Roetz e-bikes and city bikes

In cycling country the Netherlands, we scrap one million bicycles every year. Not so at Amsterdam-based Roetz. The brand reuses bicycle frames by manually building new design bikes from them, the so-called Roetz Originals. The retro look is immediately explained. Roetz makes different types of vintage design bikes: e-bikes with Pendix accu, city bikes and so-called 'vigours': agile and fast bikes for those in a hurry. The Roetz Life deserves special attention. This is an e-bike, also available on business lease, with a modular and adaptable design. Replacing, adding a component, having it repaired or upgraded is quickly done. So you enjoy your circular bike for life.

'From an old bicycle frame you can easily make a new one': with that idea, Tiemen ter Hoeven started Roetz in 2011. He believes that no product has only one life cycle. A bicycle is not a linear but a circular product, according to Roetz. A “regular” Roetz Originals bicycle today already consists of up to 40 percent circular parts. Roetz collects old bicycles, cleans the parts and looks at what is still usable for a second life. All this is done in the company's own social factory in Amsterdam: most of the employees have a distance to the labor market.

The Roetz Life is a very special e-bike. The Roetz designers took three years to create it. This is because the Roetz Life is completely modular. That means you can take the parts apart like jigsaw pieces. So you can easily replace or upgrade a worn-out part. The Roetz Life should last much longer than a bike that is not modular. Another advantage: in the future you can also have the Roetz Life converted into a cargo bike or a longtail, for example. The Roetz Life was named 'bicycle innovation of the year' in 2023 on the basis of its circularity, but also for its connectivity. A smart monitoring system tells exactly when the Roetz Life needs repair. This is how the e-bike stays good!