Schwalbe is headquartered in Reichshof, Germany and is entirely family-owned. For over 50 years they have produced bicycle tires and tubes. Today, Schwalbe is regarded as a global leader in urban, touring, e-bike, and wheelchair tires and tubes.  You can find Schwalbe tires and tubes extensively in bikeshare systems around the world.

Environmental sustainability is a core principle of how they operate, and this commitment has led them to support circular production, recycling, and material recovery in the bicycle tire industry. Representatives at Schwalbe state, “We’re in a fortunate position to be able to pursue these goals without requiring a clear path to profitability. We believe this approach is paying off as we have made substantial progress toward our sustainability goals while also maintaining the quality and inherent benefits of our products.”

As the use and requirements of bicycles and bicycle tires are constantly evolving, they aim to be a technology and solution-driven company. In areas such as cargo, bikeshare, and e-bikes, they state that simply producing the “greenest” tires possible does not make a meaningful difference unless they meet all other expectations. Their most durable, longest lasting, and most versatile tires are both their biggest sellers and the first products that Schwalbe is integrating into their latest “green” technologies.

In talking about current developments, they said “We’ve recently discovered that some of the materials recovered in our recycling process offer superior performance when used to manufacture new bicycle tires compared to virgin materials.  Being able to produce superior products with post-consumer recycled material is the best possible outcome we could have hoped for!”    

When asked about the value of NABSA membership, they stated that NABSA gives them direct contact with the people making specification and fleet decisions (and dealing with their consequences) every day. They said that the connections allow them to better understand requirements, develop products around those requirements, and communicate that their interests go beyond simply selling tires and tubes. “We care a great deal about how our products perform in their systems, how long tires remain in service, and what impact they have on operations and the environment throughout their life cycle.”

To learn more about Schwalbe visit: https://www.schwalbetires.com/