A unique bicycle that Festka made out of recycled Nespresso coffee capsules was sold at a charity auction held during Mercedes-Benz Prague Fashion Week. Money raised at the auction went to support the Tereza Maxová Foundation, which helps disadvantaged children. Prague, 6 April 2017- Festka is a technologically-focused Czech bicycle producer that specializes in the tailor-made manufacture of exclusive road bicycle frames. The company has always been known for its bold ideas and pioneering visions that question the “accepted” processes. It continuously looks for ways to change these processes for the better. One product of this approach is a unique model called Festka Doppler, created as a singular combination of titanium and carbon.

This frame not only captivates with its extraordinary looks (achieved by a unique fusion of materials), but it also provides traditional stability and comfort and makes each ride a true pleasure. This year, Festka had the chance to replicate its successful model with an even more unexpected combination of aluminium and carbon. It created a bicycle that reflects the founding principles of Festka manufacturing: perfect functionality and exclusive looks. Likewise, it is no secret that love of good, quality coffee is as common among cyclists as is their love for top quality cycling frames. So, it should come as no surprise that the two brands – Nespresso and Festka – have a lot in common; despite their apparent differences.

Nespresso is known world-wide for its high-quality coffee, while Festka is famous for its exclusive, high-quality bikes. To keep coffee well preserved and deliver the original taste to its customers, Nespresso invented an ingenious way of packaging its product. This packaging has nowadays become widely associated with the company: Nespresso capsules. They are made of aluminium, which not only helps to preserve all the essential qualities of the coffee grounds, but is also 100% recyclable and therefore eco-friendly material. According to Nespresso’s Marketing Manager, Andrea Petrová, improving Nespresso’s recycling capacity on the Czech market is currently one of the company’s priorities.

It is exactly this recycled material that has become the lynchpin of the successful joint project between Nespresso and Festka. This project aims to draw attention and promote the possibility of recycling Nespresso capsules. “Aluminium has a long history of use in the bicycle manufacturing industry. Creating a bicycle from recycled aluminium capsules and giving this material a second chance was a big challenge for us”, says Michael Moureček, co-founder of the company, adding that: “We went one step further and combined aluminium with carbon composite based on the blueprint of the successful Doppler model. This helped create a truly state-of-the -art bike: both in terms of its looks and in terms of the usage of materials”.

Although aluminium recycling is quite common in the Czech Republic, most recycled material ends up in automotive production. To find producers willing and able to work with small quantities of recyclable material for use in production of a limited number of tubes was a truly challenging task. The project was realized thanks to the enthusiasm and eagerness of Tomáš Grus, owner of a local aluminium foundry Al-Solid specializing in aluminium processing. Mr. Grus accepted the challenge. With their noteworthy professionalism and remarkable skills, the specialists at Al Solid cast tubes (with the required material characteristics) from what used to be colourful Nespresso coffee capsules.

The cast tubes were later thinned and further processed with a lathe to achieve the desired wall strength; their surface was then sandblasted and polished. These tubes contain approximately 995 Nespresso capsules, and the process of bike creation took as long as 3 months. The track version of the Festka Doppler for Nespresso is also unique in its design. The melted aluminium capsules reveal themselves in a kaleidoscopic display of 21 vibrant Nespresso colours on the rear wheel. As Michael Moureček puts it: “We try to convey the client’s story in each bike we create in our shop.

Although it was a challenging task to fulfil, it is utterly rewarding and inspiring to know we are building not only a bicycle, but also a strong narrative that will move people emotionally and resonate with them”. It was not only the aluminium that was given a second life, but also the bicycle itself got the chance to support a noble cause by helping a charitable foundation. Festka Doppler for Nespresso was officially presented to the public in the middle of March during Prague Fashion week. On 18 March, it was sold at a charity auction in support of the Tereza Maxová Foundation. Roman Jasenovec, one of the shareholders at Fincentrum, placed the highest bid and took the bicycle home for 160 000 CZK.

Design: Festka