A pioneer in the cargo bike industry celebrates a company anniversary: For 20 years, the Tübingen-based company Radkutsche has been promoting the mobility and transport transformation with clever and locally-made cargo bikes of almost every variety. Almost iconic is the Swabian cargo trike with the meaningful name "Musketier", which was a pioneer in the "Heavy Cargo Bikes" class and also impressed at the first edition of the "International Cargo Bike of the Year" award in 2019. However, leading the pack in the light class was the Radkutsche Rapid, almost a "classic", one could say. Quote from back then:
"In the light cargo bikes, designed for narrow passage width as single-track, the German provider Radkutsche prevailed with its Rapid model, which combines high agility and maneuverability with good comfort and overall robustness based on a steel frame concept with a high-volume box. The
Eezee front drive combined with a NuVinci-Enviolo hub gear also convinced, thanks to its stepless adjustment and precise pedal assistance".
For the company, the competition initiated by LOGISTRA was a real catalyst and reinforced the awareness that they offer valuable and impactful transport means for the traffic transformation, as founder and managing director Stefan Rickmeyer once told us in a casual chat at Eurobike. His credo:
"I advocate for ecological mobility that is fun and believe that many small steps can improve the world".
Explicitly, the goal is not the greatest profit, but rather Swabian virtues like "quality, diligence, and reliability". Rickmeyer wants to build bicycles that remain reliable and lifelong companions for the customers. "Out of Mössingen", they believe: The current trend towards individual traffic will continue in the future. To achieve climate goals, it is not necessary to restrict mobility
but rather to rethink the choice of transport medium.
"With our cargo bikes, environmental protection comes in the form of sustainable mobility! They fulfill the desire for the most individual forms of movement possible", the manufacturer outlines.
A Long Tail must not be missing
In the meantime, the lean but thoughtful program, packed with numerous options, has been expanded to include a trendy "Long Tail", aptly named "Solid", which is a nimble alternative even in the hilly surroundings of Tübingen: Mountain bike at the front, cargo bike at the back, with space for three children. And of course, with a steel tube frame. Naturally, it does not come from Taiwan or China but is manufactured in the Czech Republic and Germany. An example of how sustainability is fully realized at Radkutsche: In 2019, the first production hall was constructed on an energy-saving
foundation with insulation. The hall is made of so-called stacked boards in solid wood construction, produced by the company Schaffitzel in Schwäbisch Hall and erected by a local carpentry.
Production with self-generated power
And of course, they use green electricity, with the entire power consumption being generated through photovoltaic. Additionally, a Smartflower turns with the sun, at night a wind turbine rotates, and a battery collects energy as intermediate storage. Annually, they feed 2000 kWh of electricity back into the grid. Around the hall, they take care of biodiversity, plant native plants and insect-friendly flower mixes, and even grow their own food. Which brings us back to the topic of logistics: This way, transport routes can be saved and packaging can be avoided. And, needless to say: The Radkutsche employees predominantly come to work by (cargo) bike! Anything less would be a
