When lockdown hit in 2020, most people stayed home. Not Luxembourger Stéphane Pekala Colles, who hit the streets of Berlin—on a cargo bike. With friends, he delivered food to those in need via Tafel e.V., planting the seed for UpCycle, a sustainable cargo bike venture that’s turning heads.
Drawing on Berlin’s street creativity, Colles began building Alternative#1, a prototype cargobike made from scrap. Since then, he and his team have built several bikes from donated bicycle parts, broken skateboards, steel rebars and 3D printed elements.
“We created unique cargo bikes that are adapted to the individual needs and wishes of our customers. Always following our main intention “reuse as much of what is being thrown away, refuse new resources as much as possible,” says Colles.
Today UpCycle has found a creative, low-emission, cost-effective way to build cargobikes and it is ready for its next chapter. The social impact company wants to standardise its production process and build the first series of 10 identical frames in cooperation with Drust Cycles in Berlin.
“Our aim is that the construction of cargo bikes can be organised systematically, locally, fair and sustainably, also on a bigger scale in a decentralised way in collaboration with existing infrastructure in the metal industry,” Colles explains. The company plans to invest in R&D and it is seeking backers for its Kickstarter campaign aimed at raising €55,555.
The funding will cover:
- Renting a workshop for material experimentation
- Paying salaries for 1–2 team members to focus fully on the company’s long-term vision
- Investing in design, fabrication, and manufacturing skills
- Acquiring essential tools like a tube bending machine
The campaign closes on 16 October. To find out more, visit the Kickstarter page.
