Zero compromises
from day one
From the start, our guiding principle has been to challenge the status quo and break new ground.
Today, we can proudly state that many thousands of cyclists and over 100 bicycle manufacturers trust in Pinion gearbox technology and break new ground with us. Together, we develop class-leading Pinion bikes, both with and without electric motors, that break with tradition.
From Porsche to Pinion
The idea for the centrally mounted Pinion gearbox was born at Porsche’s transmission development center in Weissach, Germany. As budding engineers and enthusiastic mountain bikers, we were driven by the idea of developing a bicycle shifting system that works as intuitively, precisely, and as wear-free as the manual transmissions in sports cars.
Five years of development, numerous prototypes and countless bench tests followed until the first production-ready gearbox crossed the Himalayan mountains in 2010. Derived from the first gearbox unit, the P1.18, we developed variations that are ideally matched to different cycling applications.
With the introduction of the second product line, the C-Line, in 2017, we succeeded making our gearbox technology accessible in upper mid-range bicycles and E-bikes. Today, in line with our commitment to continuous development, we are designing for and making significant contributions to the sustainable mobility sector.
Learn more about our drive, our passion, and our innovations.
Michael Schmitz
Founder & Managing Director Pinion GmbH
Christoph Lermen
Founder & Managing Director Pinion GmbH
Awards FOR PINION and INNOVATIVE PINION BIKES.
RENNSTAHL 853 PINION
GERMAN DESIGN AWARD 2019
ZERODE KATIPO
DESIGN & INNOVATION
AWARD 2020
TOP 3 COMPANIES
German Founder’s Award 2017 PINION GMBH
Pinion GmbH
Innovation Award of the State of Baden-Württemberg 2016
Pinion C-Line
FOR C-LINE
EUROBIKE AWARD 2016
PINION TECHNOLOGIE
BIKE MILESTONE 2011
Pinion Milestones
2006
- Christoph Lermen and Michael Schmitz come up with the idea for a gearbox-based bicycle shifting system at Porsche’s development center in Weissach, Germany.
2007
- Lermen and Schmitz decide to develop a production-ready gearbox.
2008
- Test ride of the first gearbox prototype, which was still built with three gearing sub-units.
2010
Endurance test on the test bench
- Commissioning of an in-house developed gearbox testing rig. The first employee is hired.
2010
- Extreme cyclist Felix Fröhlich crosses the Himalayas with a Pinion gearbox prototype. The gearbox works flawlessly.
2011
- The first bicycle manufacturers begin frame development for the gearbox, which now bears the official name P1.18.
2012
- Move to the company headquarters in Denkendorf and start of serial production.
2013
- By this time, 30 bicycle manufacturers offer the P1.18 gearbox in production models.
2014
- Three more gearbox variations are added: P1.12, P1.9CR, P1.9XR, which are designed for specific applications.
2015
More bicycle manufacturers
- By this time, around 50 well-known bicycle manufacturers are building bikes with Pinion gearboxes.
2016
- Pinion introduces its second line of gearboxes. Pinion gearbox technology is now accessible in upper mid-range bikes.
2017
- Pinion North America becomes the sales and service partner for the North American market.
2018
- Thomas Raith joins the previous founding duo as the third managing director. By this time, more than 100 bicycle manufacturers from around the world offer Pinion bicycles and E-bikes.
2020/2021
- Pinion moves into a new company headquarters in Denkendorf, where more than 50 employees now work.
Unique
DIRECT
Acclaimed
Frequenty