2001 • Big winter trip
End of January / beginning of February he's riding with his Honda XLV 750 R for 3 weeks through Norway, Sweden and Norway again. His experienced travel mate Horst accompanies him on this trip to the world famous ice hotel in Jukkasjärvi / Lappland. Located 200 km above the arctic circle this place is the northern turning point on their route. The trip back turns into a hard slog, becoming a key experience for Mark Peter:
Due to technical and health problems Horst is forced to stop his journey at the ice hotel. The following 5 days offer day temperatures of -25°C, completely damaged heated undergloves as well as the extremely lonely area of northern Norway. Especially the fubar heated gloves are a desaster in this situation. Riding hundreds of kilometers every day at these bone freezing temperatures creates far more than a comfort problem: It let's you experience pain on a whole new level.
During this trip, somewhere on the E6 between Narvik and Trondheim the desperate decision to make something completely reliable is born.
That should explain why Coolride is named as it is.
2002 • Foundation of the sole proprietorship Coolride
2004 • Start of the website "Griffheizung.de" and first sales
2005 • New winter trip: Coolride Grip Heating in Sweden
This is a typical age where people look back the first time. To do so, Mark Peter preps up his old Yamaha XT600 and rides towards Sweden. This time already with an electronically controlled Grip Heating system. The heating cartridges are the very first prototypes from 2001.
It's a wonderful trip again, old friends are meet, no drop.
Unfortunately the old XT gives up piece by piece: The 5th gear is already in Oslo damaged. The drive chain jums off right at the Swedish border. This results in a longer trip with the towing car. That is pretty expensive, as the replacement of the chain is, too. Finally the electric system shows a major malfunction, no light, no ignition. At this point an economic total loss is finally reached. The bike is given away for free to a local guy. The travel back happens by greyhound bus and train.
All in all not too bad: The Grip Heating has clearly survived the bike.
2006 • More Sizes & Variants
During the year we switch to brass as material of the sleeves. The thread inserts are now made from brass, too. Cutting using a circular saw didn't work out, this is now done fast & good with a band saw.
2010 • Founding of Coolride GmbH (PLC)
On May the 6th 2010 Coolride GmbH is officially founded. The registration at the trade court takes place on the 17th of May 2010.
In this year we join the Hamburg Harley Days, the Custombike as well as the Intermot as exhibitor. During the Intermot our website is re-launched.
2011 • Self developed power control units
2012 • A real factory
Office, metal shop, electronics production, magazine, shipping department, tea kitchen and sanitary room.
Small but nice!
2013 • Distribution via wholesale company
The equipment is constantly improved. New in 2013 are:
- Crimp press incl. crimp tool
- Pneumatic wire stripper
- Automatic wire cutting and stripping machine
- PID temperature controller for laboratory furnace
- CO²-Laser for cutting and engraving non metallic materials
- Label printer for shipping department
- SMT soldering machine for prototyping
- Energy saving conversion of all fluorescent lamps saves 50% electricity