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Debuted at the Italian Bike Festival 2023, Ornus shakes up modern bike design and green mobility with a frame carved from wood and high-end features.
Amidst the creative buzz of the Italian Bike Festival 2023 in Misano, where inventive spirits gather, the wooden bicycle Ornus captures the spotlight. Created by start-up MLK Innovazione, this intriguing gravel bike brings more to the table than just its ability to traverse challenging terrains—it fundamentally shifts how we understand materials, performance, and sustainability in cycling.
As you approach the bicycle, the richness of the handmade timber frame compels your attention. Every fiber, every grain holds a tale of Italian design, craftsmanship and precision. It’s more than aesthetic allure; the wood serves as a pivotal component in an intricate ballet of engineering and design. Years of laborious research and technological refinement have transmuted the frame into an instrument of both durability and agility.
Your intrigue intensifies when you dive into the bike’s technical details. Borrowing construction paradigms from aerospace engineering, and employing specialized aluminum alloys, the structural integrity of Ornus stands in a league of its own. This wooden bicycle is a comprehensive vision made reality, seamlessly integrating the science of materials and the art of cycling to perform reliably on unpredictable terrains as well as smooth roads.
A perfected geometry and structural nuances that maximize the potential of natural wood.
Climbing onto the saddle for a test ride, the bike responds instantaneously. The geometry of the frame, the quality of the wood, and the structural nuances collaborate to offer exceptional rigidity without compromising on weight. Riding this bike reveals a newfound pleasure in the cycling experience, as the natural vibrational damping qualities of the wood make even rugged pathways feel almost like liquid beneath your wheels.
But the uniqueness of Ornus goes beyond its technical specs; each handcrafted wooden bicycle offers an intimate, customized experience. The individual characteristics of each wooden piece lend themselves to tailor-made alterations, capturing the essence of every rider. The company takes this philosophy a step further by employing sustainable practices, opting for renewable resources and participating in reforestation initiatives.
As you ride, with the sound of gravel under the wheels and the wind weaving a quiet tune around you, the realization sinks in. This wooden bicycle offers an enriched cycling experience that is as much about the journey as it is about the destination.
