Your bike in good hands
How four cycling enthusiasts from Mannheim ere shaping cycling culture and bringing people together
Reading time: 7 Minutes
A warm summer breeze sweeps through the backyard at Werftstraße 29. From open windows, the clatter of cooking utensils mingles with a variety of languages. The door to the workshop stands wide open, with dozens of bicycles parked next to it—brought in by customers for repairs. Inside, the air is filled with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. So much for a workshop: it could just as easily be a shared apartment living room where people are tinkering away. Gathered on a cozy vintage couch for the interview: Basement founder Nico and co-founders Arne and Hannes. These cycling enthusiasts offer bikes, repairs, and cycling culture here, combined with social engagement, projects, and initiatives.
Ralf Laubscher
The bicycle was invented by Karl Drais in Mannheim in 1817. His innovation laid the foundation for two-wheeled mobility. Does this story inspire you?
Nico Netzer
It’s certainly a cornerstone of Mannheim’s local cycling pride. The city has also highlighted this history through the Monnem Bike festival. We’ve had booths at two editions of the festival—always featuring our Basement Bike couch and coffee machine, of course. That’s also where the idea for the bike check-ups with the City of Mannheim came from.
Ralf Laubscher
You organize bike check events in partnership with companies in Mannheim. What’s the idea behind this?
Hannes Stockmar
The idea is to get people excited about cycling and to offer free, easily accessible assistance. With our mobile workshop, we inspect bicycles on-site. We check their condition and perform minor maintenance. Often, all it takes is some air, oil, and a few adjustments to make a big difference. We offer these bike inspections in partnership with Roche and MVV, as well as with the Climate Protection Agency and the City of Mannheim itself.
Ralf Laubscher
Mannheim is a city of entrepreneurs. Nico, how did Basement Bikes come to be founded in the Jungbusch harbor district?
After spending years working on motorcycles, I felt like opening a bike shop. I just thought people who rode bikes were cooler. When a space became available on Werftstraße in 2009, Basement Bikes was born. It was in a basement—hence the name.
Ralf Laubscher
Today, the four of you are equal co-owners. How has the team evolved? Did you all find each other in Jungbusch?
Nico Netzer
In Mannheim, you get to know people quickly. We met at one of the first Nachtwandel events in Jungbusch. A friend I knew from bike polo told me, “Hey, if you’re fixing bikes here, you’ve got to meet Hannes.”
Hannes Stockmar
Nico then asked me to join Basement Bikes. The shop quickly took off, and we realized we needed to expand. A few blocks away, we discovered a backyard with several rooms—and that’s how we ended up at our current location at Werftstraße 29.
Arne Große Hülsewiesche
Today, we are a close-knit team of four owners. We make all decisions as a team and run the store with love, passion, and idealism.
Ralf Laubscher
What sets Basement Bikes apart from a regular bike shop?
Nico Netzer
For us, it’s not primarily about the money. Of course, we want to make a living from our work. But at its core, it’s about our passion for bikes and the sense of community. The fact that we have this cozy couch and a good coffee machine right next to the assembly area in the shop is part of our vision: Basement Bikes is also a social gathering place in Mannheim. Here, we don’t just work on bikes—we also talk a lot and do a lot together.
Hannes Stockmar
What sets us apart is certainly our consistently honest advice. Our prices for bikes and repairs are fair, and our customers appreciate that we do exactly what we discussed beforehand. With us, there should be no unpleasant surprises when it comes time to pay.
Just running a bike shop would be a little too boring for us. We don’t just sell and repair bikes; we also see Basement Bikes as a source of inspiration and a breeding ground for projects and initiatives that go beyond bike culture.
Ralf Laubscher
You’re shaping cycling culture. What projects and initiatives have you already launched in Mannheim?
Nico Netzer
We have been partnering with the Intercultural Waldorf School in Mannheim since 2017. There, we regularly run a bicycle club to get students excited about cycling. In addition to bike repairs, the club focuses on bike rides and cycling as a sport.
Arne Große Hülsewiesche
Our partnership with AGFJ Mannheim is also important to us. This is a working group dedicated to supporting children and young people.
Ralf Laubscher
How important is the Jungbusch harbor district to your work?
Hannes Stockmar
Our location right in the heart of Jungbusch really feels special. This is where it all began. We were one of the first startups here, and we’re now one of the oldest companies in the neighborhood. From a cyclist’s perspective, the location is perfectly central. From here, all of Mannheim’s neighborhoods are easily accessible.
Ralf Laubscher
Mannheim has massively expanded its cycling infrastructure in recent years, including the RS2 bike expressway and about 300 kilometers of bike paths. How do you see the city from a cyclist’s perspective?
Mannheim still has a lot of potential in this area. For example, traffic management for cyclists can be further improved by completely separating bike lanes from car lanes.
Ralf Laubscher
What are your plans for the future? Where do you see Basement Bikes in five years?
Arne Große Hülsewiesche
We definitely want to secure our long-term future here. We want to preserve Basement Bilkes as a place where people from all over the city can come together.
Nico Netzer
It’s a gathering place for a diverse mix of cycling enthusiasts who invest both their love and their money in their dream bikes—but also for people who aren’t as financially well-off, who may be new to Mannheim, don’t speak German very well, and simply need help with a repair.
Hannes Stockmar
We see great potential for the future of cycling culture here—especially when you consider current gas prices. As a cost-effective and environmentally friendly mode of transportation, the bicycle is becoming increasingly important. Among other things, cargo bikes have seen tremendous growth in recent years. This is a great fit for Mannheim because the city benefits from relatively short distances.
Ralf Laubscher
When you’re out and about in Mannheim do you generally get around only by bike?
Nico Netzer
I can speak for all of us here: We do everything by bike—we’re consistent about that. For us, the bike is our most important means of transportation.
Ralf Laubscher
What’s your favorite bike route in Mannheim?
Nico Netzer
I’m actually more of an everyday rider. I ride a ton, but I hardly ever go on long rides. To cool off in the summer, though, I definitely love riding through the forest park down to the Rhine. It’s a classic route that’s always fun.
Nico Netzer
I tend to head in the same direction—when the weather’s nice, I love riding through the forest park to Café Oro at the beach. It’s a really quaint spot that captures Mannheim’s “dolce vita” on the Rhine. In Mannheim, the Käfertaler Forest is perfect for a quick evening ride on an off-road gravel bike.
Hannes Stockmar
As a mountain biker, I obviously need mountains. Since Mannheim is centrally located, the Königstuhl near Heidelberg and the single trails in the Palatinate are my go-to routes in the area.
Ralf Laubscher
What does Mannheim mean to you as a place to work and live?
Arne Große Hülsewiesche
I’m from Mannheim, and I really like the city. Except for a few years in Frankfurt, I’ve always lived here and feel right at home.
Hannes Stockmar
One important thing for me is that I have great connections here and that my family and friends are here. The plan is to stay in Mannheim, because Mannheim has a lot going for it. Sure, there could be a few fewer cars driving around the city. That would be even better—but you can’t have everything.
We’d like to thank Basement Bikes for the wonderful conversation and the insights into Mannheim’s cycling culture.