From the garage to the world.
Ten Years. | 18.06.2021
Ten Stories: How it all began – an insight into the founding site of the Slim E-Bike.
“We just wanted to build an e-bike that we thought was awesome.”
Driven by this vision, Coboc founders David and Pius set out in mid-2011 to revolutionize the e-bike scene.
All in one.
Once the idea was in place, however, they first had to find a suitable place to think, tinker and, optionally, sleep on busy nights. They chose an old industrial complex in Hans-Bunte-Strasse in the west of Heidelberg. Cold, drafty and not exactly spacious. A table functioned as an electrical workshop, a sofa as an oasis of calm, and an oven literally burned one half of one’s body while sleeping, while the rest of the workshop remained cold.
As with many startups, money was tight and the two founders moved walls into the building in return for the hirer on the side. But not only that. On the grounds of the new Coboc home, there were regular festivities that got out of hand and were not always entirely legal. “One of them even tried to charge me for admission. I told him I don’t pay admission, I work here,” David reports.
Fetish milling machine.
At least a place had now been found to bring the vision to life. But one tool was still missing: a milling machine named Erna. “That was a little fetish of ours, we always wanted to have a milling machine.” So it didn’t take long to think about it, off to central Germany and take the machine, which weighs around a ton, on a car trailer to its new home.
Unfortunately, Erna was too big and did not fit through the staircase despite the greatest effort. After several attempts and shed beads of sweat, Erna had to be let down again, but she jammed on the staircase and fell over. Dented it was decided: Erna stayed down. Despite all the setbacks and obstacles: The focus could now be placed on the development of e-bikes and the foundation stone for the urban mobility revolution was laid.
Coboc turns 10!
Around our anniversary season we have prepared some promotions and stories for you. Check out our Ten Years page to make sure you don’t miss anything.
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