Being committed to environmental protection is not something new to Germany’s Ergon. Since 2010, with its GreenLab initiative, they’ve been bringing sustainable products into the market. Now the ergonomics specialist has expanded this program and launched its new sustainability program “GreenLab Circular”. At Eurobike, Ergon was showing the first proofs of concept with the SR Allroad Core Circular saddle and GXR Circular grips.
Ergon’s head of Technical Product Development, Andreas Krause, wanted to make products that “have a finite useable life, and could be wholly returned to their original material to act as future ingredients”.
Starting with a saddle made the most sense to them. And with the collaboration between Ergon’s team, and BASF’s plastics and coating expertise, they are “creating new possibilities for sustainability and production of bicycle accessories in the future”.
“Our goal was to construct a saddle that comes entirely from a family of similarly-engineered materials because only then is there the capability of completely recycling a product in its entirety,” explains Krause. “Thanks to our network of manufacturers and resources in Germany, this dream was also realized very quickly“.
The new SR Allroad Core Circular saddle takes Ergon’s focus on recycling and waste avoidance to be the first proof of concept in the GreenLab Circular program. Every component of this new saddle can be recycled and returned to the material cycle when its service life ends.
The Ergon SR Allroad Core saddle with CORE HD technology has a unique “ergonomic core” construction that’s made from BASF Infinergy. So, with the new proof of concept, all plastic parts of the SR Allroad Core Circular belong to the BASF polyurethane and can be recycled in one piece.
The steel (Tinox) rails can be removed by hand. Color pigments (undyed look) and surface coating have been removed, allowing for a higher quality recyclate. BASF’s NovaCoat-D is a sustainable alternative to a conventional cover.
GXR Circular Grip
Using the new GreenLab Circular sustainability program, Ergon has also released the new GXR grip. This is the same GXR grip in terms of shape, but instead of using new material, it’s made using excess material from the production of other GXR grips.
New Grips Outside of Greenlab Circular
Ergon was also showing a number of products that were not specifically part of the Green Lab Cirular initiative, like the new GXR Lava grips. After changing the color out of the in-molding process to create the grips, Ergon realized the mixed colors looked interesting. So they made some changes to create the Lava series. Because of the process, the colors will always be a bit different, and are still made in Germany.
Working with Vali Holl, Ergon has developed a new GDH Team grip specifically for DH riding. This is their first made-in-Germany DH grip, and will be available in one size and color with a single locking core.
For the hybrid/touring crowd, the new GT1 grip offers a wealth of hand positions in the funky looking grip. Inside, ther is a plastic internal wing for support, as well as an internal locking collar to keep it from twisting.
RM Touring Mirror
In a collaboration with Busch + Müller, Ergon is introducing the RM Touring Mirror that is typically loaded with detail. The shape of the mirror is designed to give you an idea of whether the oncoming vehicle is close or far based on where it shows in the mirror, and the mirror is designed to rotate inward for storage while preserving your adjustments. Because of the premium features, the mirror will sell for $50.
SR All Road Saddle
In addition to the Green Lab Circular SR Allroad Core saddle, Ergon also had new SR All Road saddle on display. This saddle is notable for two reasons – first, it’s the first saddle in the current offering made in Europe, and second, it’s 2cm shorter than the other All Road saddles. Ergon has said that they won’t produce a snub-nosed saddle, but they seem to realize that shorter saddles are the trend. The saddle also features a more aggressive deep channel with a full cutout, and chromoly rails. It’s avaialble in men’s only for now, with a women’s version on the way.
