Projects

Dero ZAP Snapshot: University of Colorado Colorado Springs

Earlier in the year, we told you about how every day is Bike to Work Day at Dero. You might wonder, how do we track our daily commuting, and what do those metrics look like? That’s where Dero ZAP comes in, our commuter wellness program. With a few clicks, anyone signed up can see how times they rode into work, the amount of CO2 they’ve reduced, the number of calories burned and gallons of gas saved. At Dero, we recently surpassed 14,000 miles biked for 2017!

Not familiar with ZAP? Watch this short video and continue reading below!
Did you know that Dero ZAP isn’t just for business commuter programs? Programs have been successfully launched at campuses across the US. Recently, our ZAP Specialist Tony Spaaij interviewed Kimberly Reeves, the Sustainability Program Manager at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. Read on to learn about the implementation, results, and highlights of their Dero ZAP program.

Tony: Why did you choose ZAP?

Kimberly: Dero ZAP was the only all-in-one program we could find. Their RFID tags allowed for easy participation that helped move our bike incentive program away from self-reporting. And the online dashboard provides easy access to information for both participants and program managers.

What is your favorite part of using ZAP?

My favorite part of using Dero ZAP are the affirming stories from participants. Our front runner is a facilities staff person, and he’ll be the first to tell you how far ahead of the second place rider he is. There’s also a chemistry professor who can’t get enough of the ‘chirp’ every time he gets to campus. He says it’s like a little cheer that he biked another day; he rides for the health benefits.

What was your experience implementing the program and getting people to participate?

Thanks to our Facilities Services staff, we were fortunate enough to get our first (of five) stations installed before our annual Bike Jam/Bike to Campus Day. At that one event, we were able to sign-up 60 participants. Since then, we’ve held more, smaller bike events and are currently at 85 participants. I think our riders appreciate the elimination of self-reporting data. We’re hoping this upcoming year, since we have all five stations installed as of March 2017, we’ll have more participation.

What have your results been since implementing the program?

That original station is by-far the most frequented, but the data has shown two other entrances on campus that personally, I don’t see on a daily basis and wouldn’t have expected that much traffic. These stats will help advocate for bike infrastructure in these priority areas.

What is your favorite program feature?

My favorite program feature is the ease of randomly handing-out prizes. I’m able to give a concrete goal for the month, and the dashboard provides the ability to sort, draw a winner and automatically alert them with an email. This feature also helps us keep a more accurate inventory of prizes.

Why is it important to promote wellness at your organization?

With the location of our campus on a bluff and 15-30 minutes from amazing hiking trails (not to mention the trails on campus,) promoting wellness seems to be a way of life at UCCS. Active living not only keeps us healthy, but also hopefully provides ways in which we can deal with life’s stresses in a positive way.

And how does ZAP contribute to promoting wellness?

Dero ZAP has been a forum for talking about why colleagues bike to campus. These conversations sometimes involve saving money on parking or reducing their use of single-occupancy vehicles, but no matter the reason, health is usually a main factor.
Interested in learning more about how you can start a Dero ZAP program? Register for a webinar or contact us!
News

Dero Through the Years: Boxes and Bullwinkles

If you walked away from a fruitless job interview in college, would you expect to be working at that company as their Director of Marketing a decade later? Bri probably didn’t think so. In this installment of Dero history, she tells us about her custom touring bike and what it was like to interview with Dero during the company’s infancy.

How long have you been at Dero?

Since June 2013…just over two years now.

Do you ride bikes?

Yes!

Where is your favorite place ride?

I’m falling back in love with the Gateway Trail. Earlier this spring I was exploring with a friend and we found the connector trail to Stillwater. It was so great to ride 99% trails from my home in South Minneapolis all the way to Stillwater.

What is your favorite bike to ride?

My favorite bike was my blue Dawes commuter/touring bike that I had built in Australia and shipped back home, but it was stolen last fall. We had so many adventures together – touring solo in Tasmania, Bicycle Film Festival in Sydney, 30 Days of Biking in Minneapolis. But our engineer Joel made me a new, custom steel bike (via Clockwork Bikes), it’s my new favorite! It was designed for commuting and touring, so it has stable handling and comfortable geometry for long rides, as well as all the necessary braze-ons for racks and fenders. The color I chose is inspired by my trip to Thailand earlier this year. I’ve only taken it on a few long rides so far, and I can’t wait to take it on a multi-day adventure.

What sets us apart from other bike rack manufacturers?

The majority of Dero folks are avid bicyclists, so we make sure our products provide solutions for people on bikes. We only make products that we would like to use. Also, Dero has a strong history of advocacy and continues to support organizations all around the country. It’s great to work for a company that gives back.

Favorite rack, and why you like it?

Currently, the Cycle Dock is my favorite. It looks amazing – sleek and refined.

Do you have any funny stories from working at Dero?

During my interview I had a moment of déjà vu when Andy mentioned that Dero used to be located above Bullwinkle’s. Back in college, I had an interview for an admin position for a bike rack company above a bar. I remember climbing the steep stairs to the office. It had tons of boxes everywhere, and not much else. I honestly thought it was a front for laundering money or something, but that was Dero! (I did not get the job.)

Why do people love Dero racks?

People love the quality of our products and our customer service. Our goal is to make our customers and their bikers happy.    
News

Dero Through the Years: If You Build It, They Will Come

Travis, our National Accounts Coordinator, is a man of many talents. On top of being a bike parking expert, did you know he also plays in local psych-folk band Lovely Dark? Today we take another look back at Dero’s history, this time through Travis’ words.

How long have you been at Dero?

Six years this July.

Where is your favorite place ride?

Next to friends.

What is your favorite bike to ride?

Surly Crosscheck.

What sets us apart from other bike rack manufacturers?

Our racks are designed by riders for riders and our main engineer is also a frame builder. With many avid bike riders on staff, we try to design our products to help cyclists. We’re a business but we believe in the “Field of Dreams” approach where good infrastructure is what leads to more cyclists and more work.

Do you have any funny stories from working at Dero?

In the old space, we would have to shut down occasionally from squirrels chewing through our exterior wires. Our old owner Rolf owned a few model ship websites and we used to field the occasional random call regarding the specifics of model ships. This was not divulged at the beginning but quickly we figured it out. The ships are long since gone but I still have the infamous Swedish ship, the Vasa, perched in my living room.

Favorite rack, and why you like it?

Ultra Space Saver. I have a set in my garage and they protected my bikes when it was broken into.

Why do people love Dero racks?

We’ve been around for a long time. We’re not going anywhere and there’s a lot of quality and history that goes into our racks. We can also help people realize almost any bike rack and they can be comfortable knowing that it’s going to work.
News

Dero Through the Years: Highlights from our Designer

On March 21, 1995 Dero Bike Racks was born. Tomorrow is officially our 20th birthday! What started as two University of Minnesota graduates trying to solve the problem of insufficient bike parking, has grown into one of the leading bicycle rack and public bike repair manufacturers in the country (but we don’t take ourselves too seriously). Though Dero has seen its share of ups and downs over the past two decades, our vision has always stayed the same: to design and manufacture the most innovative and high quality bicycling infrastructure to serve people on bikes. This year, we’ll look back at Dero’s history through the eyes of its employees. Below, Colin Klotzbach shares his reflections on his tenure as the Graphic and Web Designer at Dero. He’s been working with Dero the longest, so he has some interesting stories. Enjoy his dry sense of humor – he’s quite a character.

How long have you been at Dero?

Officially 13 years, but my first freelance project with Dero was in 1997.

Where is your favorite place to ride your bike?

I’m hoping Holland will be my favorite place to ride after this summer.

What sets us apart from other bike rack manufacturers?

Our experience in marketing imported model ships and used laptop computers.

Do you have any funny stories from working at Dero?

Life at Dero has always been just a bit different than most employers. For a long time it always felt like we were just scraping by. We didn’t always have enough salvaged university desks for everyone (Andy, our GM, had no desk when he was hired), we often had mice running over our feet at the old warehouse, and dog hair would crash our server a couple times a year. It wasn’t even until we moved into our current place a few years ago that our hands could experience warm water coming out of the taps in the bathroom sinks. But like everyone’s parents say: It builds character.

Favorite rack, and why you like it?

The Bike Bike Rack. What’s not to love about it? It keeps showing up everywhere, even photobombing several news outlets, proving it survives riots and natural disasters.

Why do people love Dero racks?

As useful as bike racks are, it is kind of hard to take them too seriously. I think people appreciate seeing a little extra thought put into something that could otherwise be one of the most mundane features of public life.
News

A Very Dero Birthday: Twenty Years of Bike Parking and Bicycling Infrastructure Innovation

By Ben Hovland

It’s our birthday! In 2015, Dero is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Though we’re still not old enough to legally drink, twenty years of distributing bike racks around the world has taught us a few things about bicycle security, innovation, and living bike-centric lifestyles.

Throughout the year, we will bring you several looks back on Dero’s origins and the exciting directions we’re headed into the future. In our first installment, Rolf Scholtz, one of Dero’s founders, takes a moment to share his reflections on this historic milestone.

Derk+Rolf

In 1995, two brothers, Derk and Rolf (De + Ro = DeRo, get it?), identified a need in the existing bicycling infrastructure. “Bike racks weren’t functional for u-locks. There’s gotta be a way to make a bike rack that’s u-lock compatible and somewhat decent,” remembers Rolf. “Believe it or not, no one was doing that back then.”

So the brothers set out to solve this problem, one bicycle rack design at a time. They slowly gained clients and traction, operating from the apartment above Bullwinkle’s Saloon in the Seven Corners district in Minneapolis. “It wasn’t easy,” Rolf says, “We had to ship all our UPS from the bar, and we out grew it pretty quickly. But it was dirt cheap, and we were strapped for cash those first 5 years!”

Rolf-SwerveMaking-swerve

Given the small scale of their operation, Rolf and Derk were forced to innovate using their everyday experiences riding their bikes around the Twin Cities. “We were all bike people at Dero, in some way or another. I was originally a bike security monitor at the University of Minnesota,” Rolf recalls. “There’s a culture of biking at Dero, and we were always trying something new and different. That’s a big reason why we were so successful.”

Birchwood-snow Birchwood-corral

The Birchwood Cafe was one of Dero’s first customers. “Back then, I couldn’t even find them,” admits Rolf. But since then, the Birchwood has proven a valuable partner in advancing small business-driven bicycling advocacy and leading the movement to promote on-street bike corrals. Having committed to prioritizing advocacy early in our existence, Dero strengthened its connections with organizations such as Alliance for Biking and Walking and the League of American Bicyclists. Today, our network extends across North America, and we are excited for meeting new partners in the years to come.

League of American Bicyclists National Bike Summit  

In the past 20 years, one of the most significant milestones was bringing manufacturing in-house. “We knew we had to do it ourselves,” Rolf remembered. The process, starting in fall of 2004, “took twice as long and cost twice as much as we anticipated, but the payoff was instantaneous.” After moving powdercoating and shipping in-house, Dero soon acquired their first metal bending equipment, and by 2010 our operation had matured into a full warehouse stocked with locally made bike racks.

Moka

Rolf shared several entertaining memories from Dero’s early days, but one of his favorites involved Moka, the office dog. Dogs are a longstanding fixture in Dero’s workplace. From the first time Rolf and Derk started hiring new employees, Rolf recalled one particular incident when, “Moka was underneath the table and farting up a storm, and they were silent! They just reeked. And this poor person was trying to ignore the wafts of this horrible gas while I’m interviewing them.” Did they get the job? “We didn’t end up hiring them. They probably thought we were full of it, blaming the farts on the dog!”

DeroHitchx

While dog farts still occasionally plague the office, Dero’s drive to innovate and provide the best possible bike parking and transit solutions remains as strong as ever. When Dero first began, Rolf and Derk started with the goal to design the most secure and best looking racks possible, all while accommodating both customers and end-users’ needs. This central tenet still holds true in our work twenty years later. We invite you to celebrate our achievements over the past two decades, and to join us as we continue to develop attractive and functional bicycle infrastructure.