Stage 7. igus:bike Experience for Media Test Riders 

Yuki Tsugehara | 1. April 2025

(*From the Japan Tour Team: we are reporting on Stage 7 before Stages 3-5 due to publicity confirmation from our business partners)

The igus:bike has returned to Tokyo from Osaka. Today is a test ride event for the media. No riding, the bike was displayed at the venue for the day.

The test ride took place at the Ariake Urban Sports Park in the bay area of Tokyo. This is a sports wellness hub that carries on the legacy of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The indoor bouldering facility with its many colourful holds displayed the actual igus:bike that has been on the World Tour.

Prior to the test ride, Urakawa-san, Head of Marketing Communication, gave a presentation and communicated directly with the media. He introduced the history of igus and its unique technology ‘iglidur’, explained how motion plastic is used in igus:bike, and explained the features of igus:bike and the World Tour.

Various media gathered at the test-ride event, including economic newspapers, bicycle media, gadget magazines and bicycle writers. The journalists asked many questions such as: ‘How versatile are the parts?’ ‘How long will the plastic parts last?’ ‘Is it repairable?’ ‘Is it selling well in Europe?’

After the presentation, the journalists went outside to test ride the igus:bike. It was a sunny day in central Tokyo, with a maximum temperature of 25°C or higher. We asked everyone who test rode to wear helmets and drive safely.

The journalists were test-riding with smiles on their faces, as if they had returned to their childhood.

Some of them tried not only the flat roads but also the grassy slopes to test the ride. They were also keen to have their photos taken.

After their test rides, the media representatives said it was ‘fun to ride’, ‘lighter than expected’, ‘there must be people who want one’, ‘interesting manufacturing’, ‘very attractive as a commercial product’, ‘Japan has many hills, so it will be popular if it is electrically powered’, and asked further questions about igus bearings and other products.

It was impressive to see the smiles on the journalists’ faces when they finished the ride, and it was a day that reaffirmed the appeal of igus:bike, which move people’s hearts.

Our speaker: Hiroyuki Urakawa, Head of Marketing Communication

It was an honour to introduce igus:bike to the media today. All the journalists seemed to enjoy the igus:bike’s excellent design, which can be seen from a distance, and its solid, reassuring ride. We will do our best to convey the igus “GO! ZERO” concept to many people through this bike.