Swapfiets tires go full circle
Landmark deal with Vittoria to boost sustainability.
Swapfiets is partnering with Italian tire company Vittoria to improve performance and extend the lifespan of their popular electric bikes.
The move will see Swapfiets becoming the first company to subscribe to the Vittoria2GOservice – renting tires instead of buying them – in a key step towards achieving their goal of creating 100% circular bikes.
The partnership means Swapfiets e-bikes will be fitted with Vittoria's premium tires, and the Italian company will be responsible for the ownership, maintenance and recycling of the tires. This means longer lasting tires, less waste and lower and more predictable costs for Swapfiets.
Swapfiets' success proves that a ‘pay for use’ subscription model is attractive to customers and means better quality products that last," said Marc de Vries, Swapfiets CEO.
"It’s exciting to see how the same model can be applied to how we work with parts manufacturers – moving from buying components to ‘components as a service’. We hope this revolutionary idea will create a ripple effect, influencing the cycling industry and helping us on our journey to create 100% circular bikes by 2025."
“We are very pleased to work with Swapfiets as our launching customer of Vittoria2GO, offering them premium tires as a service. Swapfiets knows as no-other how important distinctive tires are for cyclists, and our subscription service makes them finally truly circular.” said Stijn Vriends, Vittoria Group President and CEO.
In the ‘pay for use’ business model, the manufacturer is responsible for the value of a product throughout its lifecycle. The model provides an incentive to design products that are optimised for durability, ease of maintenance and repair.
The best part is that it creates a feedback loop, sending insights from users to the manufacturer, which in turn fuels innovation. Also, because the product remains the property of the manufacturer, it will eventually return to them for remanufacturing or recycling.
The tires are among the most high-maintenance ‘wear and tear’ parts of the bicycle. Increasing their durability and puncture resistance and finding innovative ways to repair, refurbish or re-use them will be revolutionary for the cycling industry and significantly reduce its environmental impact.
Specially upgraded Vittoria Adventure Tech tires will be fitted to Swapfiets e-bikes from August 2021. Made with graphene-enhanced compounds for increased wet grip and durability, the supple Vittoria casings provide optimal comfort, while an integrated 3mm puncture protection layer makes them extremely resilient. The tires will be available both in black and in the signature Swapfiets blue which will be fitted on the front wheel.
Earlier this year the tire expert Vittoria with Team Jumbo-Visma enabled Swapfiets to realise their ambitious plan and bring a signature blue tire to the 2021 Tour de France.
About Vittoria
Vittoria is the world’s leading brand of performance bicycle tyres, known for its unique graphene-enhanced compounds and advanced cotton & nylon casings. Vittoria produces at its factories in Thailand and sells through subsidiaries in Asia, Europe and North America. With its global R&D capabilities, Vittoria develops bicycle tyres for all performance levels in road, off-road and urban use. Vittoria Group is owned by its managers and the investment fund Wise Equity. More info on www.vittoria.com.
About Swapfiets
Swapfiets is the world’s first ‘bicycle as a service’ company. Founded 2014 in the Netherlands, the scale-up quickly developed being one of the leading micro mobility providers in Europe with 280.000 members in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, France, Spain, Austria and UK.
The concept of Swapfiets is quite simple: For a monthly subscription fee, Swapfiets members receive a fully functional bicycle or e-mobility solution for their own use. If needed, a repair service is available within 48 hours to repair or directly swap the two-wheeler at no additional cost.
