Commuting with iruka in Frankfurt
Once again this year, iruka exhibited again at Eurobike, Europe’s largest bicycle trade fair. When we first joined in 2019, the venue was Friedrichshafen, a lakeside town near the Swiss border, but since 2022 the show has been held in Frankfurt.
Whether for work or private trips, I usually prefer to rent an Airbnb apartment rather than stay at a hotel when spending more than a few days in one city. Being able to cook and do laundry is a huge advantage, though I know there’s always some risk of hitting or missing. To be honest, the apartment I rented near Frankfurt Central Station last year was rather disappointing.
This time, however, I found a truly wonderful apartment in the Nordend district—spotlessly clean, comfortable, and no exaggeration, an excellent place to stay.
The apartment was just steps from Merianplatz subway station, but I never used the it. After all, I had my iruka with me. From June 24 to 28, for five days, I “commuted” about 5 km each way from the apartment to Messe Frankfurt by bike. Here’s a look at the ride.
I brought from Japan the final prototype of the iruka X, our first external-gear model in development. Once I arrived at the venue, it went straight on display.
Leaving the apartment on Sandweg and heading south.
Since Sandweg eventually turns into a one-way street in the opposite direction, I cut through Spielplatz Park and continued south. Although not in the photo, I saw many cyclists who looked like they were commuting to work or school. The summer greenery was lush and beautiful.
Reaching the Main River, I turned right and followed Mainkai Street westward. Cycling in central Frankfurt is easy thanks to the bike lanes spread throughout the city.
Passing Frankfurt Cathedral.
When Holbeinsteg Bridge came into view on the left, I turned right to make a quick stop at Frankfurt Central Station.
The purpose was to pick up a sandwich for lunch from one of the kiosks inside. The cafeteria at the exhibition venue is always crowded and frankly not very good. At the Central Station, thanks to competition between kiosks, the sandwiches seemed quite nicer wherever I bought them.
From the station, I rode about a kilometer north along the tram line, and soon Messe Frankfurt appeared on my left.
iruka’s booth was on the first floor of Hall 12.
Last year, Ken, president of Taiwan’s handmade bicycle brand AOI CYCLE, invited me to share a booth. This year, ZENO, another Taiwanese high-end parts brand, joined us. The three companies together doubled the booth space from last year.
From left in the photo: Ken (AOI CYCLE), Wu (ZENO), myself, and Wu’s younger brother Fly. Eurobike has always been costly to exhibit at, and with the recent weak yen plus the need to coordinate with German contractors, it would be impossible for iruka to join on its own. Back in 2019, we participated through a program where the Japan Bicycle Promotion Institute rented space and shared it with Japanese makers, but that initiative ended last year. This time, our presence was only possible because Ken and Wu invited me to join them and because AOI CYCLE has a base in Germany. I cannot thank them enough.
I found George Lin, founder of Taiwan’s Pacific Cycles, walking through the venue. He created the Birdy and CarryMe, and he is truly a legend in the folding bicycle industry. I showed him iruka and we took a picture together. In fact, the year I founded the company, I visited Pacific Cycles to discuss a production partnership. At that time, iruka’s design was still not mature enough, and we could not reach an agreement. That was the beginning of my long journey to find the right partner.
Back at the apartment, this was the view from the window—around 10 p.m. It’s amazing how long the days last in Europe in summer.
As for the details of the exhibition, I’ll share that report another time.
Masaki Mark Kobayashi
Founder and President, iruka Inc.