THE WOODEN ORNUS GRAVEL BIKE FROM ITALY

The Ornus bike is a wooden gravel bike from Italy that dares to challenge conventional cycling norms. Developed by the namesake company Ornus, the frame is made from solid ash wood, a material prized for its shock resistance and strength. The complete bike weighs around 9kg, with the frame alone accounting for just 1.9kg, and prices fall between roughly 6,800 EUR and 8,300 EUR depending on the build. The bike has also been awarded the EN ISO 4210 certificate of conformity, attesting to its structural durability, strength, and safety.

How is the Ornus wooden gravel bike made?

The creation process for an Ornus bike is remarkable. Craftsmen carefully select ash for its specific seasoning and fibre characteristics before shaping components on a CNC machine. The parts are then transformed into very light shells, joined and reinforced by patented membrane grafts. The main frame uses hollow tubes, supplemented with solid ash for the smaller ones. These organic components are glued together around aluminium connectors designed for aeronautical applications, ensuring control even on challenging terrains. As Bike Magazine reports, the brand is positioning engineered wood as a legitimate high-performance frame material rather than a novelty.

Why did Ornus choose wood for a gravel bike?

So why would Ornus opt for wood? The answer lies in the natural properties of the material. Wood's inherent ability to absorb vibrations delivers enhanced comfort to the rider, and Ornus compares the bike's performance to carbon fiber on-road and steel off-road. On sustainability, wood is renewable and requires less energy to machine than metal. According to the official Ornus website, the frames also undergo vacuum drying and a waterproof treatment to limit swelling, and the bike ships with a lifetime warranty. The Ornus gravel bike is less an amalgamation of materials than a celebration of craftsmanship.

Where to find design-led bicycles like the Ornus bike

If the Ornus bike speaks to your taste for craftsmanship on two wheels, TheArsenale curates a similar spirit in its bikes collection. For fellow wood-frame enthusiasts, the handcrafted Cyclik Roadbike and Cyclik Fixie share the same wooden-frame philosophy, while the featherlight carbon PG x Bugatti bike and the Materia Bikes Tempo Ultegra road bike round out the performance end.

Ready to ride something genuinely different? Explore the full TheArsenale bikes collection and find a frame worth owning.

Photo: ORNUS BIKE