An industrial complex in the hip Ehrenfeld district of Cologne. The very colourful showroom on the ground floor of the main building makes it immediately clear: cycling should be fun. But the main reason it's fun here is because it's also so practical: the cargo bike, which is presented here in variations on stainless steel bases, has a very small front wheel and a large, foldable basket behind it. And that's what counts. "It came about by chance," says Sören Gerhardt, co-founder of MuliCycles, modestly introducing the company's story: "When you have a family in the big city of Hamburg, where I was living at the time, you start to think about your mobility. I was enthusiastic about Brompton folding bikes, with which it can be so easy."
On the other hand, there was already an incredible presence of Long John cargo bikes back then. "Perfect for transport in the city - but how am I supposed to park it?" A synthesis of the two mobility solutions would be desirable ... and was indeed born in the mind of the company founder in 2014. Together with his brother Jonas, a mechanical engineer, he finally developed and built the first hundred Mulis in 2016: cargo bikes based on the Long John principle - i.e. the transport surface between the handlebars and front wheel - but with very small wheels: a 16-inch wheel at the front and a 20-inch wheel at the rear. The result: the bike is just two metres long.
Muli Cycles: A cargo bike basket that can do more
The decisive difference, however, is the transport container, a basket. Two metal sides, with a narrow base area in between. It holds the 40x60 Euro box and many other luggage formats. The most important feature: the textile front and back of the basket, which is firmly attached to the frame, means that the two sides can be folded inwards and then even locked with an integrated lock. The effect: the bike is only half as wide. Of course, the quickly adjustable stem also contributes to this: Open the clamping lever, turn the handlebars lengthways to the frame, close the clamping lever - parking problem solved!
At just over two metres in length, the whole thing is barely longer than some e-bikes. And this brings another mobility aspect into play: large cargo bikes are not transported by most transport associations due to their length. But most of them do transport the small mule. "I can not only quickly load the bike onto the train for everyday use - I can take it with me on holiday!", explains Hannes Herber from Muli Marketing, who wants to introduce us to the company today. A small cargo bike as an all-rounder. But above all as a great problem solver, which is how you see it here.
Muli Cycles: Product from the region
The company's individual departments and buildings also house many, many mules quite simply, waiting for final assembly, quality assurance checks or dispatch. In the two-storey main building - a typical functional look of the nineties between many time-honoured industrial buildings from the 1900s in the lively district - work is carried out and developed downstairs, while the offices and common rooms are located upstairs.
Another significant difference to the standard bicycle manufacturer: The frame of the Muli is also welded here! This is called high vertical integration. There are now two welders and two welding robots, one of which is still waiting to be set up. It will then completely weld the Mulis. In the centre of Cologne - that's quite extraordinary. As the robot cannot weld the pipes "freehand", the frames are clamped into the welding bench with socket-like connections, as we can see.
The bikes are also coated against rust and powder-coated in Germany, but not (yet) on site. Assembly takes place in three stations: In the first, the bearings are pressed into the steel frame. Then components such as wheels, motor or disc brake systems are attached to the frame. In the last station, there is the finish with the optimised cable routing and the fine details and settings.
This is not assembly line work, nor should it be. The fitters work calmly and with concentration. Like everything else in the company, each task is given the time it needs. New customers can make an appointment for a consultation here in the Cologne Factory Shop. This includes not only detailed advice on the mule and a test drive, but also a tour of the production process - from development to welding and assembly through to quality control. "We want customers to understand our Muli concept as a whole," explains Hannes. And this concept is quite far-reaching, as we shall see.
Testing for safety
The blue metal cube a few metres across the courtyard also shows how closely the Muli makers view the self-imposed requirement to do as much as possible on site. "Test laboratory" is written in large letters on the door sign, while a soft groaning and the constant rhythmic "woop" of a machine reaches the ears. In the white of the laboratory is a test device the size of a bed, on which a mule frame is mounted, next to a work table with monitors.
The device presses on the handlebar ends with a defined force approximately once per second. "We have also been carrying out our own tests for some time now," explains Hannes. Previously, they were carried out by a reputable German test laboratory. Tests are not only carried out according to the cargo bike standard, but "much higher", says Hannes. This makes sense, as the current 79010 standard is currently being replaced by a new European standard, which is still being finalised. All those responsible agree that the previous requirements were too low or inappropriate.
Always changing
Sami Al-Khayat has been working in development for two and a half years. He explains to us what Muli's third speciality is compared to other manufacturers - and what his role is as a developer. He is actually a frame builder and is currently building an all-terrain rickshaw on the side, he says casually. In any case, his job makes him ideally qualified for the development department.
Of course, this also involves building prototypes, for example when a new motor variant is integrated into the frame. But above all, he perfected the frame of the Muli - in many respects: "There have been a huge number of changes to the bike in recent years; many of them go unnoticed by customers." These include many in terms of production efficiency: The goal of building the Muli in Germany and thus also being competitive in terms of price is not only a question of the right material, but also of how you design it. "It's a bit like playing quartets," explains Sami with a smile.
"We try out a lot of things, and some changes are later adopted for the series." Another advantage of "everything under one roof"! After all, it's not just how stable the bike is in the end or how the handling is defined that counts for production. Of course, it also matters how much this or that type of production costs - and how the frame can be modified to make production more efficient. If you are competing with products that are manufactured in low-cost countries, you have to keep pushing efficiency in production.
Frame design at Muli Cycles
"Efficient production also determines how a bike is designed," says Sami. And that's why the bike is made from bent CroMo steel tubes. Simple and very precise to process. And highly sustainable: Muli Cycles uses green recycled steel. Very thin-walled tubes are used so that the whole thing is not too heavy, which in turn means very high precision in processing. Of course, we also work on efficiency during assembly.
However, the fundamental basis for perfecting the entire production process lies in the frame and the way it is designed: "From a development perspective, designing the bike so that it can be welded and assembled with less effort," explains Sami. "The nice thing about my job is that if I don't agree with something, I can change it myself," laughs Sami. For example, he was able to make the mounts for the basket locks - two crossbars that lock the container open - conical instead of round. As a result, all mules now have this new mount, which makes it much easier to insert the safety catches with a click.
The more efficient the processes, the better the sustainability concept can be realised in terms of "regional production". By the way, sustainable also means that new accessories or add-on parts are backwards compatible: Even the four-year-old Muli can be fitted with a new product. And the price for the Muli Muscle, i.e. the bike without motor assistance, is 2890 euros after a recent price reduction - absolutely competitive for such a well thought-out product. The Muli Motor costs 5230 euros on the dealer's counter.
The mule is a big city animal
Speaking of dealers: this is also important to the Muli makers: "90 per cent of the bikes," says Maike Nirode, who manages sales of the small cargo bike, "are sold through dealers." After all, even a normal Cargo bike a product worth explaining to newcomers. There are currently 150 Muli dealers in Germany. "We have a particularly strong presence in major cities such as Hamburg, Munich and Berlin," says Maike. "When I was in Hamburg recently, I was amazed at how many of our bikes there were in the city traffic - unbelievable." The density of mules in the big city is definitely something to behold, as we noticed on our journey there.
But Muli wants to go further: "Internationalisation is a big issue," says Maike, "we already have a good and growing presence in Switzerland and Austria. And we are currently targeting Canada and the USA." It is also interesting to note that until four years ago, the Muli muscle was bought twice as much as the motorbike in Germany. Today it's the other way round. So the Muli fans have gradually come to the conclusion that a cargo bike with assistance is better for them than one without. Even if, at least at first glance, it is less sustainable than a bike without a motor.
Cargo bike and social responsibility
"35 years old and one or two small children, that applies to many people in the team here," explains Hannes over coffee in the large meeting room. It's no wonder that Muli is successful when it's practically made by its target group, we realise. The team has grown considerably in the eight years since it was founded: the original five brothers and friends, who were enthusiastic about their sustainable idea on many levels, have now been joined by 65 more Muli fans.
CSR, or Corporate Social Responsibility, is another point that defines the mule and its production. Essential social values are claimed for themselves. "It's quite clear that if the little one is ill, mum or dad stays at home, there's no question about that." Even if this is just one aspect, it illustrates how serious the company is about social responsibility; the atmosphere in the company suggests that "profit sharing, flexitime and family friendliness", as the extensive Muli team website states, are not just empty slogans.
Three questions for an all-round satisfied cargobike
Founder Sören Gerhardt summarises the mule idea for us once again: "Firstly, what are the needs that the bike has to satisfy? Secondly, we wanted to be clear before we started: How do we make the product truly sustainable? And finally, thirdly: What is the social dimension? What working conditions are necessary for this, what social situation are we currently operating in? We are aware of the economic, social and ecological situation. Since we've been in Cologne, we've grown from seven to 70 employees."
They want to go one better when it comes to sustainability: with the Muli EU, a Bike built almost exclusively from European components becomes. Of course, with so much dynamism, there are also growing pains. You learn to rethink, reorganise and redefine things. As Sami explained, the mule is also subject to constant change, "even if this is often not visible to the mule user". However, Sami also hints that a completely new Muli variant could be conceivable at some point. He himself likes to drive in a sporty manner, and it's always good when you can realise your own ideas. But that's just one interpretation of potential allusions ...
Muli Cycles: Facts & Figures
- Foundation: 2016
- Headquarters: Cologne, Widdersdorfer Straße 190
- Employees: 70
- Surface area: 2400 square metres
- Products: Muli compact cargo bike with and without assistance (Muli muscle and Muli motor), Muli EU (sustainable model with parts produced almost entirely in Europe)
