Löffler in Ried im Innkreis is the traditional company in the state when it comes to sportswear. In recent years, however, new suppliers have established themselves who offer new products and individual designs with the most modern production methods. “Radlg’wand” has long been a high-tech product with sophisticated details. We took a look behind the scenes at how much effort goes into jerseys and cycling shorts.
Gravel bike tour from yarn to jersey
“We want to protect regional production and added value,” says Löffler CEO Otto Leodolter. To prove that they are serious about it, a team of three, including a cameraman and photographer, was sent on a gravel bike and covered the entire production chain in the “Gran Fondo” project, covering 481 kilometers from Lustenau to Ried: from the fibers in five days to the finished cycling jacket.
Löffler wants to use the campaign to promote his new material, transtex-Shell, which is woven and dyed in Götzis in Vorarlberg. A piece of fabric therefore had to be taken on the bike tour in the Bavarian-Austrian border area over 7882 meters in altitude. The stages led via Stockach, Leutasch and Pertisau to Saalfelden, where the material is processed further. The last stage via Salzburg to Ried led over the Hirschbichl near Berchtesgaden, an incline of 30 percent that can only be managed by pedaling out of the saddle. Arrived in Ried, the bike team symbolically handed over the fabric for the further production of the jackets: Here it is cut and sewn, around two hours of work per piece are needed for the “Gran Fondo TXS” jacket. Last year, Löffler won an award at the ISPO sports trade fair with a different jacket model for the breathable, windproof, elastic and waterproof softshell fabric.
“We want to continuously improve our CO2 balance and prevent the spread of microplastics. The use of recycled fibers should increase and our repair service should increase the lifespan of the products,” says Leodolter, outlining the sustainability goals of the Innviertler. Sustainability and regional added value are more important at Löffler than profit. The in-house photovoltaic system already covers 70 percent of the electricity requirements in the plant, and all unavoidable CO2 emissions are offset with a climate protection project in Bulgaria. A research project entitled “Re-Tex” is working on the recycling of functional fiber fabrics.
Mach1: The former professional cyclist uses his contacts
Mach1 stands for the speed of sound – and for Martin Fischerlehner for speed with his own cycling clothing brand. Founded in 2017 as a supplement to the bike trade in Freistadt, the ex-professional has turned his part-time job into a lucrative mainstay.
“Former racing colleagues from Italy helped me a lot with their contacts,” says Fischerlehner about the difficult beginnings. It took a while to find the right producers for jerseys, cycling shorts, etc. “Not a single part comes from China,” he proudly assures us today. Italy, as one of the most important cycling countries in the world, also has the manufacturing and design to give amateur cyclists a professional look at affordable prices.
The Corona period was difficult: The orders from clubs had fallen radically, and companies had also cut their budgets. Despite this, the clothing business was doing well thanks to many regular customers. In the new shop just outside of Freistadt, Fischerlehner now also has space to present clothing, e-bikes, mountain bikes and racing bikes in a beautiful way: “I started at home in the converted garage with 30 square meters, today there are 300 sales areas and 800 square meters in total ” said Fischerlehner.
“A fully dressed racing cyclist today needs ten watts less than in the past, that’s how much the aerodynamics from the helmet to the shoes make,” promises Fischerlehner. Nothing may flutter, nothing may constrict the muscles. Practically all manufacturers have switched to “laser cut” for this, there is no longer a hem. “Today we get the same fabrics as the professional teams that ride in the World Tour. A jersey like this has practically no weight, so you have to make compromises in terms of durability,” he explains. Wafer-thin mesh fabric only optimizes the aerodynamics – for the cooler days there is a selection of denser fabrics, long-sleeved jerseys, vests …
Because hobby cyclists like professionals spend several hours in the saddle, the padding of their cycling shorts is a crucial part: “We use the same padding as a well-known top brand, but our pants are 100 euros cheaper,” says Fischerlehner. Optimum perspiration transport and rapid drying (e.g. after a rain shower) are crucial. To protect against splashing water, there are even long cycling shorts with a thin layer of neoprene on the lower leg. A lively exchange of data with the producers ensures the right design according to the wishes of club and company teams: every logo has to fit, every color has to be right.
For optimal stretch and strength in the right places, four different types of fabric would often be used in a jersey or pair of pants. The latest trick from the aerodynamics box are socks with a knitted forefoot and Lycra shaft. Even the socks can be printed in team colors and match the jersey perfectly.
DNA: perfection for corporate teams
EinDruck boss Peter Möllinger, 52, actually came from cross-country skiing with the state squad and tried his hand at cycling for two years until founding his own company in Eidenberg pushed active sport into the background: Today he offers a cycling line under the DNA brand in which the perfectionist has invested years of work.
“The fabrics come mainly from Italy, I also developed the seat pads for the cycling shorts myself and they have to be placed to the millimeter so that you sit well,” reports Möllinger. For over ten years he had contacted a myriad of suppliers until today there is a metre-long rack of fabric samples to choose from. “The fabrics have a wide range of properties – thickness, stretch, air permeability and sweat transport, so you have to choose exactly the right thing for each zone on the jersey, jacket or pants,” says Möllinger. The delivery times have recently increased from two to six months, so you have to plan the production more precisely.
The DNA parts are sewn in southern Bohemia, in a factory in Pisek, around 30 minutes by car from Budweis. “They used to actually make ice hockey jerseys,” says Möllinger. He recently took over his own small sewing workshop and is now upgrading the machine park so that he can print and cut himself. “The fabric comes to us white, the graphic designers create a design with the customer and only then is a test print made,” says Möllinger.
The product range goes from running, cross-country skiing and cycling clothing to triathlon one-piece suits. Möllinger himself is working on new detailed solutions such as two-piece socks with a knitted foot and a woven, printed upper. The leg ends of the cycling shorts are coated with silicone on the inside to prevent them from riding up, while the jersey sleeves and straps are laser-cut to avoid annoying seams. Möllinger DNA has been building up since 2012 and the company building is bursting at the seams. Now a move is planned, a new building is in the air: “But the construction costs are currently incalculable,” says Möllinger. He now also produces for large customers such as the ÖSV or Olympic team outfitters and makes about as much sales with sportswear as with the printing business.
Source: Nachrichten
