At last year’s Eurobike, Raymon Bicycles exhibited as an independent brand for the first time under the leadership of industry veterans Susanne and Felix Raymundo Puello. They have ambitious plans, and the Bavarian bicycle manufacturer presented a range of innovations at this year’s Eurobike.
Having been part of the bicycle industry for 40 years, Susanne and Felix Raymundo Puello have had a profound impact on the sector. Both shaped the path of Winora Group with its brands Winora, Staiger and E. Wiener Bike Parts. Under the roof of Accell Group, they went all-in on eMTBs with Haibike, paving the way for more growth in that category. In 2017, the Puellos left Winora Group to take over Pexco, which was part of Pierer Mobility. Then, in October 2023, they agreed to buy out Raymon Bicycles and its existing inventory from Pierer, just before Pierer got into deep financial trouble resulting in its closing. Faced with the opportunity to manage a single brand for the first time in their careers, the Puellos set out to reunite their team of experts.
They recruited a number of well-reputed names within the German bicycle industry and started to rebuild Raymon Bicycles, based on the credo “from bike people – with bike people – for all bike riders.” At Eurobike 2024, the brand unveiled its new corporate design and a new, comprehensive collection consisting of bikes and e-bikes for all target groups, from kids bikes to utility e-bikes to performance models. The e-bike collection relied on the e-drive systems of Yamaha and Bosch eBike Systems. But the highlight for the relaunch was the Tarok eMTB, one of the first to feature ZF’s compact yet powerful CentriX 90 mid-motor. The decision to build this platform around the novel e-drive system was only made in November 2023.
“Developing a new, complex model from scratch in such a short time could only be done by a small organization that allows for more speed and flexibility. Of course, relying on long-term partners such as Astro Tech and Maxcom was a great asset as well,” Felix Raymundo Puello says of the first months of Raymon Bicycles. “This year history repeats: We will be the first launch partner of the brand-new Yamaha PW-Link X4 as its most advanced eMTB drive unit to date. Back in 2014 we presented the first ever Yamaha system for e-bikes on our market. We are looking forward to expanding this long-lasting cooperation.”
Despite the change in ownership, the company remains in the same building in one of Schweinfurt’s many industrial areas, where it has been operating since 2017. Apart from offices on the upper floors and a warehouse, this building also houses a service workshop and a spacious showroom. “Raymon Bicycles covers all aspects of cycling, is positioned in the medium to upper price segment and offers an entry-level, a mid-range and a top-end build of every model,” Raymon Bicycles’ vice president of sales and marketing Steffen Alberth explains. “This lean line-up makes the lives easier for our purchasing and production planning departments, and it is popular with independent bicycle dealers as well.”
Long-term relationships with and a firm commitment to suppliers and independent bicycle dealers are a core element of Raymon Bicycles’ strategy, as are quick reactions to market trends, unbureaucratic support, transparent communication and reliability. While Raymon Bicycles puts a strong emphasis on its partnership with brick-and-mortar bike shops, the brand is also investing in various digital channels. “We are well aware of the changing habits of modern consumers and the fact that the customer journey starts online nowadays,” Susanne Puello says. “As much as we strive to draw interest to the Raymon brand and provide information through various digital channels, we are always directing people to our authorized brick-and-mortar dealers.”
Since its re-launch, the Raymon brand has expanded its distribution network beyond the domestic German market into Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Poland, Czechia, Nordics and Scandinavia, with more to come.