There is hardly a more eye-catching way to straddle the worlds: The Urwahn Waldwiesel.E masters the balancing act between e-road bike and e-crosser with a good dose of extravagance. Its seat tube-less loop frame is made of steel, but quotes the round, flowing design language of carbon frames. The organic shape is made possible by steel sleeves from the 3D printer. These freely customisable nodes were welded together with steel tubes to form the complete frame, then sanded and coated. This process allows organic shapes and smooth transitions to be realised even on a steel frame.
The Urwahn Waldwiesel.E: Aesthetic and comfortable
The unusual frame shape aims to improve riding comfort. Without the support of the seat tube on the bottom bracket, the frame can theoretically deform vertically and thus cushion the rider's weight on the saddle. Whether and how this design trick affects riding comfort is not something we can judge quantitatively after our test rides. The fact is, however, that the Urwahn Waldwiesel.E is very comfortable to ride. A similarly constructed Urwahn racing frame achieved top values for comfort in laboratory measurements carried out by our sister magazine TOUR.
Impeccably finished but ...
Cables and cables disappear into the head tube and run invisibly from there into the frame. Unfortunately, the almost elegantly concealed seat clamp is tricky. It is difficult to reach and requires a fairly high tightening torque to adequately secure the seatpost. The maximum torque specified by the manufacturer should never be exceeded. Apart from that, the Waldwiesel.E is impeccably finished and equipped to a high standard. The main disadvantage of the elaborate steel construction is that it makes the Urwahn relatively heavy. If you subtract the weight of the electric drive components of around 3.5 kilos, that leaves a good twelve kilos for the frameset, wheels and equipment. Current organic gravel bikes are on average two kilos lighter.
Waldwiesel riders sit in a sporty, stretched position. The comfortable racing handlebars are slightly cranked back, allowing a comfortable riding position in the upper grip position that hardly tires even during longer rides. The gravel bike is easy to steer, the 35 millimetre narrow Terra Speed tyres from Continental roll smoothly on asphalt and offer sufficient grip and riding comfort on unpaved surfaces.
Technical data of the Urwahn Waldwiesel.E
The motorisation matches the sporty character of the Urwahn Waldwiesel.E. The small and inconspicuous Ebikemotion hub motor from Mahle in the rear wheel is restrained in terms of power and responds promptly to pedal pressure, but runs independently of the pedal force as soon as the crank turns. This is not conducive to a natural riding experience. The small 250 watt-hour battery is almost invisible in the down tube and cannot be removed without tools. An inconspicuous control instrument on the handlebars brings the motor to life, with two buttons to select three well differentiated support levels.
The gearing and braking system come from Shimano's GRX modular system. Those planning long tours with steep climbs can opt for a sprocket set with shorter smallest gear choose. The brand's range of accessories also includes an additional battery for the bottle cage with a further 208 watt hours.
Summary and details in the overview
The Waldwiesel.E appeals with its extravagant frame construction without a classic seat tube and its frame lugs from the 3D printer. An interesting bike for fans of unusual designs who don't mind the relatively high weight. - Uli Frieß, test editor
- Price: from 5499 Euro
- Frame: Steel
- Weight: 15.6 kilos
- Brakes: Shimano GRX
- Circuit: Shimano GRX, 1x11; 46/11-36 teeth
- Motor/battery: Mahle Ebikemotion/250 Wh
- Tyres: Continental Terra Speed 700 x 35C
- Lighting system: optional: Lightskin LED seatpost
