Flashback
Messengers, velotaffeurs, bicycle worker, early activists for soft mobility solutions, cycling parents... All of them make up the "Douze Owners", the users of cargo bikes whose origins can be found beyond our borders.
Hamamatsu
↘ Copenhague
Hamamatsu
↘ Copenhague
In 2011, Thomas Coulbeaut, an industrial designer, had already been designing musical instruments for Yamaha in Japan for 10 years. When he arrived that same year in Copenhagen, Europe's cycling capital, his creative eye fell on a cargo bike for the first time. In a city where every journey is made by bike, the frontload cargo bike is the perfect urban utility vehicle, capable of loading and transporting everything, without the need for a car. So Thomas came up with a simple idea: to create a handy, versatile, comfortable cargo bike with no compromises on style. A different, modular cargo bike that could be adapted to suit everyone. The result was the V1 model, which was an instant hit with the public. This cargo bike, with a frame that could be split in two parts, could accommodate different lengths at the front, giving a multitude of possible configurations. Thomas realised that his project would appeal to the widest possible audience. Orders poured in from Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and England.
Liège ↙
Ladoix-Serrigny
Liège ↙
Ladoix-Serrigny
Encouraged by the European enthusiasm for his product, Thomas moved to Liège in Belgium. For 2 years, he welded, assembled and marketed several ten V1s on his own. At the same time, he was already designing a new model. In 2014, Douze Cycles took on a new dimension. The company consolidated, moving to the heart of Burgundy, in Ladoix-Serrigny, and new employees joined the project. It was in this setting that the V2 was born, an enhanced version of the previous model. Two major new innovations, in addition to the separation of the frame, make the V2 model the emblem of the brand: cable steering and the "Open Frame".
A new
dimension
A new
dimension
Adapting a unique design to industrial production is no mean feat. To mass-produce this new cargo bike and guarantee a high level of reliability, Douze Cycles is developing solid partnerships with the best Taiwanese suppliers. After sourcing quality components, Thomas organised the assembly and distribution of the V2 in Europe and around the world. Even today, the V2 model, so distinctive and unique, remains in the range.
The rise of
velogistics
The rise of
velogistics
In 2016, a new dynamic began in Europe. The advent of e-commerce was turning urban logistics upside down. City centres, already under strain, were starting to become congested. Local authorities are trying to rethink the management of traffic flows, and more and more people are turning to utility bicycles. Cycle companies are expanding and acquiring fleets of cargo bikes. Thomas developed a new project, the G4. Less configurable than the V2 so that it could be mass-produced, the G4 was versatile, capable of transporting 100 kg with disconcerting ease, for professionals as well as families. The G4 was another commercial success, selling thousands of units in Europe. To continue its development, Douze Cycles is inaugurating a new production plant in Longvic, on the outskirts of Dijon, in 2020.
A new one
in the family
A new one
in the family
Design is central. By 2018, Thomas was already designing the lines of the LT, Douze Cycles' vision of the longtail. The health crisis delayed the release of this new model, but in 2021, the first LTs will arrive on the roads of Île-de-France. Through its new partnership with Île-de-France Mobilités and the Véligo programme, 200 LTs will be offered on long-term hire to people in the Paris region who want to rethink their mobility. The G4 frontload cargo bike, in a special configuration, has also been added to the Véligo catalogue. In 2022, the four versions of the LT will finally arrive in the Douze Cycles products. This new model marked a turning point: production of the frame was relocated to Europe (Portugal, Espagne and France).
Eco-design & Made In France
Eco-design & Made In France
In 2022, to mark its tenth anniversary, Douze Cycles revealed the new H Project. The company is shaking things up. From 2019, the design office will be working on an avant-garde programme: a new range of eco-designed cargo bikes, with frames made from recycled aluminium and built in France. It's an unprecedented project, involving a complete rethink, from design to production and from assembly to distribution.
A paradigm
shift
A paradigm
shift
In 2023, the first born of the H Project will see the light of day, the Hêta model. With this, the company affirmed its desire to produce better, to limit its environmental impact by relying on the expertise of local partner companies. It's a real "velorution", which also involves distribution. The same year saw the start of a partnership with Toyota France, which launched a version of the Hêta model in all its dealerships in France in September. This partnership between the world's leading automotive group and Douze Cycles marks a unique and coherent approach, reinforcing the position of the cargo bike as a major player in sustainable mobility.
