ROTWILD Insights: Elias Spiegel

How did you get into mountain biking?

Apart from winter, there was hardly a weekend in our house when my parents didn't go on some kind of bike ride. Mostly with the mountain bike. Then I had to go along inevitably and over time I actually enjoyed it. In my circle of friends, too, everyone actually rode a bike. As we got older, we all had mountain bikes and made the trails at home unsafe.

What is the appeal of mountain biking for you?

Biking on trails offers so much variety, I like that. There's hardly a better feeling for me than being in perfect flow on a challenging trail. Especially when my buddies think that you can't really get into the flow on a certain trail, it spurs me on. I then want to prove them wrong. These challenges are what make biking so appealing to me.

What motivated you to apply for a training position as a bicycle mechatronics engineer at ROTWILD?

It sounds cliché, of course, but it's true: I wanted to turn my hobby into a career. So after school I applied to various stores for an apprenticeship. I had already been accepted by a bicycle store in Fulda. But when I discovered the job advertisement of ROTWILD on the website, I knew immediately: That's where I want to go. ROTWILD has always been the number one bike brand for me. My father had always had a ROTWILD mountain bike and my bike at the time was a ROTWILD E1. I was an absolute fan of the brand from a very early age and loved my enduro bike. So when the acceptance for the apprenticeship landed in our mailbox, I was mega happy. I then turned down the apprenticeship in Fulda.

Have you always been an enthusiastic bike mechanic who has repaired, maintained and tuned everything on his bike himself?

Not at all, actually. I had been interested in all the technical details for a long time, but I only learned how to screw during my training.

What does a working day as an apprentice at ROTWILD look like?

We start in the workshop at 7:00 a.m. and usually take a half-hour lunch break. That means I finish work at 3:30 pm. That's cool, because in the afternoon I can do a few more kilometers on the home trail, depending on my mood. First and foremost, my tasks include two areas. First, I assemble new bikes that are manufactured here in Dieburg in small batches. I also find it particularly exciting to build prototypes together with the engineering department. That's something special for an apprentice and only possible at a bicycle manufacturer that has its own in-house development team. On the other hand, I take care of our ROTWILD test bikes so that they are in top shape again for the next test event. I also support our service department.

Always wrenching on bikes, isn't that pretty monotonous in the long run?

No. I'm also on the road a lot aat our events. That brings a lot of variety. Here you get to know a lot of new people from the industry and casual bike regions. In Dieburg, I also don't spend the whole day in the workshop with my instructor Max. Depending on where I'm needed, I help Fedor in service, Ralf in logistics, or get insights into product development in engineering, customer support, and marketing.

Did you imagine the job as a two-wheel mechatronics technician to be like the one you have now experienced in the first 1.5 years?

Honestly, I didn't imagine the job to be so varied. I was also very well received by the whole team and have mega nice colleagues. In addition, the training offers me great opportunities that can help me a lot in the future.

What exactly do you mean by that?

I've already met a lot of interesting people from the bike industry at previous events. Talking shop with colleagues at such events and making new contacts is very exciting. And the insights I get into product development here at ROTWILD are really something special. If you do an apprenticeship in a bike store, you might not get as much of that.

Do you already have plans for the future after your training?

I would definitely like to get my master's degree. And since I am a self-confessed ROTWILD fan, it would be great if I could stay here in Dieburg.

Five questions

Now we come to five questions that each of your colleagues here answered in their ROTWILD Insights interview:

1. about your personal bike preferences: Downhill or Uphill?

I prefer a good combination of both: Uphill with a great view of the landscape and then the downhill over a natural trail.

2. Fully or Hardtail?

Definitely Fully, as I am only on the road to get from trail to trail.

3. E-Bike or konventionell?

Conventional, when I'm out with buddies who don't have e-bikes or we ride in the bike park. E-bike to get the maximum out of descents on trails without lift.

4. your favorite bike from the ROTWILD collection?

There are two and they are the enduros: R.E1 and the R.E375 . The R.E1 is very agile and feels very light when jumping in the air. The R.E375 is very full on the trail, but at the same time very light and smooth.

5. where do you like to drive the most?

I love our home trail in northern Hesse, because we built the trail exactly the way we enjoy it most. In general, I like natural trails in the mountains where you can find the perfect flow