Woodworking artist builds DIY wooden electric bicycle

UK-based woodworking artist Evie Bee has developed a wooden electric bicycle using a do-it-yourself (DIY) framework. The bicycle, called 'ElectraPlay' has been equipped with a 36V and 12.5Ah battery that comes with a capacity of 450 Wh and is paired with a Smart Pie electric bike motor housing an internal controller.

Design of Bee's wooden bicycle takes inspiration from cafe racer and scrambler motorcycles of the past, combining it with modern-day interpretations. It has been made predominantly from layers of sustainably sourced poplar ply as well as some Birch ply used on outside layers. However, to provide the bike with more strength, the artist used stainless steel to make the its drop outs. Steel has been used in some other areas of the bike as well, to add a bit of extra strength.

Speaking of the wooden e-bike's design, Bee used the poplar play to make up the bulk of the center of the frame while the more visually appealing Birch plywood adorns the outside of the frame. She used a CNC router to cut various sheets of the plywood to achieve the design of the wooden e-bike. The use of the Smart Pie electric bike motor helped her reduce the number of external parts mounted to the bike as well as simplify the wiring.

To build the frame of the seat, the artist used brass piping while she sewed and hand-stitched her own faux leather seat cover. The tyres of the bicycle seem to be similar to the ones found on usual traditional bicycles. Bee has posted a video of herself riding the finished wooden e-bike on YouTube as well as on her website. "One of the... motivating factors for me choosing to make this bike was the desire to fulfill my dream of owning and riding my own e-bike," she wrote in a blog.

The woodworking artist has written two e-books, available for free on her website, to share the procedure of designing the wooden bike with others. She is also looking to start a crowdfunding campaign in the future to commercialize the design.