Is wood the best material for a bike? Yes, says the My Esel manufactory. The Austrian bicycles and e-bikes have a frame made of birch, ash and walnut wood. This should have significant advantages over frames made of aluminum or carbon.
The bikes from My Esel stand out. Not with trendy colors, not because of wide tires or conspicuously shaped frames. The manufactory from Austria has rather dedicated itself to wood as a material. “Our bicycles are made from the wood of slow-growing, local birch, ash and nut trees and are so durable that they will outlast the newly planted trees,” the makers are certain. The bike turns into a wooden donkey. And the Austrians also have an e-bike on offer, the e-donkey. Even in six different versions. But can the wooden e-bike also convince in practice? We took a test drive.
WOOD AS A MATERIAL FOR E-BIKES: THAT’S WHY IT’S BETTER THAN ALUMINUM OR CARBON
Why is wood better suited for a bicycle or e-bike than aluminum or carbon ? My Esel co-founder Heinz Mayrhofer was a product developer at Fischer Ski, the world market leader in Nordic skiing and one of the largest ski manufacturers in the world, for 18 years. It was clear to him which material was best for a bicycle: wood. Because with high-quality skis, a wood core guarantees driving comfort and rigidity. And just like with skis, wood also ensures that My Esel absorbs vibrations and shocks.
Owners of wooden garden furniture could now say: Doesn’t such a wooden e-bike weather if it is permanently exposed to rain, sun and wind? No, My donkey promises. “Thanks to a specially developed 4-layer seal, our My Esel frames are 100% weatherproof and do not lose their rigidity.” In the first step, the wooden frame is impregnated on a water basis. The active ingredient used for this offers protection against blue stain and wood-destroying fungi. In the second step, end grain sealing takes place. This prevents capillary water absorption over end grain areas, i.e. the cut surfaces to the longitudinal axis, the grain direction.
The subsequent primer coating ensures UV resistance and very good wet adhesion. In the last step, the wooden donkey is sprayed with a layer of non-yellowing varnish. According to the manufacturer, this layer has weather and UV resistance, high scratch resistance, high blocking resistance and high chemical resistance.
THE DRIVING EXPERIENCE
The wooden e-bike is not only sustainable and well protected against bark beetles and woodworms. The wooden frame also makes it an eye-catcher. You will attract attention in traffic, that’s for sure. But how does such a wooden donkey actually drive? Basically like any other e-bike. You hardly notice any differences in the first few meters. But after a short time you notice that there are hardly any noticeable vibrations. The smoothness is impressive. If you drive over a manhole cover or small potholes, you hardly notice it. The wooden frame absorbs the shocks and dampens vibrations. In addition: the e-bike is stable in the curve.
THE MODELS AND PRICES
Anyone who thinks that a wooden e-bike is significantly more expensive than comparable models with an aluminum frame is mistaken. A wooden donkey with a 250 watt rear hub motor is available for around 3,500 euros. The e-donkey is also available custom-made for a surcharge. The range is up to 110 kilometers. The e-bike is available in six versions: as a city bike with low entry, as an e-tour , e-tour comfort , e-cross and e-cross comfort for rough terrain and as a mountain bike . Those who do not want the support of the motor can get a wooden bike from my Esel from around 2,000 euros .
