Video: Steffi Marth & Max Schumann Ride Remote Trails in Tuscany

 Sounds like their company has a unique CULTure.

 Sounds weird regarding ABUS, I never thought of that here in Germany - but indeed there are many of them of various religious principles. I think in the US it is quite normal.

I wonder if their products also share their religious views?

 @cxfahrer: to buy them you have to believe!

 @blacktea: well the helmet protects me from heaven falling on my head and the cable lock connects me to their principles.

 good to know, won't buy another product

 Might be the reason why Steffi is not allowed to utter mire than a single word in the video ;-)

 @FuzzyL: Not even a single word - the old man serving coffee said more than she did!

 Thanks for this info, won't support that kind of shit.

 @bishopsmike: I think she can be heard saying “ciao” once.

 Not that I've bought their products before, but damn...
That said, since its Wiki, some critical thinking is required. ...The first three sentences of that are directly from the company's mission statement (so that's accurate), as for the last three, the Wiki article links to website in German that's also behind a paywall?...so its hard to tell how accurate that last part is. Maybe @ABUS can chime in

 @cxfahrer: i asked my helmet. no comment.

 @likehell: curious as to why? there are lots of companies out there doing pretty bad shit, like child slave labor, but you don't personally like someone's religious views and you'll boycott that? Interesting take. Lots of people have different ideas than you, it doesn't mean you have to partake or that they are harmful. Many Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Hindu and other religious individuals opt for a more traditional structure that you might choose, it does mean it's "shit". Doesn't seem like the FLDS with child brides or anything like that

 Yes, that is interesting and weird. The part about women is extremely problematic for me. However I do have to remind myself that this company is at least being honest. I would probably have to say no to buying most things if I was actually able to compare my values to the values of companies whose products I use.

On a lighter and inappropriate note, they make the best bike lock I have ever owned; maybe they designed them originally to lock up their women?

 @trialsracer: I just don't want to support that 18th century stuff. They can do what they want, and so can I.
I also won't buy stuff where I know it has been made by children/ slave labor.
And in Germany it is the so called Christian political parties that blocked a more strict law enforcing to make the supply chains and labor conditions more transparent.
I know there is a lot a companies doing worse stuff than ABUS, and actually I will ask them if that stuff from Wiki is actually true the next time I see one of their reps.

 @jamesbrant: Totally, accidentally downvoted this comment gold.. I owe you my first born.


@trialsracer: I guess that's the beauty of Capitalism, you vote with your money. I'll bet they would give up that " Traditional " structure if it cut into their profits. I see where you are coming from, and I probably wouldn't classify their company or products as shit, but I think you are giving them a pass on discrimination under the guise of religious freedom. This is also my American perspective too.. I know nothing of being a German.

 ABUS best known for their chastity belts...they got it on Lock

 @likehell: It´s from Süddeutsche Zeitung, etc, not from Wiki

www.google.com/search?q=abus+frauen

 @SATN-XC: It´s from a German quality newspaper called Süddeutsche Zeitung among others, not from Wiki

www.google.com/search?q=abus+frauen

 @Gatoqueso1: why is it discriminatory (in a bad way, that is. every hiring choice is discriminatory) if the men run their family business? I mean they also definitely discriminate against non-family... shareholders are ONLY Bremicker men, from my few minutes of research. Plenty of cultures do this. It's how they choose to do things. It would be another thing if they forced their wives/daughters/sons into this lifestyle, but there's no evidence of that. The Amish are typically known as wholesome, honest people and they have much more rigid gender roles than you or I are used to and make some great products. We could go deeper here and talk about how you buy shit from horribly oppressive cultures all the time (Saudi Arabia, China, etc) but I think that's a bit off my point. I'm not giving them a "pass", I am just respecting their personal choices. Looks to me like they have built a family business that has provided for generations and employed tons of people along the way. Also not sure why you think they would abandon their religious beliefs for money... I see no correlation there, unless you're suggesting that if we boycott them we can force them to do so, which would be pretty messed up and probably not effective anyway (I don' think that's what you meant...?)

@likehell I couldn't find any accounts of them forcing women to do anything they don't want to do. "18th century shit"... do you boycott your local Indian business owner who had an arranged marriage, would you not buy Amish goods or from a traditional Muslim family? I just find it odd that you want to pull your financial support of people who willingly choose a different lifestyle than you, but hey, to each his own.

Basically I am trying to get at the fact that we are so conditioned in our culture to say, "OMG they prefer traditional gender roles, that's BAD" (or something else we find archaic) that we forget that some people just enjoy that lifestyle. It's also curious we jump to "celebrate" the non-traditional... as if where you fall on your level of tradition or avant-garde in your personal life should be made into a value judgement about your business. We also get distracted by that and forget that there are plenty of companies that we support that get their products and/or labor from pretty awful means (lithium mining, anyone?) In regards to ABUS, their old-school, patriarchal ownership and inheritance structure doesn't mean they treat their wives cruelly or something like that.

Anyway, just seems like a close minded perspective. If they're a good company and they are taking care of their family the way they see fit, I'm happy to support them. Seems a little brainwashed to judge a company based on their religious beliefs but not on their business practices. That's my spiel, sorry for the digressions.

 @trialsracer: I do see what you mean, and I am definitely making some assumptions about there feelings toward women in general. I’m assuming that if they will not let women on the board or participate equally in the company, that they probably see Women as inferior. I don’t know this for sure, but I’ll bet they see a woman’s roll as subservient to men. Again, no prof, but an assumption. Yes, maybe there are women in this family that are fine with this, but I’m sure not every female born into this family has been cool with their strict gender rolls, as there are many women born into religion/ cultures that view women as inferior or believe in strict gender roles, and have felt oppressed by it. I also am assuming that their views on women’s roles extends to various other positions in the company, and gender pay gaps. Which isn’t cool in any form.

I’m also projecting too, in that I have 3 daughters, who I want the world to view them as being equal and capable to do whatever they want. So maybe I am biased in that way. If one of my daughters wants to be a stay at home mom, and her partner works, then that’s great, if that’s what she chooses, but I want her to have the choice.

I am also aware of how much of a hypocrite I am, in that I am typing this on an iPhone, that I can’t really say who built, or if they were oppressed/ forced to work/ paid fairy, and laying on a bed that has sheets and blankets that I don’t have any idea where they were made or who they were made by, and wearing clothes that could have possibly been made by a person forced to work in a sweat shop. I think we all live in ignorance on where are stuff comes from, and who makes it. I don’t think we should use that as an excuse to not try and do better. I definitely try to do what I can to support companies that have values that align with mine, or promote a good working environment and avoid ones that don’t. Which is what I mean with vote with your dollar. Also, yeah, I do think that if there views on womens rolls cut into their profits, they would change their “values”. Maybe that’s a pessimistic view on it I guess.

 @Gatoqueso1: There´s at least one woman in that family which didn´t like being reduced to house, cooking and childcare and she let the named newspapers know.

Abus seem to be very keen to keep this under the radar, f.ex. all mentions of this were deleted from the German mtb-news website´s comments section.

 Agreed regarding Punta Ala, which is way south from there. Zillions of horseflies there. You cant compare it to Finale anyway, but Garfagnana - Alpi Apuane is different to Punta Ala and more like Liguria.

 I'm in Finale next week, just for a change .... I think this is pretty different trip across Appennini and Apuane is totally different from Punta Ala area. Never been there but a friend is part of the local MTB group and trails don't look that bad but you may be right looks more for e-bike.

 in Toscana?

 @blacktea: Seinfeld ;-)

 Are you telling me there's not one house to rent in all of Tuscany?

 I can't get a sublet, a guest room, a cot, nothing?

..It's booked solid! It's BOOKED Jerry!

How'd you get yours?

...Got lucky.

 www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPkmLWOqwwA

 Gold! Gold Jerry!

 Cappuccino tour

 a very well made 5 min commercial for an ugly helmet..

 a very well made 5min commercial for an ugly helmet and an ABUS cable lock in a remote village where nobody will steal a bike....

 f*cking hell, @justanotherusername! it's been 14 hours! we need your spergy attempt at an insult and a link to my twitter!!!!!! DONT LET US DOOOOOOOOWNNNN!!!!!

 @conoat: Wow, Nick I didn’t know you needed me that badly.

By ‘us’ do you mean the multiple characters you have invented for yourself?