruptive effect on the bicycle and mobility market, also in light of our other product ideas. But it won't bring about any massive global change. Accordingly, I can also rule out an epic fail like the one we saw last year with a high-end e-bike manufacturer.
We want to solve market-driven problems with innovative and sustainable products and thereby build a long-term, successful company. And we will succeed.
Preferably everything!
7. Pork knuckle or fish on a stick?
Both! I want a road bike and a mountain bike, not "or"! We've managed that with the bike, now it's time for a Munich startup with a Michelin-starred chef to come along and create a Bavarian "surf 'n' turf" with ham hocks and grilled fish. Perhaps even split into several courses, for example, grilled fish as a starter and ham hocks as the main course. If it's then served in a user-friendly way—in this case, ready-to-eat without any major "tinkering" with a knife, fork, or fingers—there's a market for it. I'm the first customer. So: who's cooking?
