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WTF? This 3D printed bike has no seat tube!

Urwahn Bikes X Vagabund Studfuchs commuting bike is something a bit special

We’ve seen some unusual bike designs over the years, but this is a new one on us. There’s no seat tube!

The bike is the work of Germany company Urwahn Bikes and a special collaboration with Vagabund Moto, a company that specialises in seriously trick looking handcrafted motorcycles.

uw_stadtfuchs-SFV5F-vagabund_22.JPG

The new Urwahn Bikes X Vagabund Studfuchs project is a bike pitched as a “pithy commuter” with a handmade steel frame, Gates belt drive, disc brakes, wide tyres and a Brooks Cambium saddle.

The standout feature of this new bike is of course the frame design. Where there would normally be a seatpost there is nothing, just thin air. Instead, the top tube flows into the dropped seat stays via a very short section of seat tube, just enough to house the seat post.

uw_stadtfuchs-SFV5F-vagabund_10.JPG

Far from being a funky design to entice bike journalists to write about it, there’s some interesting tech that helps the frame to stand out, which has been recognised with a Red Dot Award.

The steel frame has been produced using 3D printing technology for the main lugs (bottom bracket, head tube, seat tube cluster and rear dropouts) which it says has allowed it to reduce the weight close to the realms of an aluminium frame. Obviously removing the seat tube saves a chunk of weight.

uw_stadtfuchs-SFV5F-vagabund_05.JPG

A distinctive head tube houses two front lets and provides internal cable routing ports. A rear light has also been integrated into the back of the seat tube.  It’s a 1x only bike naturally, since there’s no where to fit a front mech.  It’ll even take a set of mudguards and rear rack too.

uw_stadtfuchs-SFV5F-vagabund_16.JPG

It’s an unusual design for sure. We’d love to know how it rides. Does it provide lots of seated comfort? How is lateral stiffness? Obviously it’s not UCI legal but this is not a bike that will ever see a race, other than the race from the traffic lights.

And how much does it cost? €4,499, available from https://vgb-essentials.com/collections/all/products/urwahn-x-vagabund-stadtfuchs

David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes

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14 comments

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theSplund | 4 years ago
0 likes
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Pilot Pete | 4 years ago
1 like

And from what I can tell, they are more of a design agency - they primarily modify motorbikes to make them look retro and cool. Not really a pedigree for building a good bicycle, maybe I will be proved wrong, but would be interested to hear how it rides (and potentially flexes).

PP

Avatar
crazy-legs | 4 years ago
5 likes

Kestrel have been doing bikes like that for years (decades in fact)

https://www.mrbikeshop.com/products/kestrel-4000-ltd-di2-3125115459-road...

And a much older one:

//payload.cargocollective.com/1/5/176285/2541421/Scott_Robertson_Kestrel_KM40_e_1200.jpg)

Avatar
mdava | 4 years ago
5 likes

I am not an engineer, so feel free to correct me, but that looks like a design with some new and exciting stresses in places that you wouldn't want to break while you were riding.

Avatar
whobiggs replied to mdava | 4 years ago
3 likes

mdava wrote:

I am not an engineer, so feel free to correct me, but that looks like a design with some new and exciting stresses in places that you wouldn't want to break while you were riding.

 

True but it would give a comfy ride if the stresses are taken into account. It'll be like having suspension.

Avatar
quiff | 4 years ago
1 like

"Far from being a funky design to entice bike journalists to write about it, there’s some interesting tech that helps the frame to stand out, which has been recognised with a Red Dot Award."

I'm not sure how discerning the Red Dot awards are, or how many people apply for one and don't win. They did at least manage to provide a finished looking product to photograph though: https://www.red-dot.org/project/stadtfuchs-37418 

 

Avatar
imaca replied to quiff | 4 years ago
1 like

quiff wrote:

"Far from being a funky design to entice bike journalists to write about it, there’s some interesting tech that helps the frame to stand out, which has been recognised with a Red Dot Award."

I'm not sure how discerning the Red Dot awards are, or how many people apply for one and don't win. They did at least manage to provide a finished looking product to photograph though: https://www.red-dot.org/project/stadtfuchs-37418 

 

Yeah, Red Dot is an industrial design  award. Actual engineering excellence, funtionality or performance doesn't matter.

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jollygoodvelo | 4 years ago
1 like

I think that is absolutely beautiful, and I want one.  Or I would if they spent a bit more time finishing the metal bit.  I know it's 3D printed but that doesn't mean you can't shot-blast it to an even finish.

 

 

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Pilot Pete replied to jollygoodvelo | 4 years ago
0 likes

jollygoodvelo wrote:

I think that is absolutely beautiful, and I want one.  Or I would if they spent a bit more time finishing the metal bit.  I know it's 3D printed but that doesn't mean you can't shot-blast it to an even finish.

My thoughts exactly! What a truly awful finish on the bare (I assume clear lacquer?) back end.

Im saving up for a town bike as my next n+1 so that I can ditch the car completely when going into town. This looks interesting, but I’m still leaning more towards a Schindelhauer Wilhelm p-line with a Pinion gearbox and Gates belt drive. So far there is not much else in that category, and the finish is sublime (and yes, I know they are expensive, but it’s all relative).

PP

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slappop | 4 years ago
5 likes

Boss to designer: "I really like dropped seat stays, it's such a cool hipster look. Is there any way you could turn that up to 11 and, at the same time, toss away the structural perfection of the double triangle?"

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ktache | 4 years ago
2 likes

From the website, I gather the hub is an 11 speed, so I'm guessing it's an Alfine.

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IanGlasgow replied to ktache | 4 months ago
1 like

At that price I'd expect a Speedhub. It looks like an Alfine.

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Hirsute | 4 years ago
0 likes

I assume the price is a typo.

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Rapha Nadal | 4 years ago
1 like

There is a seat tube.  It's what's holding the seat post.  Just an abridged version.

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