OV-fiets gets a second life

If we can no longer repair an OV-fiets ourselves, we send it to Roetz’s social bike factory. There, bike mechanics completely dismantle the bike into over a hundred individual components. All parts are carefully sorted.

Parts unsuitable for OV-fiets use are repurposed by other organisations—for example, old inner tubes are transformed into sport bags. Reusable parts are inspected and cleaned.

The frame and luggage rack are also refurbished. They are stripped and recoated to give the OV-fiets a fresh look. The bike mechanics then reassemble the bike using as many reused parts as possible.

At Roetz’s social bike factory in Amsterdam-Noord, people are trained as bike mechanics. The aim is to empower individuals with vulnerable employment positions. In the workshop, they rediscover job satisfaction and work on their personal development, helping them re-enter the labour market.

Building a bike is quite complex. That is why Roetz breaks down the work into manageable tasks. With clear structure and good guidance, the team learns to build and repair bikes.

We aim to use as few new raw materials as possible and make maximum use of our own materials. We do this by reusing or repurposing old materials from stations, trains and OV-fietsen wherever possible. This creates opportunities for sustainable entrepreneurs to transform old materials into new products. In this way, materials gain a completely new function and continue to serve a purpose for a long time.

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