Frequently asked questions

The Life e-bike is unlike any other bicycle, and has been designed to make materials last. Normal e-bikes are expensive to repair, and reach the end of their life far too early because of that. The Life e-bike has a modular design. This means repairs are done in the form of a module swap, within minutes. Damaged or defective modules (even wheels with flat tyres) are brought back to the Roetz factory, where they are repaired or remanufactured, in an efficiënt proces - making them ready for a next lifecycle in another bike. And so the circle continues!

No. In reality, no e-bike can ever be 100% circular, as repairs always require some new components. However, by designing the bike for optimal repair, the Life e-bike requires far less components for repair, which means far less material has to be recycled. Recycling materials requires a large amount of energy, and most processes require new (virgin) material to be added. We asked the circular experts at Ideal&Co to analyze our design. Calculations show that over a period of 18 years, the Life E-bike is 65% more circular than a comparable e-bike with similar specs. The Roetz Life E-bike also uses 36% less virgin materials. If all e-bikes sold in the Netherlands would be Life bikes, this would save 4.555.000 kgs of material, or the material of 183.000 e-bikes!

Not really. Many products can be disassembled and recycled, bikes are no exception. But regular e-bikes aren't designed to do this effectively, and are complex to repair. This means repair is costly, economic life is reached early, and they have to be recycled much sooner than the Life e-bikes

Developing our own e-bike certainly wasn't the first thing we set out to do. However, the rapid adoption of the e-bike all over the world means that a big waste problem is emerging. Every year, over a million bicycles are bought in the Netherlands alone. Since 2021, more than half of these bikes are electric. Where a regular bike may ride up to 30 years if well maintained, we don't expect the average e-bike to last more than ten years. So we decided to set the right example for the industry and design world's most circular e-bike.

Within the Life Membership, and also when you buy a Roetz Life e-bike, it's possible to change the configuration of your bike when your specific needs change. For example by adding a front or rear carrier, or changing to a larger battery capacity. The Life team is already working on additional modules. In the nearby future, it will be possible to transform your bike into a cargo bike and even a speed pedelec. Our powerful drive module is already prepared!

Although we tackle a lot in the Roetz Life e-bike design, we have to work with the Lithium-Ion technology currently available. Lithium-Ion recycling technology is still developing. However, from the start we worked together with a battery recycling and remanufacturing partner to ensure we use batteries of the highest quality that can be remanufactured. Where other manufacturers aim generate revenue by selling replacement batteries, we help our users to make the batteries last as long as possible, by setting appropriate charging and discharging limits that fit their driving cycle. By preventing batteries to charge to 100% and discharging fully, battery lifetime can often be more than doubled. The longer these batteries last, the further Lithium-Ion recycling technology will be when the battery cells are replaced.

By careful design of the frame geometry, the Life bike can be easily adjusted to different heights by adjusting the saddle and handlebar. The bike is suitable for riders with a height between 1.55m and 1.95m.

The Life bike is unique in it's theft protection in several ways. First, the bike has to be unlocked and activated by the user with a unique NFC keyfob. Without this activation, the bike won't power up. Second, the bike is in contact with the 'brain' of our nervous system, and has to check in regularly to keep running. So if someone takes your key and steals your bike, you can report your bike stolen to us, and the bike will de-activate itself very quickly. The bike is equipped with a GPS device, so when you report it stolen, we can track it down for you.

During the pre-order period, the bike will only be available in the Launch Edition combination of stainless steel and matt black. We will add other colors in the near future.

Like many modern e-bikes, the Life bike is a unisex bike. We don't foresee developing a specific men's model in the near future. Using the same frame for a large group of riders increases the re-usability of the frame, and reduces the need for new materials.

Approx 28kg, final weight will be determined in the next two months after frame production

The height of the e-bike is at least 1084 mm. (LxWxH: 1816 x 657 x 1084mm)

Tire size is 55-584, these are 27.5 inch tires with a width of 2.15 inch or 55mm.

This is not allowed by law, we will not offer this option. By law max 25 km/h is allowed. We are working on a speed-pedelec version that can do 45 km/h.

You can book a Roetz Life sneak peek in the Roetz Fair Factory in Amsterdam now! The sneak peek includes a closer look at the circular e-bike and a test ride on one of our latest prototypes.

The first orders can only be ordered in the Netherlands and Belgium. This allows us to provide the service we want to offer with the Life concept. Unfortunately for people outside these countries, you can't order a Life bike yet, but keep an eye on us in the future!

The expected delivery time for a Life e-bike is 12 to 16 weeks from the order date. When choosing for a Roetz Life membership, the delivery time applies from the approved credit check.

Please send us an mail at support@roetz.life