Riese & Müller is a bicycle manufacturer in Mühltal, Germany. Founded by Markus Riese and Heiko Müller, it designs and makes suspended bicycles. In 1992, they started working on the design for a folding bike with the pivot points acting as suspension, but which rode like a normal bike, which hadn't been done before. In 1993, they submitted their bike for the 1993 Hesse Innovation Award, and the Birdy won the Special Award. In 1994 and 1995, the Birdy was built into a production-ready prototype, with the founders raising the funds to have 250 Birdys initially produced in Taiwan. The company headquarters was an old dairy farm in Darmstadt.

Other models and e-bikes: 1997-2024

In 1997, the company began creating new bikes for urban riding and touring. In 2008, the company began incorporating motors, including electric versions of the Birdy and their Delite model. Their Jetstream electric model won the Eurobike Green Award. The company subsequently focused on electric bikes, with all model ranges except the Birdy converted solely to pedelecs. Riese & Müller had a revenue of €76 million a year.

Economist Sandra Wolf became a third CEO in 2019. The company's Carrie cargo bike, released in 2024, was priced at £5,469. The aluminum frame was manufactured in Portugal. The Birdy P40 bike is still produced by Pacific Cycles.

Various discontinued models include:

  • Equinox (discontinued)
  • Gemini (discontinued)

See also

  • List of electric bicycle brands and manufacturers
  • Outline of cycling

References

  • Tinkering with the Multitinker A review of R&M's Multitinker cargo bike, 2023
  • History of Riese & Müller and the Birdy