This Finnish design doesn’t look quite finished but it is ingenious.
The use of e-bikes is exploding, and so is innovation in e-bike design. One very interesting design is the Avial e-bike being developed in Finland. Most bikes are made from welded tubs, but the Avial frame is built like an airplane, with aluminum rectangular profiles riveted together.
© Avial
It looks almost homemade, but there are some interesting advantages; it “not only expands the possibilities of design, but also, without welding, makes production more environmentally friendly.”
Traditionally, aluminum, steel or titanium frame is made by welding. As a result of this process, various chemical entities, gases and metal oxides are emitted into the atmosphere. The welding arc emanates light, infrared and ultraviolet radiation. Therefore, to reduce the harmful effects there is a need to use special facilities, equipment, ventilation, etc…This production is not environmentally destructive and also provides entirely diversified frames manufacturing of different sizes, in fact, considering the specific body organization for each customer.
© Avial
The flat surfaces make it much easier to attach accessories, from lights to carriers and baskets. It also is really easy to adjust the size of the bike to the needs of the rider. And it is light; the frame weighs only 7.7 pounds. It also local; most frames are imported from Asia, but the designers of the Avial “made a decision to recover from uniformity and develop our own frame based on aircraft-grade aluminum alloys in order to manufacture and assemble our creative bicycles in Europe.” They expect the bike to sell from 1400 – 1800 euros. (US$ 1588- 2042)
© Avial
Working with aluminum sections like this is also more flexible, and the bike can be adapted to either rear-wheel or central drives, and a range of battery capacities. All those rivets and plates have a sort of aero-steampunk look that takes a bit of getting used to, but it makes sense; “This method of frame construction provides a number of advantages, the main of which is the possibility of producing a supporting structure in various types and in a wide range of geometrical dimensions.” As Canada’s CCM used to say, it’s a bicycle built for you.
This Finnish design doesn’t look quite finished but it is ingenious.
