Welcome to Mexico City in March 2021! Life is slowly returning, the terraces are open, people are smiling as the sun shines on their faces, but most importantly : it is difficult to walk down the street without seeing a range of bikes : sport and speed bikes, urban bikes, electric bikes but also folding bikes…
In the last 10 years, the bike market in Mexico City has exploded due to the benefits it provides to the city : less traffic congestion, more active population and less pollution, three of the main issues the city is faced with.
In 2010, city leaders built EcoBici on the streets to help address these issues.
Nonetheless, before the city was called in to address these issues, a couple of entrepreneurs already had their vision set for urban mobility in the District Federal : Zarai Salvador and Julien Cariou.
Motivated by a desire to change the way people get from point A to point B, these changemakers quickly started to develop their unique business.
The journey began in 2008, and after numerous tests, countless hours spent in factories and hundreds of shipping orders, they came up with their first functional and unique folding bike. In 2010, they released their first bike, which had no speed level, generic parts and plastic brake system.
Even after more than a decade of experience, this folding bike remains to this day their signature model. However, they put in an enormous amount of work to come up with the best version they could. Today’s version has 6 speed levels, unique designed pieces, aluminum breaks and grips on the saddle and handlebars.
The Eek’o Plus Bike, as we call it, tackles other issues that aren’t linked to mobility such as lack of space in the living space and insecurity towards stealing.
In reality, once the bike is folded, it fits in a truck car, in a closet, even in a backpack and possibly even an oven!
Despite the fact that the market was booming, the success story is just getting started. In fact, the timing was ideal because the awareness for green transportation and responsible consumption was gradually increasing.
Eventually, they opened a store in la colonia Roma and began designing other bicycles. At some point in 2013, they were selling 17 different models at a pace of 3 bikes sold per day. The company was quickly developing and even established a distribution network with up to 15 different locations.
Recently, in 2019, Alterbike changed its business model in order to become a native digital vertical brand company. The store was closed and a strong emphasis was placed on building an ecommerce brand. They now sell only one bike model, the E’eko Plus, 100% online, and provide a free delivery service all across Mexico.
Even though the company went through various stages, the mission always stayed the same : Create a positive impact in the world with bicycles. The company offers solutions to social, economical and environmental problems. This triple impact vision is the core of the business.
The social impact is achieved by a social reinsertion program, in which the organization provides a proper formation and job to former mexican prisoners. Through assisting them to reintegrate themselves to the mexican society, they also bring a solution to the crime rate in Mexico. This program started in 2017 and to this day 34 people have benefited from it, with none of them reoffended. This social entrepreneurship aspect has been a massive success for everyone and is ever since one of the essence of the company.
The economical impact is brought through the bike fabrication process. The folding bike has the Made in Mexico label and is manufactured in Atizapan de Zaragoza. This Made in Mexico label is truly important to the owners because stimulating and promoting the local economy is part of the values they want to share through their company. As this bike is unique, they had to design exclusive and unique bike parts over time. They did so by developing trust relationships with local manufacturers in order to maintain control over the production chain. The bike is made up of 45 different pieces, provided by a total of 9 suppliers. The bikes are assembled by the company’s mecano, Pepe, who has worked for the company since 2015 and has really brought his experience to the table. This cycling enthusiast holds the same ideals as the business and has assembled more than 1000 bicycles.
The company’s environmental influence stems from its status as a leader of green urban mobility in the capital. With more than 5000 bikes sold overtime, the company contributed to a shift in the mentalities and in the way people move. This green mobility idea is now widely adopted in large Mexican cities, and Alterbike obviously bears a part of the credit.
Currently, this family business is undergoing the digital transformation but the values shared by the creators and the employees have always been the same : sustainability, justice, respect and liberty.
The company is building its community, through a strong online presence and several interesting collaborations with local artists such as Art Mich Texturas (@mich.texturas) or other changemakers like Paseo a Ciegas (@paseoaciegasa.c) and so much more over time.
When they first opened their shop, they quickly started engaging with their customers, who soon became part of their community. Even if the store is no longer open, the community keeps on interacting as Alterbike is now a native digital vertical brand company.
Some people even own more than one Alterbike, others claim that their bike helped them clear their head during the lockdown, and others simply enjoy being part of a green revolution..
Alterbike lovers exist for a variety of purposes, and they enjoy spending time riding in the city or in the forests. What better way to spend a Sunday than throwing the bike into the truck and heading for a ride in the woods?
Furthermore, despite the fact that the business is currently facing some challenges, the passion for bikes and the will to provoke the change is as strong as never. Being part of a global change has always been a drive for the company and there is no doubt that this mindset will always be at the center of the business.
Their vision for the coming years is a proof of it : Being the first digital native vertical brand of folding bikes in Mexico.
Their one-of-a-kind folding bike is a win-win for everyone involved in the production process and it brings solutions to our 21st century problems. Their confidence in their product is higher than never, and with good reason : they’ve been developing bikes for more than a decade.
The online business is the future, whether it is as a company or as consumers, and Alterbike is facing some challenges, such as cost control and supplier management.
However, Zarai and Julien are driven by this will to be part of the change as entrepreneurs, and if this wasn’t challenging, they wouldn’t be doing it in the first place! They are in this business for more than 10 years and they are ready to nail this digital transition.
With all that being said, if you want to stay in shape while making the world a better place, I suggest you get your own Alterbike right now!
Have a look at www.alterbike.mx and get your own folding bike 😉
Written by Pierre Collin
