In 1973 Ralf Bohle imported bicycle tires from Korea to Germany for the first time. These were called Swallow. In these days, Germany was the biggest and most important market.

For this reason, “swallow” was translated into German, i.e. Schwalbe.

In Korea the tiny little bird is a traditional sign of good luck. For us, it symbolizes that cycling is a wonderful way of moving: fast, light-hearted, with confidence, naturally and free.

Swallow tires are in fact still available today. Our partner company HungA distributes them mainly in Asian countries. The Schwalbe brand is, however, a name which is more well-known all over the world.