Schindelhauer HEINRICH S (45cm) | mitternachtsblau

Schindelhauer Heinrich: Urban E-Bike with 8-speed hub gear, carbon belt drive and full equipment

The Heinrich pairs a closed AL6061-T6 aluminium frame with a mid-drive motor and a belt that makes routine servicing a thing of the past. The frame is a complex in-house development featuring a triple-butted tube set, forged motor bridge, multi-cell down tube, forged dropout with a slide tensioning system and an integrated seat clamp – and because the entire cable routing runs internally through head tube, fork and frame, the appearance stays as tidy as a line drawing. The single belt line is the Gates Carbon Drive CDX toothed belt with 50T at the front, 22T at the rear and 118 teeth, delivering power reliably for years without oil, stretching or re-tensioning.

Torque comes from the Bosch Active Line Plus with 250 watts nominal power and 50 Nm of torque, fed by the removable Bosch PowerTube 500 battery with roughly 500 Wh. Control runs through the Bosch Purion display, with support levels switched conveniently via an LED remote. Because the motor needs no gearbox, the bike stays quiet and easy to ride both above the 25 km/h limit and with assistance switched off.

The gear system is a Shimano Alfine 8-speed hub gear – eight stepped ratios sitting entirely inside the rear hub housing, which means no chain and no chainring are required. That is precisely the design that suits a bike delivered with mudguards and a front rack: rain and grime stay outside, running costs stay practically at zero, and the integrated pannier rails on the rear mudguard load the hub no more than an empty bag would. Compared with a 22-speed chain drivetrain, the Alfine steps a little more coarsely on the climb, but it works reliably regardless of weather and dirt and can also be shifted while standing still.

The lighting is fully equipped and StVZO-compliant: up front a Supernova Mini 2 headlight, neatly integrated into the mudguards, using the Terraflux 3 lens that widens the beam by more than 15 percent and creates broad illumination of the road surface; at the back the Supernova E3 tail light with a standstill function. Both lamps draw their power from the e-bike battery and are operated via the control unit, so no hub dynamo and no separate batteries are involved.

For luggage the bike is ready from the factory and carries considerably more than a single bag: a frame-fixed aluminium front rack with VarioStraps takes the load straight through the frame, so handling stays unchanged even when loaded. The integrated pannier rails on the rear mudguard open up a second level. That leaves enough room for two panniers, a basket or light luggage on a day trip, a weekend excursion into the surrounding area or a two-day tour – the ideal setup for commuters who want to carry things and still park at the kerb without searching for a space.

Further equipment rounds off everyday use: Formula CURA hydraulic disc brakes with 160 mm rotors for reliable deceleration in the wet and in a hurry, 47 mm wide WTB Horizon tyres with reflective stripes on 27.5-inch rims for comfort and good ground clearance in city traffic, CNC-machined aluminium pedals from the company's own production, a hydroformed aluminium fork with tapered headset and 15 mm thru-axle, the Hebie 663 FIX18 side stand, a Brooks B17 saddle, ergonomic leather grips plus a lock holder and frame lock mounting beneath the top tube. The permitted total weight of bike, rider and luggage is 155 kg, with a weight of 23.7 kg in size M.

Where the name Heinrich comes from – and what the colour reveals

Schindelhauer assigns its model names along a deliberate pattern: the brand relies on quintessentially German first names that read as distinctly German everywhere in the world. HEINRICH is one of them – a calm, classic first name that does not sound like a performance class or a trend, but like a dependable companion that stands in the cellar for years and still does not look like a compromise. That is precisely the effect the name is meant to convey: the bike is conceived as a long-lasting city bike, not as sporting equipment.

The naming logic is gender-specific and has a clear technical counterpart. Male model names at Schindelhauer carry the diamond frame, female names the step-through frame. Heinrich therefore gets the closed top tube with a continuous line from stem to seatpost, while the female counterpart Hannah is technically identical but fitted with a swan-neck trapezoid frame. The frame variant in question can therefore be read off the name even before the bike is seen.

The second component of the product name, mitternachtsblau, describes this variant's colour scheme: a deep, dark blue that picks up the black add-on parts, the matte rims and the dark tyres in a coherent way. Further colours in this family are perlblau, titansilber, graphitschwarz and granatrot. When a suffix such as SSP or enviolo appears in the product name, it describes the drivetrain variant within the same model family.

What sets this Heinrich apart from the other versions in its family

Within the Heinrich family, Radfieber offers several equipment and drivetrain variants, all built on the same frame, the same fork and the same Gates carbon belt. The variant with article number 110606 is the most comprehensively equipped Alfine version: a Shimano Alfine eight-speed hub gear delivers the stepped range, the Bosch Active Line Plus with 50 Nm provides the drive, the Purion display provides the readout, and the frame-fixed aluminium front rack with VarioStraps serves as the luggage carrier.

Those seeking maximum range find the same basis as the HEINRICH ENVIOLO: a stepless Enviolo TR hub with electronic AUTOMATIQ eShift works automatically in your preferred cadence, driven by the Bosch Performance Line Cruise with 65 Nm. Satori Seagull handlebars, Shimano MT401 disc brakes and the Bosch Kiox display round it out there.

The Smart System generation closes the range at the top: in the HEINRICH SSP BOSCH SMART and the HEINRICH ENVIOLO BOSCH SMART, Bosch Performance CX with 85 Nm is controlled via Kiox display and LED remote, the eBike Flow app allows individual riding modes and over-the-air updates, and the system is prepared for the ConnectModule. The ENVIOLO Bosch Smart version combines the stepless gear with 50 mm wide Schwalbe G-One Speed tyres, Alumee wide mudguards and a RackTime SnapIt rear rack.

The sportiest and lightest expression is the HEINRICH SSP: it arrives as a singlespeed with 55T and 20T belt pulleys, weighs just 19.7 kg in size M and relies on Bosch Performance Line Cruise with 65 Nm or the Active Line Plus with 50 Nm. Here the tail light sits as a LightSKIN unit integrated into the seatpost and the headlight in the handlebar. This reduced configuration trimmed for agility and weight makes the SSP the most nimble member of the family – whereas the Alfine version presented here, at 23.7 kg and with eight ratios, is designed for comfort and equipment.

What the bike is built for in everyday use

The Heinrich is the most versatile city bike from the brand and aimed at commuters, those switching from the car and people returning to cycling. Its field of use ranges from the short trip to work via shopping errands to the longer tour into the surrounding countryside: the front rack concept and integrated rear rails make it a transport alternative that carries luggage without upsetting the handling. The eight-speed hub gear provides the gear range for headwind and gradients, the 500 Wh battery the range for spontaneous trips out of town, and the mudguards with the light system integrated into them make it weatherproof and fit for daily use.

Within the family, what distinguishes this variant above all is that it represents the most comfortable and most completely equipped form: where the SSP targets minimal weight and pure agility, the Heinrich supplies rack, mudguards and leather grips from the factory. Compared with the enviolo version, the Alfine offers eight clearly discernible steps and a straightforward entry with Purion display, while the enviolo hub handles every climb by itself without any input.

A female counterpart exists: Hannah is technically identical but uses a swan-neck trapezoid frame and is therefore the choice for everyone who prefers a lower step-through. On the Radfieber site the Heinrich is likewise available exclusively as a diamond frame in sizes S (45 cm), M (49 cm) and L (53 cm). Against other series from the same manufacturer, the Heinrich clearly separates itself: the more sporty, upright models Arthur and Antonia are designed for a more active riding position, the GRAN-CAP series model Emil is more urban and agile, and the Wilhelm family is aimed at entirely different vehicles as a custom and gravel bike with Pinion, Rohloff and Alfine Di2 gearing.