r2-bike

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r2-bike

Dresden

“We have the latest bike trends first”

Foto: r2-bike

Dresden-based R2-Bike

This company, founded in 2007, has had to move four times. The reason is a simple one: The online shop for high-end bike parts has grown so rapidly that it just outgrew the available space. r2 Handels GmbH is marking its 15th anniversary this summer.

An online shop for bike fans who take their hobby very seriously

R2 is purely a logistics company. Based in Dresden-Niedersedlitz, it specializes in high-quality bike accessories. The company purchases bike parts from all over the world, collects them in Dresden, and then provides them via the e-commerce site. In addition to shifters, tires, wearing parts, handlebar grips, and saddles, R2 also sells bike apparel, energy bars, and many other things cycling enthusiasts will appreciate.

R2 focuses on a very specific target audience: sporty cyclists who take their hobby very seriously and enjoy technology. “Another thing that sets us apart from other retailers is that we’re not shy about sourcing items from distant countries, either. We’re always up to the minute, and we pick up on the latest trends right away. As soon as innovations are introduced online and customers want to buy these new products, we’re almost always the first ones to have them,” says Michael Bogen, who is in charge of quality management at R2.

The company also started offering vocational training about a year back. There is one apprentice there now, with plans for another to join in next year. R2 works closely with education organization Bildungswerk Dresden, which connects young people with internships, many of them leading to permanent jobs. Bike enthusiasts who are changing careers are also welcome.

Foto: r2-bike

Foto: r2-bike

R2 does everything in-house

The logistics company is also distinguished by streamlined communications and flat hierarchies. The Dresden-Niedersedlitz location is home to the company’s fully automated warehouse, the marketing department, a workshop for wheel sets made entirely by hand, a photo studio for product photos, and the executive management. All this enables fast, uncomplicated cooperation. “In 2020, the first year of the pandemic, there was a huge boom in the industry, since everyone seemed to be discovering or rediscovering biking, and with no one going on vacation, people had money to invest in hobbies. We had a lot of stock in hand in 2020, so we were able to keep up with demand. By a year later, the situation had change. Demand was still high in 2021, so high that we had a hard time supplying a number of parts, like chains and shifters, at all,” Bogen recalls.

“The bike industry is a secure employer and offers a lot of potential for the future. I’m thinking of shifts in people’s transportation patterns and sustainability there. Bikes already played a big role in society before, and there’s no sign that the trend will abate in the future. Cycling is also good for you. You can see your area from a whole new perspective and improve you fitness and health. It’s just a win all around,” Bogen says.

Saxony as a biking state with conditions found nowhere else in Germany

“The passion embodied by r2 comes from our people first and foremost. All of us are kind of bike-crazy,” Bogen says with a smile. “Saxony is definitely enthusiastic about biking as a state, no doubt. There are so many great bike shops just in Dresden alone. It’s no wonder, if you take a look around. The natural environment is perfect for biking. The Dresden Heath and Saxon Switzerland areas are really close by, and they offer breathtaking scenery. The Czech border area is also fantastic. The bike route network is really well developed overall, and it offers ideal routes for mountain biking, gravel biking, and road biking. There are always exciting new routes just waiting to be discovered. It’s really the full package, which is rare to find in Germany.”

The online shop for bike fans.

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