ROTWILD Insights: Peter Böhm

What did you do professionally before you founded ADP Engineering GmbH together with Peter Schlitt?

Besides my studies in Darmstadt, I worked as a student assistant at the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability (LBF). At the same time, I was active in national and international motorsports as a photographer and freelancer.

How did the idea come about to found your own engineering company and subsequently your own bike brand ROTWILD?

After the company was founded, the initial focus was on the series production of our carbon brake boosters, which we had developed while working at the Fraunhofer Institute. It was not planned at the beginning that this would later develop into an engineering company. It was only when we received the first smaller development orders that we quickly realized that the bicycle industry had a lot of catching up to do in this area.
ROTWILD was the consequence of this first engineering activity. Again and again we had to realize that many constructive ideas we had fell victim to the "red pencil". That's when the idea of founding our own brand matured, in order to show the industry what was technically feasible by means of prototypes. The final trigger was a meeting with Markus Greber, who was then working as an editor at BIKE Magazine. He promised us a double page spread if we managed to develop a special prototype. So within a few weeks the ROTWILD P1 with toothed belt, disc brake, electronic shifting and carbon suspension fork was created. Many of the innovations at the time are now standard on mountain bikes.

Basic research at the end of the 1990s by Peter Böhm: Strain gauges on the frame record forces that occur.

What does your day-to-day work in engineering at ROTWILD look like?

Almost 80 percent of my daily working time is spent on the design of e-bike frames and the associated project work. This includes the integration of the specific add-on parts as well as the intensive correspondence with the producers in Asia. In addition, I support the younger colleagues with tips and experience from over 20 years of bicycle development in their projects in the areas of communication with Asia, design and simulation. Fortunately, the administrative workload in the R&D department within limits.

How big is the engineering team at ROTWILD, and which colleagues do you work closely with?

We are growing and growing - fortunately. We now have seven engineers and one student assistant in our team.

How do you divide up the different areas of responsibility?

Some of the tasks and responsibilities have "grown," but it crystallizes relatively quickly where the strengths and weaknesses of individual colleagues lie, and we then divide up the tasks in the team accordingly. Ultimately, however, the development process can be seen like clockwork, in which each individual cog - in this case the employees - must mesh to bring a project to a successful conclusion.

Peter Böhm: "Nearly 80 percent of my daily working time is spent designing e-bike frames."

What has been the biggest challenge in your job so far?

I think the first ten years after the company was founded, from 1994 to 2003, were very difficult years. On the one hand, there was the extreme growth of the company and the demands that came with it. On the other hand, there was a relatively small development team, so the strain on each individual was very high.

The development and building of the ROTWILD brand as well as the development of the frames over all these years was and still is a huge challenge - and will remain so. Especially the relocation of production from Germany to Italy as well as later the change to Taiwan were big challenges and also risks. These changes were always driven by the demand to develop our own technologies. For example, new manufacturing methods for the production of high-quality aluminum alloys or the production of our own carbon frames.

The development of the Rotwild E-MTBs with the IPU and IPUr was also a great challenge. Taking this step with all the consequences for the future of the company and the brand was extremely courageous. In retrospect, all these decisions were right. But they were in part only achievable with very great personal commitment as well as high time and financial expenditures and sometimes associated with bitter setbacks.

How did you and your team overcome these challenges?

You have to drill through a thick board all the way to the end. I've learned to be persistent - to work hard for my goals and never give up. But none of that works alone. To be successful as a small business, it's important that the entire team pulls together in the same "direction." Open communication, sharing knowledge, getting everyone on the team excited about the cause - that's the only way to create the strength to get back up even after a setback. I think that's a common thread running through our company. I also try to pass this principle on to my young colleagues.

"The development process is like clockwork where every single cog has to mesh."

What qualifications should you have as an employee in engineering at ROTWILD?

An engineering degree preferably in mechanical engineering, a desire to design, team spirit, open communication, interpersonal skills and a willingness to take on responsibility very quickly.

Do you have any tips for someone who would like to work in the bike industry?

In general, it is difficult to give a tip because the bike industry "ticks" differently than other industries. The bike industry is extremely dynamic, so new trends and associated products are constantly emerging. This means that the day-to-day work and workflow is not always predictable and you are always "pulled out" of the actual project work. Enthusiasm for technology, creativity and openness to constant innovations are certainly the basic requirements in addition to a degree.

About your personal bike preferences: Downhill or Uphill?

For me, this cannot be separated from each other. That's why it was and is always our development focus that an MTB with or without e-drive must function perfectly in both disciplines. This applies not only to the chassis, but also to the ergonomic integration of the rider into the overall bicycle system.
Sure it's nice to use a lift or shuttle to be able to ride a downhill several times and specifically improve the driving technique. Only uphill would be too boring for me personally.

Katja Hensler and Peter Böhm fine-tuning the IPU-R

Fully or Hardtail?

100 percent Fully. The driving dynamics and the associated driving pleasure resulting from a perfect suspension system, to feel on the trail, inspires me again and again and always conjures a smile on my face. Both uphill and downhill.

E-bike or conventional?

Both "worlds" have their fixed place in my life. In everyday life, I use the e-bike almost daily to ride to the office. At the same time, I enjoy riding my conventional bike on an MTB tour.

Your favorite bike from the ROTWILD range?

E-bike: T+, Conventional: C1FS

How many kilometers do you sit in the saddle per year?

I have the privilege of being able to ride a wide variety of prototypes - with the goal of covering as many kilometers as possible. In addition to my daily route to the office on my e-bike, I am often on the road together with my wife after work and also on weekends - which brings me to about 3,500 kilometers a year. In addition, I try to ride my MTB once or twice a month. That adds up to about 4,000 to 4,500 kilometers per year.

Do you have a favorite area for biking?

Why roam in the distance, when the beauty is so close... Immediately west of the Hessian Münster stretches a nature reserve in the direction of Aschaffenburg on the Main along the little river Gersprenz, which is relatively unknown, but offers almost untouched natural landscape and is therefore perfect for extended e-bike tours. With the MTB I am almost exclusively around the castle Frankenstein (south of Darmstadt) on the road. Here we have already made the trails unsafe in the early 90s with our unsprung steel hardtails, and it is still for me one of the most beautiful and diverse bike areas here in the area.