../companies/Dragonfly

Sources: www.dragonfly.de, Cream #13, Ride BMX UK, ...
If you want to add any info, please contact buissonrouge@23mag.com.
Founded by Stefan Ehrig and Matthias Meyer in march 1994.
Country: Germany.
Frames and parts made in Taïwan.
1994 DRAGONFLY was founded in March 1st, 1994 in Hamburg Germany. Our intention was, at the beginning to import BMX Parts , because at that time getting parts was extremely difficult, and what was available, where overpriced oldschool parts. We, Stefan Ehrig and Matthias Meyer, started out by taking over the BMX Department of Stefan's Fathers Bikeshop, called BIKE SHOP EHRIG, a bmx shop and Mailorder that had been started in 1982, and since then Stefan had been in charge. In later years also Christoph Huber of Mutation helped in the shop.

Our first products have been shorter upper Rotorcables (Shortcuts), strong seatposts, and seatpostclamps.

We developed mailorder in bigger scale, and we made, still in 1994 the first ever professionally made BMX Mailorder catalogue, with all parts being pictured.
DRAGONFLY
1995 In 1995 Michael Steingraber joined us as mastermechanic and flatland professional.

In 1995 we developed the DOUBLE DYNAMITE Frame, having features such as Forged CrMo Dropouts.
Soon after, still in 95 we designed the MHS Hub system, together with Suzue Japan, which is still today one of the most actual hub sytem, allowing to fit either a 14mm or a 3/8" axle.
1996 Flatland pegs designed by Michael Steingraber.
Ride BMX UK april 1996: From Dragonfly come those new aluminium flatland pegs. Designed by German Flatland Champion Michael Steingraber, they are just under 4 inches long and 2 inches in diameter with a knurled surface giving plenty of grip. The ends are rounded so when the bike's leaned it doesn't feel like you're standing on a pencil. They also come with slots preventing twisting, with threaded holes for chain adjusters. Cleanly made, light, they work.

In 96 Christoph Huber also joined the company , by making a traineeship as export trader.

Dragonfly Double Dynamite.
Tested in Ride BMX UK october 1996: Matthias at Dragonfly has been promising a bike for a hell of a long time -pretty much as soon as Dragonfly started up making all its bike parts word of a DF frame was being passed around the industry. But Matthias wanted something different -and judging by the Double Dynamite, they certainly made something that ain't usual at all. The most striking thing about the DF frame is that it has double toptubes which is pretty rare to say the least. Back in the day of course, you couldn't move for double toptube frames (that's because everyone had a Haro Master though). But these days of trails and parks, every frame sports a single toptube and maybe a platform -only one or two companies make double toptube bikes today. Haro still have their Master (now called the Ultra) of course and Morales have their now world famous (and world beating, thanks to Phil Dolan) flatland frame. The double toptube has all the benefits of a platform frame (it has more to stand on) yet everything is out of the way. The DF frame's toptubes are a hair under 1 inch OD each, and with a downtube of 1.5 inches OD, the front triangle is stiff and strong. Under the downtube is a gusset (a bit like a Big Daddy), and between the toptubes near the headtube is a small neat plate to add strength there. Halfway down the toptube is a cross-brace, an oval tube. Also halfway along the toptube is a pair of cable adjusters -the DF frame does away with the traditional Gyro splitter lower cable in favour of a double-cable setup for the rear AD brake. Two cables come from the Gyro and each goes to one side of the AD brake. Its debatable whether this improves braking, but it does mean that lower cables are cheaper, and easier to replace, and the whole thing is more adjustable. I'm not a big fan of having AD brakes underneath the seatstays, but when dialled in the rear brake on our test bike worked fine -not as good as the Shimano U-2 brake on my black bike, but generally speaking it worked OK. The rear chainstays are thick too -1 inch OD stays are ovalised and formed to avoid the chainwheel and fat tyres, and there is a wraparound gusset between them at the BB shell. Both the ends of the chainstays and the seatstays are capped off neatly. Which brings us to the rear dropouts These are monsters! Dragonfly claim to be the first to use 100% 4130 cromoly for the dropouts, and they could be right. These dropouts are not simply cut from 6mm plate, they are cold forged and vary in thickness from 5mm to a whopping 8mm! The surface where the pegs contact the dropout is rougher so the wheel is less likely to slip, and there are cutting guides if you want to cut the drops to fit 14mm axles. There is maximum weld contact area, and overall these have to rank as the best dropouts in BMX. They will not bend, split, pac-man, break off the stays, or twist. You will have to drive over them in a truck to damage them. The chrome is good quality, and we can't wait to see the other colours either -Dragonfly will have these frames in regular chrome, matt chrome, black chrome, and plenty of colours over chrome. Nothing will be boring from Dragonfly! So how does it ride? Well, there is plenty of room up front for barspin type stuff, plenty of room to manouvre during boomerangs etc The head angle is sweet (about 74.5 degrees) and sharp, making the bike quick to ride. The toptubes are slung low and out the way for step-thrus, and the back end is short and workable manual rolls are a sinch The DF frame it heavily built making it weigh a bit more than the average bike, but its stocky, strong and very stiff - no flex, whatsoever. The Double Dynamite is a rock solid bike to ride, it rules And for only £199 a frame, its indecently good value for money as well If you like the look of it, buy one: that's all we have left to say.
pegs

DRAGONFLY
1997 In 97 Thomas Ebeling joined as trainee for wholesale.

Gemini cables

MC FRAME
Timo, www.facebook.com, october 2009: In 1997 we took over Rabbit BMX from Wolfgang Fritscher ( being the only other German importer of high quality BMX components ), and rearranged the whole company, RABBIT BMX DISTRIBUTION being the wholesale part, GO-BMX being the mailorder, and DRAGONFLY being only the brand for the parts.

Besides DRAGONFLY, we produce the GENERIX line of bikes, which combines quality, good accessories with a low price.
1998 In 98 Marcin Stypulkowski joined as trainee for export trader.
In Beginning 98 Michael decided to go for fulltime Flatlandriding, so Marcus Dheuten Rock and Roll DJ and longtime BMX rider joined us as fulltime Mechanic.
However, to get on with the story, we imported stuff from Japan and Taiwan, putting our focus mainly on the best quality parts, but as riding developed quickly, the existing parts proved either not to be strong enough, or too expensive.

In 98 we designed the DFX Frame, also featuring the unique forged dropouts, which are still today unmatched for strength.
DRAGONFLY TEAM
Adam Banton 2002 - ....
Alex Bender 2002
Hampl 2002
Akira Okamura .... - autumn 2001
Michael Steingraber 1995 - ....
Thanild 2002
Markus Wilke .... - december 2000 and then riding for Mosh.
Yamamoto 2002