Powder coating with extras Bicycle garages, but attractive and durable

“Some things would go better, if people simply walked more”. This sentence by the little-known writer Johann Gottfried Seume – who set off on foot from Leipzig to Sicily in 1801 – comes to mind when architect Anja Klett and goldsmith Liv Nilsson talk about the initial spark for their start-up company VELODEPO. On a hike, the architect, who was developing car-free residential areas at the time, and the goldsmith, who was working for a manufacturer of individual bicycle garages at the time, thought about how closed bicycle boxes could be designed differently and better – “in such a way that they visually enhance the street space and solve many as yet unresolved functional requirements”, as Anja Klett summarizes. After months of tinkering on the function and design, the concept was ready and was immediately awarded the Saxon Future Prize eku-innovativ 2020.

The VELODEPO bicycle garage system consists of modules for different types of bicycles. There is space for up to eight bikes and accessories in a bike depot. Each model has a maximum footprint of 10 square meters and can therefore be erected without a building permit – simple and without anchoring to the ground. In addition, it is the same size as a car parking space. The two entrepreneurs have also provided anti-theft protection with analog or digital locks and the option of integrating charging stations for e-bikes. The bicycle garages are sustainable thanks to their green roof, which takes surface unsealing into account, and the durability of the materials used. “We deliberately constructed our modules from steel and sheet steel,” says Liv Nilsson. “The durability of the material, combined with the option of painting it in individual colors to match the surroundings, were the deciding factors.”

Together with René Laube, sales consultant at Brillux Industrial Coatings, the two founders have been working step by step to find the right paint system for the bicycle garages. “We very quickly moved away from wet painting because powder-coated surfaces are much more scratch-resistant,” recalls Anja Klett. For the two entrepreneurs, it also fitted in particularly well with the concept that Brillux was one of the few manufacturers able to supply the silk-gloss Anti-Graffiti Powder PU 5961 as a special product – this makes graffiti removal easy and thus contributes to sustainability through longevity. “Any kind of graffiti can simply be wiped off this painted surface, which is permanently protected against graffiti, with a cloth and a standard graffiti remover without leaving any residue or surface damage – we have already successfully tested this in live operation,” says Liv Nilsson. The product qualification of Brillux anti-graffiti powder coatings by Deutsche Bahn gives VELODEPO customers additional security. VELODEPO also uses the highly weather-resistant Brillux Universal Polyester Powder 5941 to paint its products. This smooth, semi-gloss finish also scores points for its very high gloss and color stability and high surface hardness.

VELODEPO’s bicycle boxes can be painted in a total of 210 RAL colors – a selection for individual branding to inspire clients of the start-up. In the meantime, the bicycle garages are already enriching the cityscape of many municipalities. The start-up is continuing to develop its portfolio in response to increasing inquiries from local councils and the housing industry. “In the meantime, we have also added high-quality street furniture designed in steel, such as benches, planters and bike stands, to our range,” reports Anja Klett. So VELODEPO’s journey continues – to make many things better in the urban mobility of the future, which is based on two wheels.