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The Business of Cycling

The Business of Cycling

Ingredient Branding Done Right: How German Stubbornness Turned a Cello Hack Into a Global Brand

Aug 31, 2026 · 30 min · 9 segments

Every time you snap a magnetic buckle on a bike helmet, a school backpack, or a water bottle cage, there's a good chance it's a Fidlock. What started as a teenager's scrapyard fix for a cello case has…

Every time you snap a magnetic buckle on a bike helmet, a school backpack, or a water bottle cage, there's a good chance it's a Fidlock. What started as a teenager's scrapyard fix for a cello case has grown into a company with twelve hundred patents, a hundred and thirty employees, and products moving in the millions — from Nike gear to car interiors. Joachim Fiedler joined me at Eurobike 2026 to talk about how Fidlock built one of the most quietly ubiquitous ingredient brands around: the patent-everything strategy, splitting the business between industrial components and consumer products like the Twist bottle line, and the deliberate "A surface, B surface" playbook for getting a brand noticed on someone else's product. It's a conversation about betting everything on one core idea — and never quite letting go of it. Read the latest 'The Business of Cycling' Blog Sign up for 'The Business of Cycling' Newsletter

Every time you snap a magnetic buckle on a bike helmet, a school backpack, or a water bottle cage, there's a good chance it's a Fidlock. What started as a teenager's scrapyard fix for a cello case has…

Speakers: Joachim FiedlerGuestNikki HawesHost

Spotify Apple Podcasts YouTube Amazon Music Website

Top entities: North America×14 Germany×11 Nike×4 Cycling Near-field communication×2

Show signals: SuitabilitySafeBiasNot politicalAudience≈702 followers

Scrapyard Fix to First Major Order2:09 – 6:50

Joachim FiedlerGuest

2:09

The DNA is I'm always triggered by problems.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

2:13

So if there's a problem, I keep thinking about it.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

2:17

Even with the music? With the music or with whatever.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

2:22

And this was a kind of habit started already when I went to school.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

2:27

So I first solved the cello case carrying problem.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

2:33

And then when I came to this snap button to hold the bow.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

2:37

What

Nikki HawesHost

2:37

was the cello case carrying problem?

Joachim FiedlerGuest

2:40

Because with a normal cello case was when I was a young guy.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

2:45

There was no belt, yet you can ride bicycle.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

2:48

Okay.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

2:48

Maybe on your

Nikki HawesHost

2:49

back.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

2:50

Yeah.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

2:50

There was no backpack style thing.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

2:52

Just one diagonal strap.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

2:55

And so then I had very little pocket money, so I...

Joachim FiedlerGuest

3:00

I went to a scrap yard and grabbed a safety belt as a belt for free.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

3:07

I took old spokes from a bicycle and a piece of metal to fix the D-rings I made out of the spokes.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

3:21

Then I drilled, I tried many places on the cello case.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

3:24

You destroyed the case.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

3:26

Yeah, eventually.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

3:27

You destroyed the case.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

3:29

And I found a good setup.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

3:34

To put it on your back.

North AmericaContinentContinent
96%14 mentions
GermanyCountryCountry in Europe
89%11 mentions
NikeCompanyFootwear company
82%4 mentions
CyclingEntitySports
75%1 mention
Near-field communicationEntity
68%2 mentions
MagnetEntity
61%1 mention
ChinaCountryCountry in East Asia
54%1 mention
EuropeContinentContinent
46%2 mentions
PorscheBrandCar make
39%3 mentions
AsiaContinentContinent
32%1 mention
AdidasCompanyApparel company
25%1 mention
Berliner PhilharmonikerMusic GroupOrchestra
18%1 mention
MunichCityCity in Germany
7%1 mention
San FranciscoCityCity in California
7%1 mention

Magnetic ClosuresBusiness > Entrepreneurship > Product Development > Innovation
Mechanical FastenersTechnology > Engineering > Product Design
Magnetic TechnologyTechnology > Engineering > Product Design > Mechanical Fasteners
Ingredient BrandingBusiness > Marketing > Branding > Consumer Products
Patent StrategyBusiness > Finance > Patents > Intellectual Property
North AmericaBusiness > Market Expansion > International Trade > Consumer Markets
FinanceBusiness
MarketingBusiness
Product DevelopmentBusiness > Entrepreneurship
BrandingBusiness > Marketing
International TradeBusiness > Market Expansion
Consumer ProductsBusiness > Marketing > Branding
InnovationBusiness > Entrepreneurship > Product Development
Market ExpansionBusiness
Intellectual PropertyBusiness > Finance > Patents
EngineeringTechnology
Product DesignTechnology > Engineering
Technology
Business
EntrepreneurshipBusiness
PatentsBusiness > Finance
Consumer MarketsBusiness > Market Expansion > International Trade

Scrapyard Fix to First Major Order2:09 – 6:50

Joachim FiedlerGuest

2:09

The DNA is I'm always triggered by problems.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

2:13

So if there's a problem, I keep thinking about it.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

2:17

Even with the music? With the music or with whatever.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

2:22

And this was a kind of habit started already when I went to school.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

2:27

So I first solved the cello case carrying problem.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

2:33

And then when I came to this snap button to hold the bow.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

2:37

What

Nikki HawesHost

2:37

was the cello case carrying problem?

Joachim FiedlerGuest

2:40

Because with a normal cello case was when I was a young guy.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

2:45

There was no belt, yet you can ride bicycle.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

2:48

Okay.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

2:48

Maybe on your

Nikki HawesHost

2:49

back.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

2:50

Yeah.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

2:50

There was no backpack style thing.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

2:52

Just one diagonal strap.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

2:55

And so then I had very little pocket money, so I...

Joachim FiedlerGuest

3:00

I went to a scrap yard and grabbed a safety belt as a belt for free.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

3:07

I took old spokes from a bicycle and a piece of metal to fix the D-rings I made out of the spokes.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

3:21

Then I drilled, I tried many places on the cello case.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

3:24

You destroyed the case.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

3:26

Yeah, eventually.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

3:27

You destroyed the case.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

3:29

And I found a good setup.

Joachim FiedlerGuest

3:34

To put it on your back.

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