Ornus Wooden Gravel Bicycle is a Radical Departure From Traditional Steel and Aluminum Frames

Italian bike manufactuer Ornus is changing the way bike frames are made with its new gravel bike with a frame made from ash wood. Over the years we have seen bike manufacturers experiment with more ecological alternatives to carbon and other materials typically used to construct bike frames. While its a challenge to create a sustainable and long-lasting bike frame made of wood, the niche does exist in the bike world but albeit in a small isolated community.

The Ornus wooden frame undergoes a unique manufacturing method where stratified ash wood that is oriented with its natural fibers to achieve the highest levels of torsional stiffness and lightness. The ashwood undergoes CNC machining until its transformed into very light shells. The shells are then joined and reinforced with patented membrane grafts. The end product is a frame that is strong enough to withstand all the forces that are exerted upon a bicycle frame in motion.

Wood already has a natural characteristic of absorbing vibrations, therefore the choice of wood as a bicycle frame is not exactly far fetched. Ornus designed the chassis architecture to exploit the damping characteristics inherent in wood. The end result is enhanced riding pleasure even on long rides and especally on bumpy routes. Each Ornus gravel frame is a unique work of art and can be customized to the clients liking and riding style.