How the time flies!
2 years ago this month the first SUSHI BIKES arrived in Rotterdam. Of course, Andy and Vera couldn't wait and set off straight away. When they arrived there, the two saw the first SUSHI BIKES in a small warehouse, barely bigger than a garage, and in order not to waste any time, the first bikes were sent to end customers directly on site. Andy and Vera also packed over 500 goodie bags themselves and manually corrected an error that had crept into each individual instruction manual. The two of them took a few bikes with them to Munich, as many as they could fit into the sprinter... 🚐
If you've already read this far, you'll probably want to know what that special day was like for Andy and Vera and what has changed since then. Then we have an exciting interview with the two of them for you!
You will definitely remember such a special day for a long time and sometimes you can't even put these memories into words. Give it a try anyway: Describe the day in Rotterdam in 3 words:
Andy:
Nervousness: I was a bit nervous on the journey because I didn't know if there would be any problems or if everything would be as I imagined.
Overwhelm: Do you know this feeling? You see something in front of your eyes, but you still can't quite believe it. That's how I felt a bit.
Relief: After we took a closer look at the bikes, the nervousness became less and less and was replaced with a feeling of relief. After all, the production order was a long process, the result of which I finally saw in front of me!
Vera:
Anticipation : I don't think there's much more to explain about this word.
Confrontation: You suddenly find yourself in front of it and are confronted with the product that you have worked for a long time for for the first time.
Shared Mission: That actually describes the day and the memory of it pretty well.
By now you have probably already ridden countless kilometers on your SUSHI BIKE. Can you still remember your very first trip?
Andy: When we arrived back in Munich, Vera and I obviously didn't want to miss out on our first test drive in Munich and drove through Lehel late in the evening. The driving experience was just as, if not better than I imagined!
Which SUSHI BIKES did you ride with?
Vera: I was on the brown Maki and Andy was on the black Maki when we drove around the old office.
What have been your biggest learnings since that day in Rotterdam?
Vera: What I had never imagined before is that a product like an e-bike can be so emotional and you can have so much commitment to it. What I always fondly remember is when one of the first customers sent us sushi-shaped gummy bears to our office to keep us going. In general, it's super interesting how much feedback and different opinions we get back from the entire community. Be it positive, negative or just that people exchange ideas with each other in the SUSHI BIKE Owners group on Facebook.
Andy: I can actually agree with that. Most of what we learn about SUSHI BIKES satisfaction is very close to the community. As soon as the first bikes went out, we received the first feedback from customers and have been listening ever since. We try to answer every email or every post in the SUSHI BIKE Owners group and have taken many instructive arguments into account in the development of the next generation: In September 2021, the + models were released, which contain the concentrated feedback from the SUSHI BIKES community. At this point, a big thank you to the shared dialogue and all honest opinions!
I have one last question: What's different about the + models?
Andy: At first glance the bikes actually look pretty much like the first generation. In short, you now have more range, more comfort and a multifunctional LCD display.
Thank you for looking back together!
If you want to find out more about the SUSHI BIKES, you can take a closer look at the Maki+ and California Roll+. PS: We also have a new website that looks pretty cool - so it's worth checking out!
