Julien Ted Riganti is a designer, content creator, cyclist, and the face behind 8000watt. He has designed this special edition E-Cargoville LJ in the typical 8000watt colors: neon yellow and black. The design was realized by Studio Coat in Berlin. The result is a very personal transport solution for Julien in the streets of Berlin and an e-cargo bike that really stands out.

BUT WHO IS JULIEN TED RIGANTI AKA. 8000WATT?

Berlin. It's drizzling, gray and far too cold for a morning in early June. We are visiting Julien Ted Riganti - also known as 8000watt. As soon as we enter the typical Berlin apartment in an old building, we are invited into the kitchen and served a cappuccino - in the original 8000watt cappuccino cup, of course. Cup in hand, we head into the living room and the day seems to start right. We make ourselves comfortable - or rather, it already is - between books and cycling magazines, the two Technics vinyl record players, the corresponding record collection and a bouquet of poppies and cornflowers - and we get talking.

"Hey, just ride 8000 watts and off you go."

Julien has only been living in Berlin for a few years. He grew up in Wiesbaden and lived in Frankfurt/Offenbach for many years during his training and studies. Offenbach has shaped him professionally, musically and athletically.

He first came into contact with cycling through his father. He wasn't really into it back then and tried out many other sports: Athletics, ball sports, skateboarding and surfing. He went so far with surfing that he became a surf instructor and ran a surf school in Indonesia for a while.

His career path was quite straightforward: an apprenticeship as a media designer and then a degree in conception and visualization at the HfG Offenbach. Advertising, graphics and the Internet have always fascinated him and you can tell - Julien knows what he's doing.

Offenbach was also a kind of music school for him. Half of his friends were DJs or producers. Just like Markus Sommer, a friend of Julien's from the old days in Offenbach, who is a successful DJ and producer. His label "Pager Records" has released the track that can be heard in the video above (SoundCloud). Music has shaped him and still accompanies him today. In everyday life as well as on the bike, after all, rhythm is just as important in music as it is on the bicycle - beats per minute and revs per minute.

Through a friend, DJ Philipp Berg, Julien made friends with a group of road cyclists in the Taunus, rode to a training camp with the group and suddenly everyone was talking about "watts per kilogram". Julien didn't know what watts were all about and commented: "Hey, just ride 8000 watts and off you go." 8000watt, the name of his brand, was actually born from this joke. However, it is not a joke anymore, but a fascination with design and cycling. He himself also describes 8000watt as a "research project", a project that aims to make cycling accessible, presentable and cool for everyone who is not in this bubble and has a lot to do with competitive sport.

"In the early 2000s, I fell in love with this one neon shade."

Julien himself is completely immersed in the cycling scene. In 2017, he worked as a social media reporter for the ASO / Tour de France, and in 2019 as a social media expert for Continental. In addition to social media, products also play an important role at 8000watt. Especially Julien's fashion items are very popular. The Pomodori shirt also caught the attention of Yung Hurn, a well-known Austrian musician, who had Julien design his merchandise.

It was therefore obvious to us that Julien should also develop his own design for our E-Cargoville LJ, which offers a lot of space, and of course in 8000watt style - neon yellow and black.

But why exactly these colors? "Black and neon yellow has long been a color combination that I've liked." says Julien. At some point in the early 2000s, he fell in love with this one shade of neon. His studies at the HfG Offenbach then helped him to further develop the branding for his own brand 8000watt.

"That's the one? Awesome!"

After talking a lot about Offenbach, the Robert Jonson Club and the image of cycling in the early 2000s over 8000watt-cappuccino, we head out.

We accompany Julien to his office, which is located in a typical Berlin backyard. As a carpentry workshop has its premises downstairs, there is a freight elevator. How practical that the cargo bike fits right in there and Julien can take it into his office and park it behind his desk. His colleagues are amazed - "That's the one? Awesome!" - when they see the bright 8000watt-style bike for the first time.

After Julien has completed a few tasks, we continue with a ride through his neighborhood. We're hungry and end up at one of Julien's favorite places. The Asia Food House, where he always gets the "27".

Although it's no longer part of his neighborhood, it's the perfect place to try out what the E-Cargoville LJ has to offer, so we head towards Tempelhofer Feld. On the way there, past the Cotti and through some shortcuts, we realize that if we didn't know any better, we'd think Julien on his Longjohn is a bike messenger from Berlin.

We cruise around the old airfield for a while, Julien takes a few selfies and photos of his new ride. Before the day ends, we head towards the Fernsehturm. Julien wants to drop off a photographic film quickly. Afterwards, we treat ourselves with a coffee and a slice of phenomenal cheesecake at Bullys Backery. You can also rely on Julien for culinary delights.