Riese & Müller Reveals Carrie, Its Most Compact Longjohn to Date

Now the half-dozen is full. What began several years ago with the very first Load now covers six E-cargo bikes in the Riese & Müller range. The latest representative goes by the name of Carrie and is a compact longjohn. Its appearance might look familiar to you.

Riese & Müller itself considers the Carrie to be its entry “into the world of cargo bikes”. Well, and we thought the more affordable Mulitcharger2 or the equally affordable and smaller Multitinker would already fulfil this role. Nevermind, self-image and public image can sometimes differ. Nonetheless, the Carrie impresses with its short length, flexible and extremely versatile design and a whole host of practical accessories.

Riese & Müller Carrie

Two boxes make one cargo box

However, what makes the newcomer really stand out is a special extra. We are talking about the Flex Box. This conceals a kind of hinged door as a roof for the cargo area. As is usual with the longjohn, most of the cargo is stored in the lowered area between the handlebars and the front wheel. This is designed either as a flatbed featuring a low railing around it or as a small container. Riese & Müller takes the latter approach. In the basic version of the Carrie, a container called Basic Box holds the cargo.

The Basic Box is open at the top. This means you can simply put things in and take them out. However, what you carry in it quickly gets wet when it rains or might fall out when riding over bumpy roads. The manufacturer has therefore devised an optional superstructure for the design. This can be bolted to the frame of the cargo bike using hinges. When folded, the Flex Box forms a roof over the Basic Box. When unfolded, it increases and widens the cargo space.

The Carrie is around 20 centimetres wider when the Flex Box is open.

Copied or reinterpreted?

At this point at the latest, a few of you may be wondering. A compact longjohn with a cargo area that can be folded and unfolded. Don’t I know that from somewhere? Yes, you do. Muli Cycles has been on the road with a strikingly similar concept since 2016. By no means identical. Yet so similar that Riese & Müller will certainly have anticipated some of the reactions to its innovation. Simply uninspired copying is the well-formulated version of the opinion that some users have left under videos and pictures of the new Carrie. The manufacturer will have thought carefully beforehand about what would speak in favour of taking an idea like that of the Muli further. Enduring criticism certainly came up when making this decision.

We don’t know what Muli Cycles itself thinks of the Carrie. Perhaps the company takes it as a compliment, as a certain accolade for its own bike. After all, if someone with the reputation of Riese & Müller takes inspiration from you, you must have come up with a convincing solution.

More storage space thanks to additional Flex Box

As a neutral observer, we can see a lot of good things about both realisations. The Basic Box, which is reminiscent of a small tub, serves as a practical storage space for smaller and larger items that you can transport on an ebike. With internal dimensions of 30 centimetres in width and 45 centimetres in length, it is large enough to hold a small Eurobox. For example, you could put your shopping in a correspondingly large folding box, place it in the Carrie and conveniently unload it when you get home. Riese & Müller offers a cargo bag with carrying straps that can even hold 90 litres and can be used together with the Basic Box in the same way. Even fixing it to the box is possible.

If you want to transport more than this one small Eurobox, you could opt for the Flex Box. When open, it measures around 65 centimetres in width. The length remains at around 45 centimetres. If you open the Flex Box, the aforementioned small Eurobox fits downwards and a large Eurobox with a base area of 60 centimetres by 40 centimetres fits on top. Opening the roof also increases the space that the Carrie takes up on the road. It then protrudes not quite two centimetres beyond the handlebars on the left and right. You should bear this in mind when riding. However, as the cargo area is positioned in front of you on the bike, you always have everything in view.

Due to the expanded polypropylene from which the Flex Box is made, the items inside the box are well protected. There will be no scratches and nothing will hit hard against metal. The box can also be locked. If it has served its purpose and needs to be replaced at some point, it can be completely recycled.

Numerous solutions for transporting children

If you want to carry children in the front cargo area, you will need to purchase the Flex Box. Riese & Müller offers a seat that can be fitted with Velcro fasteners. This is wide enough for one larger or two smaller children. Thanks to the associated belts, the children sit relatively securely in the box. If you wish, you can increase the comfort for the occupants with a headrest. It is designed as a back panel and thus provides additional protection for the child’s back. However, please note that you can no longer fold the Flex Box with the headrest installed.

The child seat with headrests requires the Flex Box as an additional accessory.

Especially for people who want to ride their children in the Carrie all year round in pretty much any weather, a large canopy, which is also included in the accessories, may be of interest as well. Large windows provide a clear view to the front, left and right. This allows children to watch what is going on around them at all times. The sides and the upper part of the canopy stretch around the box. As a result, wind and rain will hardly reach the occupants. If you have not yet fastened the sides to the outside of the box and thus tightened them, the canopy can be swivelled forwards to make it easier for the children to get in and out.

The large canopy shields the occupants from the sun, wind and rain.

If you want extras, you have to pay extra

As great as these options are, we always talk about extras. A sum is therefore added to the respective starting price of the Carrie. This varies depending on the equipment. We have listed the prices for some of the items mentioned. Then you can do your own maths.

• Flex Box: 399.90 euros
• Cargo pannier: 299.90 euros
• Child seats: 199.90 euros
• Child seats with headrest: 249.90 euros
• Canopy: 199,90 Euro

Important to know: The Base Box and Flex Box can each be loaded with 80 kilograms. The optional rear rack can carry 27 kilograms. Thanks to its interface with the MIK system, it can be used as a place for a child seat. This means that you don’t necessarily have to use the boxes if you want to take children with you. Overall, the maximum permitted total weight is 200 kilograms.

You can load the MIK HD-compatible rear rack with a maximum of 27 kilograms.

Fair comes first

To achieve this level of robustness, you need the right frame. In the case of the Carrie, this is made of aluminium. Not just any aluminium, but 81 percent recycled aluminium. Riese & Müller use recycled material that meets the requirements of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) standard. Mine operators, processors and manufacturers of aluminium have joined forces under ASI to advocate greater transparency and sustainability in the aluminium industry and responsible aluminium extraction.

According to Riese & Müller, a test certificate proves that the recycled aluminium meets the same quality standards as new aluminium. However, just five percent of the energy required to extract primary aluminium is sufficient for its production.

With its fairly produced frame, the Carrie has an overall length of 209 centimetres. This is quite a short length for a longjohn. By comparison, the next shortest longjohn from Riese & Müller, the Transporter 65, measures 245 centimetres. With the Multitinker, a longtail where the main load is transported on a particularly large rear carrier, it is only 188 centimetres.

Moderate suspension

One reason for the short length is the 20-inch wheels on the Carrie. They provide you with sufficient agility for manoeuvring in city traffic. Normally you pay for this with more sensitive handling when you go down a step or hit roots or a pothole. The manufacturer compensates for this with a suspension fork with a travel of 50 millimetres. You can also have the standard seat post replaced with a suspension seat post. This will cost around 150 euros.

For an extra charge of 149.90 euros, you can get a suspension seatpost from by.Schulz.

Even ebike system with optional extras

Which e-drive Riese & Müller installs is traditionally self-explanatory. One from Bosch, of course. The only question is therefore which one exactly. For the Carrie, the manufacturer has opted for Smart System with a Bosch Performance Line. The motor supports you with a continuous rated output of 250 watts up to the usual speed of 25 km/h. Its torque of 75 Newton metres is slightly less than that of a Bosch Performance Line CX. In comparison, it is the quieter of the two. From our point of view, the Carrie would also have looked good with the current Bosch Cargo Line. Especially in view of the high payload for which the e-cargo bike is approved.

Bosch Performance Line motor for the Smart System

The Bosch PowerPack located on the head tube has a capacity of 545 watt hours. It is possible to upgrade to the PowerPack 725. Riese & Müller charges 199.90 euros for this. Unfortunately, it is not clear from the information available to us whether you could also switch directly to the new PowerPack 800.

There is only one socket fitted to the frame for a battery.

When it comes to the operating concept, you have the choice between the Purion 200 without an additional display or the combination of LED Remote and the wireless Intuvia 100 display.

Derailleur or hub gears?

From May 2024, the Carrie will be available in two equipment options. The only difference between the two is the gearing system. The cheaper model is called Carrie Touring and comes with a derailleur system from Microshift with ten gears at a price of 5,799 euros. For 600 euros more, you can get the Carrie Vario with a stepless hub gear system from Enviolo, which is driven by a belt.

Riese & Müller Carrie at a glance

• Variants: Carrie Vario, Carrie Touring
• Frame: Aluminium (ASI-certified)
• Suspension fork: SR Suntour Mobie A32 CGO, 50 mm
• Battery: Bosch PowerPack 545
• Motor: Bosch Performance Line
• Display: Bosch Purion 200, Bosch Intuvia 100 (optional)
• Control unit: LED Remote (optional)
• Drivetrain: Enviolo 380 Heavy Duty, Microshift Advent X
• Brakes: Magura MT4
• Weight: from 34.4 kg
• Maximum permitted total weight: 200 kg
• Colours: Aqua, Anise, Shadow
• Prices: from 5,799 euros (Carrie Touring) / from 6,399 euros (Carrie Vario)

Pictures: Riese & Müller GmbH