Karma, karma, karma, chameleon – a hit in the 80s by the British pop band Culture Club. German manufacturer Riese & Müller aim to hit the same high note with their Culture Mixte Vario. Discover in our test if the minimalist Riese & Müller Culture lives up to the hype!

Riese & Müller Culture Mixte Vario | Bosch Performance Line SX/400 Wh | 28” | 26.9 kg for size 56 (with pedals and range extender) | € 5,448 | Manufacturer’s website

Unlike Culture Club, who enjoyed their greatest success in the 1980s, Riese & Müller only began to polarise the bike industry in the 1990s. With innovative ideas and practical designs, the German company established themselves amongst the premium bike manufacturers. Following on from the R&M UBN Five, the Riese & Müller Culture Mixte Vario is a further step towards minimalism. Its simple design and trendy pastel colours are aimed at attracting a younger audience. The Culture also represents a significant step towards greater sustainability for R&M, with a frame made of 50% recycled aluminium and the so-called Circular Design, which aims to develop products for the longest possible service life, before recycling them at the end of their life cycle. Our test bike comes with a hefty price tag of € 5,448 and is no lightweight at 26.9 kg. Read on to find out if the Riese & Müller Culture is still a hit in the ebike charts.

Every culture is special! – But what sets the Riese & Müller Culture Mixte apart?

With its matte-painted, rounded aluminium tubes and lowered top tube, the Culture Mixte stands out in the Riese & Müller portfolio, which is dominated by edges and lines. Only the very visible weld seams on the aluminium frame detract slightly from the Culture’s otherwise clean design. Nevertheless, the R&M Culture Mixte makes a strong statement in the urban jungle. Our Culture test bike came in the colour “Blossom”, and it’s a real eye-catcher.

Young and hip – that’s what the “Blossom” colour of the Riese & Müller Culture Mixte radiates.

The Riese & Müller Culture is powered by a Bosch Performance Line SX motor that delivers 55 Nm of torque and 600 watts of maximum power. It’s paired with a 400 Wh battery that’s permanently installed in the down tube, so you’ll need a plug socket at your parking space. The charging port is conveniently located on the left side of the down tube, near the head tube. Only the 250 Wh range extender, available in the configurator for around € 500, is removable. It sits on the top tube and is concealed in the bag supplied.

Removing the range extender from the bag is a bit fiddly…
…but it fits in well with the overall look of the Riese & Müller Culture Mixte.

The bike comes as standard with a simple Bosch LED remote, which has no display. If you prefer a display, you can opt for the Bosch Purion 200 control unit in the configurator for around an extra € 70. This unit not only allows you to control the motor from the handlebar, but also shows important riding information such as battery status, range and speed on its display.

In the Vario version we tested, the Riese & Müller Culture comes equipped with the continuously variable Enviolo trekking hub gear, offering a gear range of 380 %. This is combined with a Gates CDX belt drive, which is particularly suitable for everyday use, as it does not require cleaning or oiling, meaning your light-coloured clothing will remain clean and oil-free during your ride. MAGURA MT A2 dual piston brakes, combined with 180 mm discs front and rear, give the Culture plenty of stopping power at red lights. If you prefer a more comfortable ride on your Culture Mixte, or if you often ride on cobblestones, you can opt for the suspension kit in the configurator for an additional € 100. This kit includes a Suntour NCX-D suspension fork with 63 mm of travel and a Satori Elegance-LT OV suspension seatpost with 40 mm of travel. The 2” wide Schwalbe Big Ben tires also provide extra comfort if run at lower pressures.

A standout hardware and software feature is the RX Chip, hidden in the Culture’s frame, which communicates with the RX Connect app on your smartphone. Available in the configurator for around € 150, the chip allows you to view the location of your Culture on the Riese & Müller RX Connect app, lock it via your smartphone, secure it with an alarm, and record ride statistics such as distance, duration and CO2 savings. Riese & Müller provide this service free for one year, after which it costs around € 60 per annum.

Riese & Müller also offer different insurance options for your bike. You can choose between the Basic, Smart and Comfort plans, which vary in price and service, with the subscription price increasing according to the value of the bike. If this level of theft protection doesn’t give you enough peace of mind, or if you mainly use your bike for short trips to the bakery, you can opt for a frame lock in the configurator for around € 50. Additionally, you can download the Bosch eBike Flow app and use the eBike Lock function to deactivate the motor support via the app. While the bike can still be moved, the motor will no longer assist, making it harder for a thief to speed away.

The Herrmans H-Black MR8 front light illuminates your way home after a night out, while the Büchel rear light – integrated into the rear mudguard to maintain the clean design – ensures you’re clearly visible to other road users. Both lights are powered directly from the main battery. Thanks to the daytime running light function programmed by Riese & Müller, you’ll be easily seen, even on foggy and gloomy days. For the luggage rack, you can use the configurator to select a rack with a MIK system, which has a load capacity of 27 kg for around € 80. Rattle-free mudguards, a kickstand and an SP Connect smartphone holder in the centre of the stem complete the package.

Riese & Müller Culture Mixte Vario

€ 5,448

Specifications

Motor Bosch Performance Line SX 55 Nm
Battery Bosch CompactTube 400 Wh
Display Bosch Purion 200
Seatpost Satori Elegance-LT OV 40 mm
Brakes Magura MT A2 180/180 mm
Drivetrain Enviolo Trekking gear hub 380 %
Stem JD 80 mm
Handlebar JD-TR25AL 640 mm
Wheelset Mach1 650 28"
Tires Schwalbe Big Ben 28 x 2.0"

Technical Data

Size 50, 56, 62
Weight 26,9 kg (with pedals and equipment)
Max. payload (rider/equipment) 150 kg
Kickstand mount Yes

Specific Features

Range extender with case
RX Connect tracking chip
Online configurator

Tuning tip: Select the suspension kit in the configurator for more comfort.

Other variants of the Riese & Müller Culture

The Riese & Müller Culture is available in two different frame styles and three colours: the Culture with a diamond frame and the Culture Mixte as a step-through bike. Both versions are available with three different groupsets and in three frame sizes – 50 cm, 56 cm and 62 cm – accommodating riders ranging from 1.60 to 2.00 m tall. The Touring version of the Riese & Müller Culture starts at € 3,999 in the basic configuration and features a Shimano CUES 10-speed derailleur drivetrain. The Silent version starts at € 4,299 and comes with a belt drive and a Shimano NEXUS 8-speed hub gear.

The Riese & Müller Culture with diamond frame and Silent spec, in the Biscuit colour.
The Riese & Müller Culture Mixte in the Touring version. The Denim colour is also available for the Culture.

From museum to art studio: Does the Culture bring you closer to culture? – The Riese & Müller Culture Mixte in action

The lowered top tube of the Riese & Müller Culture Mixte makes mounting the bike easy. Once in the saddle, you sit upright in a slightly rear-heavy position, with your arms outstretched. This position is comfortable for a leisurely ride to the café, but on longer trips, like the 20 km ride to the Museum of Modern Art, your arms can get tired quickly – fortunately though, you won’t need to actively use them in the museum.

In the hustle and bustle of the city, however, you do. Here the Riese & Müller Culture Mixte is agile and responsive, despite its 26 kg weight, which became quite noticeable on our test rides through Stuttgart, especially on steep climbs. You’ll need legs as muscular as Popeye’s forearms to maintain a high enough cadence to get the Bosch SX motor to push you up the hill. This is mainly due to the Enviolo trekking hub gear, which lacks the range to climb very steep hills without breaking a sweat.

As you head downhill, all you notice is the rush of wind in your ears: no chain noise, no mudguards rattling – nice! The low noise level of the Riese & Müller Culture Mixte really tempts you to race down the hillside at full speed. Only the MAGURA MT A2 brakes with 180 mm discs put the brakes on the fun – deliberately and reliably. The Suntour NCX-D suspension fork and suspension seatpost provide a high level of comfort when cobblestones and potholes are unavoidable, and the 2” wide Schwalbe Big Ben tires are wide enough to avoid getting stuck in tram tracks or manhole covers.

Who is the Riese and Müller Culture Mixte for? Isn’t culture for everyone?

With the Culture Mixte, Riese & Müller target city bikers looking for an agile bike with first class theft protection, as expected from the brand. The Riese & Müller Culture Mixte is definitely suitable for commuting, and its high level of comfort makes it easy to ride on gravel roads and forest paths. The Culture is also suitable for day trips, although the stretched arm position can make longer rides uncomfortable, so regular breaks are necessary to allow your arms to recover. We would not, however, recommend the Riese & Müller Culture to anyone who does not have a power outlet where they park their bike. At 26 kg, it is simply too heavy to carry up to the first floor, let alone any higher.

Conclusion on the Riese & Müller Culture Mixte


The developers of the Riese & Müller Culture Mixte have definitely scored a hit in the ebike charts. The Culture is a successful city bike that offers a high level of comfort and extensive anti-theft protection, providing a sense of security in the urban jungle. However, with its integrated Enviolo hub gear and Bosch SX drive, the Culture is not exactly a mountain goat. Fortunately, this issue can be solved thanks to the comprehensive configurator.

Tops

  • high theft protection
  • clean design
  • customisable through configurator

Flops

  • conspicuous weld seams on the frame
  • heavy weight

For more information, visit r-m.de.

Words: Robin Ulbrich Photos: Mike Hunger