I don’t think I am that old, well passed my adolescence it’s true, but I seem to be injuring myself more often as I get older. Yoga, my wife says, that’s the secret. Some of my friends say I should warm up more but I have never been a fan of stretching, swinging my arms around like windmills. It is possible to take that too far, the other day I saw someone warming up their fingers.
Maybe I could start thinking about stretching, warming up and being generally more bendy, but it’s kind of like accepting that I am getting older and you know what, I just don’t think I am ready to do that. Then a friend sent me a link to this thing that looks like it might solve my problem. The Reacha.
Floko and the kids testing the new design.
No, I am not taking about the getting older problem, the Reacha does not provide an eternal fountain of youth. What the Reacha does do is get your oversized surf equipment to the beach without any lifting.
I have a log (long, heavy surfboard) which I love riding, it is the best thing I have ever ridden in tiny waves. So much fun, but it is big and very heavy (Volan Cloth, 9’4m x 24.5 x 3.75 ) I have put my back out maybe 5 or 6 times just carrying it down to the beach, which is both inconvenient and kind of embarrassing. The solution is here, check it out.
We were so impressed with the thought and design that went into this from a load of different angles that we wanted to find out more from the guys behind the Reacha project.
SB: Hey Floko, thanks a lot for your time. What inspired the design for the Reacha? What gave you the idea?
Floko: We’ve spent our surf holidays at Hourtin Plage, France by the Atlantic Coast for many many years. We love surfing and stand up paddling and just like you we just got tired of tucking our boards under our arms and carrying them, especially the big, heavy ones. So we put together some old tarpaulin, bike wheels and a windsurf boom. We used this prototype, self-made Reacha for a little while before we thought we had to take the idea further and make sports utility transportation fun and easy for everyone.
You can modify your Reacha for almost anything. Throw on some skinny urban wheels and get speeding around.
SB: All the parts for the trailer are locally sourced. How difficult was that to achieve and how important to you was that part of it?
Floko: Our frame is produced 100% in Bavaria. Everyone in our team sets great emphasis on sustainable usage of resources. That’s why as well as the Reacha models cargo, street and beach we also offer a DIY version of Reacha: You just order the frame and customize it with your old bike wheels and some tarpaulin for the trunk. This makes your Reacha unique and affordable, and you don’t waste any material.
SB: If I wanted to use it to take my longboard to the beach how difficult is it to set up the Reacha from the back of the car?
Floko: You can set up the Reacha within less than three minutes. Every Reacha comes with a handy bag so you can easily put it in your trunk or even take it with you as carry-on luggage.
Founder, designer and big boss. Floko.
SB: I know you are at the Indiegogo stage at the moment, but do you have a rough idea of how much one will cost?
Floko: The cheapest Reacha is our DIY Reacha which will cost about 198€ within our INDIEGOGO early bird offer. Early birds can get the cargo Reacha with 22“ wheels installed for 299€**.**
Boats!
We normally draw the line at boats but this does show the versatility of the Reacha.
SB: How stable is the Reacha when attached to a bike and will it attach to any bike?
Floko: With the Reacha bike connector you can go on any high speed adventure. It attaches to any bike - even carbon bikes. The 26“ and 28“ wheel fat bike Reacha option guarantee a super stable tow.
SB: What is the maximum weight or size rating for the Reacha?
Floko: The Reacha can carry a 14 foot stand up paddle board an up to 6 surf boards, the maximum weight rating is 45 kg when attached to a bike and 60 kg when used as a hand trailer.
I know, I know, its a kite. Sorry.
SB: Thanks a lot to Floko for his time, this seems like an elegant solution to a problem that is the same in so many places the world over. How to get your gear to the beach. What the Reacha also does is lessen the excuses that each and every one of uses to drive to the beach. Now we can cycle no matter what we ride.
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Whats more I have found a very viable alternative to my ageing and continuously more impotent vertebrae. No bendy, warming up admission of age, just stubborn spending of cash (and well worth it). We know money can't buy you youth, but it can help.
Keep up to date with when the Indiegogo campaign is going to launch by checking on the Reacha website here.
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Ilustrating the problem. A homemade Reacha right here.
Hourtin Plage, France. (which is in Europe)
No excuses. Cycling to the beach with your longboard just got a lot easier.
Floko and the kids testing the new design.
One of the first testing prototypes.
The Reacha is so ergonomically designed that even the kids can lug around heavy equipment.
Boats!
We normally draw the line at boats but this does show the versatility of the Reacha.
I know, I know, its a kite. Sorry.
Even a 14ft Sup will fit on the Reacha no problems.
You can modify your Reacha for almost anything. Throw on some skinny urban wheels and get speeding around.
Founder, designer and big boss. Floko.