Our Story

At LODEN Bikes, we empower everyday life with electric utility bicycles.

Our goal is to design high-quality compact electric cargo bikes that make cities better places to live. LODEN bikes allow almost anyone to accomplish most their daily needs safely, sustainably, and efficiently – without a car.

We envision a world where you don’t have to sacrifice convenience, or the planet’s health, to get where you’re going and do what you need to do.

In 2015, founder and CEO Kiyoshi Iwai began research and development for a new compact cargo bike, teaming up with design, branding, and engineering professionals at Vapor Studio and GSD Global. In 2017, the first prototypes were tested, a crowdfunding campaign successfully raised funds for an initial order, and the first production bikes were delivered to customers by the end of the year.

In 2018, LODEN One was named as the Bicycling Magazine Editor’s Pick and in 2019 the latest version of the LODEN One won the Gold Award at Eurobike, the world’s top bicycle trade show. With all of the first production run sold out, the team is now hard at work getting the latest LODEN One ready to launch in summer 2021.

The LODEN One was inspired by time-tested bikes such as the Japanese Mamachari, the British Royal Mail Bike, and the Schwinn Cycle Truck, bringing this utility to the 21st century with a sleek, modern design.

Kiyoshi knew this style of bike wasn’t common in U.S. market and wanted to give people a new option to fit their lifestyle. The LODEN One features a small front wheel and compact step-through frame, allowing for high cargo capacity despite the bike’s standard length.

LODEN is a family owned and operated business founded by Kiyoshi Iwai, who moved from Japan to California over 20 years ago. Kiyoshi, a passionate environmentalist and surfer, watched as traffic congestion in LA grew unsustainably and climate change rapidly increased. He saw electric cargo bikes as one of the primary solutions.

Today, the team at LODEN Bikes is still proud to put a personal touch on everything we do and maintain excellent customer service. We don’t sacrifice quality for growth or profit in anything we do.

This is just the beginning, and the LODEN team looks towards a bright future full of bikes!