Bicycle production in Estonia began in the 1890s. At first, the industry consisted of small workshops and factories, some of which assembled bicycles from imported components. This pattern continued after the First World War: local skill was essential, but supplies from abroad remained an important part of production.
A shift came in the second half of the 1930s. Larger firms in Tallinn, including Saar and ETK, made not only complete bicycles but also rims, bearing cones and pedals. The move from assembly towards component manufacture shows how many different crafts and industrial skills lie behind a seemingly simple way to travel.
The Second World War interrupted that development. From 1941, production of new bicycles largely stopped, and some smaller businesses became repair workshops. Limited production resumed after the war at the Säde factory, but ended around 1950. Surviving bicycles and parts recall a period when cycling in the region was supported by local manufacturing too.