A wooden mountain bike? That’s right, your eyes haven’t deceived you! While you spend time chopping wood for a good ol’ South African braai, French master carpenter, Edouard Delbove is spending time creating a masterpiece of his own – and eco is the name of the game here.
The Drop is a hardcore hardtail mountain bike that boasts a frame made of ash from eco-managed forests in the Rhône-Alpes region. But don’t be fooled by this wooden exterior, because this creation can tackle the most difficult of paths and is designed to take on technical and steep trails.
This nifty frame fits both 27.5 and 29 inch wheels, thanks to the drop-out slidings designed for this bike, which also makes it possible to adapt to the specific rider’s size.
It also enhances the efficiency, comfort and performance of larger wheels. But the process to achieve this frame is fascinating in itself. A bio epoxy glue that’s manufactured in Portugal holds it all together, which allows to seal the assemblies and increase the resistance of the frame against the shocks – how cool is this!
On the other hand, the seat post, head tube, bottom bracket and drop outs are made in England and each piece of wood is chosen with care to ensure strength and stability.
The bike itself is unique upon leaving the workshop and is branded by using a stamp number, whereas the coat of arms and the frame label are made in serigraphy.
From the selection and cutting of wood to the choice of geometry and application of varnish – everything is done by hand in the Atelier Suji workshop. Here’s a peek into the brains behind this creation:
Edouard Delbove is a French master carpenter and designer who only uses wood from local, sustainably managed productions and the cleanest glues possible. He also uses eco-labelled varnish that offers optimal protection as well as a water-based screen printing ink without petroleum or derivatives.
Have a look at the specs over here:
- Steering angle of 65°.
- Seat post angle of 74°
- The 148x12mm Boost rear chainstay
- Max rear tire size 2.6 in 27.5” and 2.4 in 29″
- The frame weight is 4.8 kg in size L
- Tapered pivot and full integrated headset
- Possibility of mounting a fork with 150 or 160 mm of travel
- A bottle of 75 cl can be installed
- A cork frame protector prevents the chain from slamming and protects the chainstay
- All the ducts are internal passages
- The frame is covered with a varnish to protect it from shocks and UV rays
- The Drop 27.5 “/ 29″ is available in a bare frame
For more on his creations, please visit: https://ateliersuji.fr/collections/cycles.
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Picture/s: Atelier Suji
