Radspannerei Laden

Steel Frames and Ethos at Kottbusser Tor

Kottbusser Straße 8 is located about a hundred meters from Kottbusser Tor, between the canal and Zentrum Kreuzberg, and Radspannerei has earned its place here: The business started in the mid-nineties as a small backyard workshop doing repairs, today it is a GmbH with two shareholders and two locations. The underlying ethos is openly displayed in the shop and on every page: For the team, running a bike shop is also a service to promote a different traffic policy. This results in a clear line regarding their product range. The bikes should be fun, last a long time, and be repairable by oneself in case of doubt; simple steel frames can be ridden for decades. A repair might sometimes be advised against if the costs exceed the value of the bike, but the sentimental value of some rusty old bikes is explicitly respected. The texts are signed with a pun that hits the right note: by the “Stahlinists” (steel enthusiasts) of Radspannerei. Anyone looking for a bike for the next twenty years is in the right place here.

Wheel Building, Own Brand, and an Express Workshop

Radspannerei is best known for hand-built wheels. Lacing a wheel costs 70 Euros if the hub, rim, and spokes are purchased in-house; for external parts, an additional twenty Euros minimum applies. For custom fabrications, such as lacing hub motors, a labor rate of 45 Euros per hour is charged, with a delivery time of two to three weeks. Additionally, their own brand Paripa offers city and touring bikes, with frames manufactured in the Czech Republic and assembled in Kreuzberg according to customer wishes. They also carry Surly, Kona, Salsa, Intec, and Pelago, cargo bikes from Radkutsche, Bakfiets, and Bicicapace, as well as trailers with a payload of up to 136 kilograms as an affordable alternative to cargo bikes. Their own frame workshop develops and manufactures individual frames and trailers. Two things are practical: a tube vending machine outside the door for breakdowns after closing hours, and an express workshop in Admiralstraße, which handles air, lights, brakes, and gears without an appointment. Regular orders at the main location are usually completed within a day, but in summer, it’s still worth calling ahead.