When Peter Schlitt and Peter Böhm founded ADP Engineering GmbH in September 1994, they were convinced that they could develop innovative products for a rapidly growing bike market with new ideas. Together they launched the high-end bike brand Rotwild to completely rethink the mountain bike sector. It didn't take long for their vision to make waves and reach other specialist areas. Today, ADP Engineering GmbH is a leading engineering company in the bicycle industry and a sought-after development partner for the automotive industry. ADP Engineering GmbH currently works with renowned partners such as Porsche. Audi, BMW and Mercedes are also on the customer list. A handbike was developed for Otto Bock, which celebrated its premiere at the 2012 Paralympics in London.

A booster to get started

A small part was both the starting signal and the first milestone for the young company in 1994. The ground-breaking ADP carbon brake booster weighed just 40 grams, and yet it significantly increased the braking performance of rim brakes. "When Peter had a brake booster milled out of aluminum for his mountain bike - he was already very attached to the sport at the time - I suggested that he make the part out of carbon," recalls co-founder Peter Böhm. "At the fibre composite center of the Fraunhofer Institute in Darmstadt, we then experimented and optimized various parameters such as layer structure and angle, radii and wall thicknesses virtually with the help of finite element simulations before producing the first prototypes - much of it by hand, of course."

Small part, big impact

The premiere at the Lake Garda BIKE Festival was a resounding success. A real run ensued, which also surprised Peter Schlitt. "Two requests came directly from the industry, one for 1000 units and one for 10,000 units. Then there was the demand for an OE price - we didn't even know what that was at the time. At that time, only 40 V-Brake boosters and 4 for Magura brakes had been produced." The ADP-Brake-Booster quickly established itself on the market after winning a comparative test of over 20 different boosters in the trade magazine BIKE. The positive response led to an expansion of the product range to include other carbon components such as chain guides and mud guards. At the same time, the company started its position as a development partner for renowned companies in the bicycle industry.

Rotwild Bikes roll up the market

In 1996, the two founders presented their first bike prototype. The pioneering bike was equipped with innovative mountain bike technology that impressively

underscored the expertise of the young engineers. Many of the technologies developed back then - from full suspension and disc brakes to electronic shifting - are now firmly established standards in the bike scene. As a logical consequence of these developments, the Rotwild brand was created in 1996, and the brand is still the centerpiece and flagship today. "The first Rotwild RDH P1 bike was built in around three weeks under high pressure to meet the BIKE editorial deadline," reveals Peter Schlitt, "The frame was welded at Votec, Peter Böhm took care of the carbon fork tubes and even a toothed belt drive developed in-house was manufactured for it. The European head of Rock Shox at the time explained the principle of the kinematics to me, as we had never developed a full-suspension bike before. In the end, everything worked out and our own Rotwild brand was on its way." Intensive research, advanced manufacturing techniques and a persistent spirit of innovation have characterized the work of ADP Engineering since its foundation. Today, Rotwild stands for sporty premium eMTBs, which are manufactured at the company headquarters in Dieburg, Hesse, among other places.

The vision is alive

Whether it's a single component or a complex bike frame - the engineering team focuses on maximum precision when developing and implementing new ideas. Intensive basic research, close cooperation with scientific institutions, computer-aided simulations and state-of-the-art production techniques are central components of the process. In addition, international racing professionals have been providing valuable feedback and celebrating great successes since the brand was launched. Several World Championship titles, Olympic medals and countless other international and national titles underline how strongly professional racing is anchored in Rotwild's DNA. In 2024, Rotwild will continue this approach in the eMTB sector, with the Rotwild Schwalbe Gravity Team competing in the UCI E-Enduro World Cup and demonstrating the innovative power and performance of the bikes.

30 years of fascination and passion

This is how Rotwild creates more than just a bike. It is the result of passion, precision and the pursuit of continuous improvement - a product that constantly redefines the limits of what is possible, pushes boundaries and boldly breaks new ground. "There have been many constant challenges over these 30 years. Highs and lows alternated regularly," says company founder Peter Schlitt, looking back. "With hard work and a great love for our products, we have managed not to let up. We are always driven by the will to develop something extraordinary and to realize our own visions.

Rotwild was the decisive driver for the success and breakthrough of sporty eBikes with its first fully integrated IPU and will continue to set groundbreaking impulses."

And so ADP Engineering GmbH looks back on three decades of success with joy and pride. What began as a small start-up by two students has developed into an established company that is still owner-managed by Peter Schlitt. With the same enthusiasm and pioneering spirit that has always characterized the company, the Rotwild makers and their team are looking ahead to the coming years full of groundbreaking developments.

rotwild.com/company