Folding cargo boxes for bicycles: the foldable revolution from Dresden

From Jana Mundus

A quick bike ride to the supermarket after work: a loaf of bread, two bottles of water, some fruit and chocolate. At the checkout, the realization: no bag. So I grabbed a paper bag. But where to put it on the bike? It barely fits on the luggage rack and the rucksack is full. All that's left is the handlebars and a wobbly ride... Lukas Ludwig was annoyed by this problem. After lectures at the TU Dresden, the former electrical engineering student often went shopping for the flat share. "Most of the time, I didn't have anything to carry and the bike bags were at home," he remembers. He thought there had to be another way. That's how the idea for a special crate and his own start-up came about.

Fortunately, his roommate Daniela Weiß was studying mechanical engineering at the TU Dresden. "I was very familiar with the problem of transporting bicycles," she says. Together they thought about how they could solve it. Their idea: a new type of crate for the luggage rack. A foldable solution that can be opened quickly in an emergency, but which does not hinder riding when it is not needed. There had never been anything like it before. Her ambition was awakened.

"Lukas is always coming up with creative ideas, and I like to tinker and tinker," says Daniela. A perfect mix for the task ahead of them. Lukas knew his way around model making, Daniela designed the first prototype on the computer. They later built the model out of wood. It consisted of a floor, side walls and hinges that held everything together. "Those were the beginnings," says Lukas with a smile as he pulls out the first box and shows it to us. Everything was still very rough, unwieldy and heavy. But it took several evolutionary steps to perfect the folding mechanism. They worked intensively on their invention for two years.

In 2023, they traveled to the "Eurobike" trade fair, an international exhibition for bicycles and mobility of the future, with a new version made of milled plastic parts. The new crate was lighter and more functional - and attracted many visitors to the stand. Bike fans were enthusiastic and manufacturers congratulated the two Dresdeners on their idea. That's when they realized: The problem of suddenly facing transportation difficulties when cycling was not only familiar to them. "We didn't have to explain much, people understood our approach straight away," recalls the mechanical engineer.

Problem solved for test users

But they were not yet satisfied. "We kept giving the boxes to testers to hear their opinions," Daniela continues. The main criticism was that it took too long to assemble. The reason for this was the special tension fasteners that connected the side walls and base for better stability. "One cyclist even reported that she found it so difficult to manage that she left the crate unfolded straight away," adds Lukas. Of course, that wasn't the intention.

After months of deliberation and trial and error, they finally found the solution. The two cannot go into detail. The folding technology, which is based on a spring system, has now been patented. "It only takes a few seconds to assemble and disassemble and is now really simple," explains the developer. The shared flat idea has long since become a business idea. They used to meet in Lukas' shared room to work on their product. Now the start-up has moved into an office in the new teaching and laboratory building at HTW Dresden. There, the start-up incubator supports start-ups in their first steps. The project is financed by an Exist grant. All that was missing was a name for the company and the box.

"One morning I woke up and had the name," says Lukas. In May 2024, they founded Allpacka GmbH. Business administration graduate Jonathan Vincentz is now also part of the team. The company logo shows a small alpaca. Their current crate model is appropriately called Allpacka One. It fits on all luggage carriers and expands their surface area to 50 by 31 centimetres. This means you can also transport a drinks crate.

Start of series production planned

The 2.5 kilogram crate can carry up to 20 kilograms and holds at least 30 liters. When folded, it is barely wider than the luggage rack. The Dresden-based company is also thinking about accessories: when closed, bike bags fit on the left and right. Allpacka is still working on a solution for integrating the bags when the box is open. Two small compartments in the box offer space for a rain cover or tensioning straps. The start-up has tested the safety of its product together with the TU Dresden. They extensively tested the cargo box for bicycles on a specially developed test stand.

Last July, the founders once again took part in the "Eurobike" trade fair. Once again, they wowed the specialist audience. Even well-known manufacturers showed interest and would like to have the rights to the invention. But the three are unanimous: they want to make it on their own with their product and their company. The next big step is imminent. In September, a crowdfunding campaign will be launched on the Kickstarter platform. The founders want to raise 30,000 euros to finance the first series production.

They are currently negotiating with a German company to manufacture the box using injection molding. The current version was produced using 3D printing. This is no longer an option for the production of larger quantities. "We are hoping for enough supporters to continue with our plans," says Daniela. Anyone can secure a box from the first series from 99 euros. For a little more, there are packages with matching accessories. The Allpacka One is due to be delivered in summer 2025.

The Allpacka website and information on crowdfunding can be found here.