Berk- Vehovar Composites - Where lightness and comfort come together
Berk-Vehovar Kompoziti doo is a company engaged in the production of carbon bicycle parts, saddles, bicycle frames and cycling shoes.
In addition to existing cycling products, we also offer the production of ultra-lightweight cycling components, which means that no material, shape or color is an obstacle. We are best known for the production of bicycle saddles, the majority of our production is based on hand-made seats in accordance with the highest European standards.
We are currently developing and constructing one of the lightest cycling frames in the world, and at the same time, in cooperation with the Slovenian company Alpina, we are designing and developing light cycling shoes. Both projects are co-financed by the Republic of Slovenia and the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund.
Jure's story: from a cyclist to a manufacturer of bicycle components
Jure Berk was once a successful cyclist in the Radenska team (KD Rog Ljubljana), he was also a member of the Slovenian national team. From an early age, in addition to cycling, he was also extremely interested in modeling and design. At the age of fifteen, he made his first bottle holder from carbon fiber, and two years later, road bike frame, which together with the saddle support weighed only 631 g. Most of his carbon work was published on Weightweenies, he became widely known for his one-piece combination of seatpost and saddle. After finishing his cycling story, he devoted himself mainly to the study of mechanical engineering and the design of bicycle components from carbon fiber.
Andraž's story: from an Olympic medalist to a successful strategist of the Berk brand
During the period when Jure started first steps in carbon fiber design, his cycling coach Andrej Hauptman introduced him Andraž Vehovar, a former top kayaker and winner of a silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Three Olympics later, Andraž led the Slovenian Olympic expedition to Beijing and six years later ran for president of the Slovenian Olympic Committee. A successful athlete and doctor of chemistry, he has many years of experience in designing, constructing and testing his own kayaks.
Berk-Vehovar Composites - a company of cycling enthusiasts
After years of friendship and cycling together, Jure and Andraž founded the company Berk-Vehovar Kompoziti. Originally a garage project, it became a company that specializes in carbon fiber saddle. Jure's surname Berk is also a trademark of the company, and Andraž runs the company with his valuable many years of experience in the field of research, engineering and development.
An important partner with whom the company can realize ideas is GorjupDesign www.gorjupdesign.si, designer of complex carbon molds. In 2018, the Berk brand was commissioned by Italian bicycle manufacturer Colnago www.colnago.com for the limited bike line C64 Gold Private Collection. Special Berk saddle with golden Colnago bridge was designed for that special collections.
Berk products have also been tested for several years by top Slovenian cyclists - Tadej Pogačar and Matej Mohorič. Pogačar also wore Berk shoes for the first year in the 2019 season in the UAE Team Emirates, and Mohorič actively participated in testing and development of shoes until the end of the 2021 season. We are also cooperating with | biomechanics sports science(fonda-sp.si), which specializes in diagnostic and interventional treatments for cyclists.
Their unique high-tech measuring equipment enables monitoring of pedal forces and direct insight into mechanical efficiency, measurement of seat pressure and monitoring of the whole body in 3D space. For the needs of promotion and marketing, the Berk company cooperates with many renowned Slovenian photographers and video producers, such as Uroš Podlogar, Luka Svetic, Aleš Fevžer, Alen Milavec. For the last few years, the Berk company has been sponsoring the Ljubljana cycling team Gusto Santic and several other cycling teams from abroad. After eight years, Berk is best known for its bicycle saddles, which combine lightness and comfort in one. In the future, the company will continue to focus mainly on cycling, which has recently experienced a great boom in the recreational field.