PROTOTYPE 01 BEING BUILT
BEAR ONE
Modular Cargo Bike
DESIGNED & ENGINEERED IN GERMANY
A cargo bike that rides like a good bicycle. A low center of gravity, a hand-welded CrMo steel frame and geometry that keeps it feeling like a bike, not a work vehicle — engineered in Germany for everyday use in Europe and the US.
- 55 mm
- Bottom bracket drop for a low center of gravity
- approx. 297 mm
- Bottom bracket height — trekking and gravel bike territory
- up to 65 mm
- Room for wide, comfortable tires
- CrMo steel
- Hand-welded, repairable, built to last
01 — The Concept
Not a van with pedals. A bicycle that carries.
Most cargo bikes force a compromise: they either carry a lot or they ride well. BEAR ONE was designed around its center of gravity from the very first sketch. The cargo platform sits below the wheel axles and the bottom bracket is as low as on a trekking bike. The result is a bike that stays calm, predictable and easy to maneuver — even with children and groceries on board.
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Cargo platform below the axles. The load sits where it interferes least with handling — not stacked on top of the frame.
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Familiar riding geometry. Bottom bracket height in trekking and gravel bike territory: plenty of ground clearance, without perching above the road.
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Room for two child seats side by side. And still planned to be narrow enough to slip past bollards and through tight spots.
02 — Engineering
Considered down to the joint.
Every tube, every junction and every weld reflects a decision we can justify — made by a team combining engineering expertise with hands-on experience in bicycle and frame building.
CrMo steel frame
Hand-welded, with deliberately generous tube dimensions. Steel is forgiving, repairable and ages gracefully — a frame for a decade, not for a season.
Low center of gravity
55 mm of bottom bracket drop and a platform below the axles. Loaded, the bike rides noticeably calmer — starting off, braking and maneuvering all stay easy.
Internal routing
Cables and lines run inside the frame and the handlebar steerer is fully integrated. Less dirt, less wear — and a clean line along the frame.
Built to grow
Space for an enclosed tray is reserved under the cargo platform: storage for a lock and tools today, room for the battery of the electric version tomorrow.
A stand that holds
A folding aluminum long-john kickstand with a 110° opening angle and spring return. Getting the bike on and off the stand works even fully loaded — no wrestling match.
The bear up front
The bear gusset is welded permanently into the front triangle. It is our signature — and carries torsional loads at the same time. Emblem and structure in one.
03 — Specifications
Specifications · Prototype 01
Preliminary figures from the current design stage. Subject to change before production.
- Frame
- CrMo steel, hand-welded
- BB drop
- 55 mm
- BB height
- approx. 297 mm
- Reach / stack
- approx. 400 / 731 mm
- Tire clearance
- up to 65 mm
- Seat tube
- 0.9 / 0.7 / 1.1 mm Columbus CrMo
- Rear triangle
- 18 / 1.5 mm CrMo round tube
- Cargo platform
- 9 mm film-faced ply [SIZE W × L]
- Kickstand
- Aluminum, 110° opening angle
- Steering
- Cable steering (Prototype 01)
- Drivetrain
- Electric version prepared [DRIVETRAIN]
- Frame weight
- approx. 11 kg CAD stage
04 — Equipment
One frame, several build levels.
The frame stays the same. What goes on it depends on use and market — from a purely human-powered build to a version with a rear hub motor.
- RIMS
- Ryde Andra 40 · 27.5″ · 25 mm internal width · 584 ETRTO · rated to 180 kg
- FRONT HUB
- Shimano Deore XT, Center Lock — optionally with hub dynamo
- SHIFTING
- Deore XT 10/11-speed with XT derailleur · Shimano CUES or XT Di2, automatic shifting possible · Enviolo Automatiq · Shimano Nexus 5-speed with freewheel
- BOTTOM BRACKET & CRANK
- BSA standard, Hollowtech II, single chainring up to 50 teeth
- BRAKES
- 180 mm rotors front and rear · Shimano XT or Magura MT2 / MT7
- FORK
- Fox 34 Float Rhythm 27.5″ · 120 mm travel · Boost
- FINISHING KIT
- Stem, handlebar, pedals and lighting are selected to a high standard and matched to each build
- MOTOR · E-VERSION
- Bafang 750 W for the US market · Bafang or Bosch 250 W for Europe
- TIRES
- Schwalbe Marathon Plus MTB (60-584) · Schwalbe Al Grounder (60-584)
Planned build options. The final specification will be fixed as the bike reaches production.
05 — Development Status
From CAD to the workshop.
We are showing BEAR ONE deliberately early. What you see here is the current stage of development — images and details from the build will follow as we go.
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COMPLETE
Concept & geometry
Riding geometry, center of gravity and the cargo concept are settled and fully worked out in CAD.
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COMPLETE
Design & analysis
Tube junctions, cargo frame, steering and stand are fully detailed and verified by calculation.
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IN PROGRESS
Fabrication & frame build
Bent tubes are on order and the frame build has started in the workshop.
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PLANNED
Prototype 01 ready to ride
The first complete build, followed by real-world testing — with loads, children and cobblestones.
BEAR ONE is under development. Pricing, availability and final specification are not yet confirmed.
06 — The Brand
Bearcycles
Bearcycles is a bicycle brand with German roots and an American home. Developed in Germany by a team combining engineering expertise with hands-on experience in bicycle and frame building. The first prototype is being built in Germany; series production is planned for the USA. BEAR ONE is our first cargo bike of our own and the beginning of a model family.
- COMPANY · USA
- Bearcycles LLC South Yarmouth, Massachusetts · USA
- ENGINEERING & REPRESENTATION · GERMANY
- Ingenieurbüro Dipl.-Ing. Matthias Böttcher Neuenkirchen · Germany
- SERIES PRODUCTION
- Planned: USA
- TRADEMARK PROTECTION
- EU + USA
Who is behind it
ENGINEERING
Matthias Böttcher
Dipl.-Ing. · German diploma in engineering, equivalent to M.S.
Frame concept, geometry and structural design
WORKSHOP & BUILD
Holger Schmitz
State-certified engineering technician and master bicycle mechanic (German trade qualifications)
Frame building, assembly and finish
BRAND & OPERATIONS
Dr. Jasmin Malak
Marketing, sales and brand building
Development, frame building and brand building are closely interlinked within the team.
07 — Contact
Stay on the bike.
Want to follow the build, be first to hear when BEAR ONE goes on sale, or talk about working together — as a dealer, fleet operator or partner? Get in touch.
Write to us
A few lines are enough. You will get a personal reply — no autoresponder, no sales funnel. If you would rather write from your own mailbox, use the address on the left.