Efficiency of pedalling, this is the business of Antonio Brivio

Antonio Brivio is someone who does not like repetitiveness. In just a few years, his company, A.I.P., in Oggiona Santo Stefano, has completely changed, going from a manufacturer of test benches for the structural components of motorcycles, cars and helicopters, to a leader in the world of cycling.

It’s been a total change. How did that happen?
“Well, our workshop has always produced benches for testing the dynamic loads that essential parts of a car, like the chassis, the rotors of helicopters and the forks of motorcycles are subject to. We produce extremely efficient transducers, to understand the stresses these parts undergo.”

What do you mean?
“Transducers help to translate the ‘stresses’ that the component we’re testing undergoes, into data.”

I see, but what does that have to do with cycling?
“Let me explain. In 2011, our company was manufacturing a transducer for a large windmill blade, about 30 metres in diameter. This work was necessary to understand the loads the blade would be subject to when moved by the wind, once assembled.”

And?
“At that point, we were contacted by Mapei Service (the sports research centre, part of the chemical giant of the same name, ed.), who asked us if we wanted to build an instrument that was capable of measuring the pedalling power of a cyclist. How much power does he produce, whether this power is produced by the right foot or the left foot, and whether the knees push inwards or outwards.”

So this was when everything changed …
“More or less. The result of this collaboration was the MEP (the Pedalling Efficiency Measuring Device). We only made a few MEPs, which I consider to be our most interesting creation. But shortly after, we were contacted by a big Spanish company, Rotor, with whom we signed a contract in 2012, and with whom we’ve already produced thousands of pieces.”

Congratulations. I should imagine that A.I.P.’s turnover has grown too …
“Yes. Last year, the turnover rose and the forecasts for the future are excellent.”

Were you able to take on more people?
“Let’s say that we’ve doubled our staff since 2011. There were five of us and now there are ten. Then there are several external collaborators, especially freelancers, who help us a lot.”

Are there any apprentices among the new employees?
“I wish. Apprenticeships are very useful, but for now we don’t have any. We’ve signed some temporary contracts with people who had lost a previous job, so we have certain ‘responsibilities’ towards them. But it would certainly be useful to have a relationship that was a little less contaminated, let’s say, with young people who have to grow and be trained in our company.”

As a businessman, which obligation do you feel the most?
“The bureaucracy, without a doubt. We have restrictions of every kind, and then we have continuous training courses, medical examinations etc., which only make life difficult.”

And what have you got in store for the future?
“We’re about to launch an ergometer, a kind of state-of-the-art simulator specially designed for cyclists. It will be innovative in every respect.”