Specialist in woodworking and sustainable design, the Englishwoman Evie Bee has imagined an electric mountain bike made of wood.
While it is increasingly difficult to get a high-end bike in these times of global shortage in the sector, artisans offer rare models whose designers draw on classic raw materials. This is the case of the Electraply electric mountain bike, designed by the Englishwoman Evie Bee.
The latter has embarked on a bold gamble. If wooden bikes already exist and are only produced by craftsmen, adding a battery and a motor to the frame obviously complicates the task even more. However, Evie Bee believes that the technique of realization of this wooden bike in plywood must be shared and she did not hesitate to provide all its plans accessible to this address.
Specializing in woodworking and sustainable design, Evie Bee was inspired by the Triumph TR6 Trophy Scrambler motorcycle from the movie "The Great Escape" to create the lines of her Electraply electric ATV. "The design of the bike was inspired by my love for cafe racer and scrambler motorcycles of the past and the desire to honor and continue this iconic design through a modern interpretation," she explains.
"As a carpenter with a passion for sustainable design and combining modern manufacturing methods with traditional building techniques, I thought this project would be a perfect and exciting opportunity to bring all of these passions together and push the boundaries of my skills. "
The Electraply uses mainly poplar wood, known for its strength and durability. On the outside, layers of birch wood give a finer aesthetic touch to the whole. The whole thing is held together with stainless steel parts while the saddle is a fake leather.
"One of the other factors that motivated me to make this bike was the desire to fulfill my dream of owning and riding my own electric bike. An experience I had while cruising along a beautiful coastal road on a rental bike was enough to convince me that I needed to build one for myself," adds the English designer.
On the propulsion side, Evie chose a Smart Pie motor powered by a 450 Wh battery (mounted on the top tube of the frame, like a motorcycle tank). As for knowing if this unique model could be marketed one day, Evie has launched a crowdfunding campaign in order to produce it in several copies. To be continued...