If you're lucky, you'll meet Luca on the Uetliberg. When he pedals effortlessly uphill on his self-built thoroughbred enduro and glides downhill again as if on rails, you quickly realize: this is someone who not only knows his bike - but has also calculated it from the very first screw. Because that was precisely his goal in his Master's thesis: to develop a bike from scratch himself - technically, functionally, sustainably.

From wish to reality - with a system

While others are looking for bargains on the second-hand market, Luca asked himself: What do I really need - for my riding style, my requirements? Together with fellow student Robert Probst, he developed the concept - regardless of marketability. "It just had to be really fun - that was the driving force."

What makes this project special is that the path did not lead through the workshop, but first through the computer models. Every detail was simulated, optimized and calculated in advance. The two were supported by bicycle mechanic and Bachelor student Kilian Oertli. Whether wall thicknesses, soldering technology or material behavior - nothing was left to chance. This resulted in clean solutions instead of wobbly compromises.

Enduro with feeling - and understanding

An enduro bike has to be able to do everything: up and down, tough, smooth to ride. And this is exactly where Luca came in - with a keen sense of kinematics, i.e. the movement dynamics of the rear triangle. "I wanted hard impacts to be absorbed better - and you can feel that immediately when riding."

And what about carbon? Not a thing. Instead: Stainless steel and aluminum - out of conviction. Carbon may be light and stiff, but it is also hazardous waste. For Luca, one thing was clear: if new, then sustainable. Recyclable, durable, responsible.

And the weight? Hardly any more. Even the integrated gearbox, which is heavier than a classic derailleur gear system, is barely noticeable thanks to the clever design.

High-tech from the printer

Another highlight: the connecting pieces on the main frame come from a 3D printer. An algorithm calculated how the material should be placed most efficiently - without any trial and error. The result? The parts fitted the first time - perfectly.

Purchase inquiries? There were. Lots of them. But: "The bike is and remains a prototype - and as such: priceless."

Further pictures of the bike can also be found on MTB-News: mtb-news.de/news/craft-bike-days-2024-bike-of-the-show-lean-cycles