Kevlar, Wood, and Resin Give Rise to the American-Born e-Woody: A Different Kind of E-Bike

Folks, the name Connor Cycles is probably unknown to you. If it does ring a bell, however, then you've met what I can only consider as some of the most beautiful wooden bicycles on the planet. Don't believe me? Just check out the images in the gallery before you go on. Oh, I've also added one or two other wooden machines I've written about over the years.

This time around, however, I chose to shed light upon one of Connor's most modern bicycles, the very urban-inclined and electric e-Woody. Why bring a wooden e-bike to light? Well, continue reading, and you'll be able to understand why this machine should be on your cycling radar in the future.

Now, let's kick things off for the e-Woody with nothing more than what it means to be seen riding a wooden bicycle. Picture that for a moment: you're walking around your local town, and from a few yards away, you see this machine coming towards you. As it moves closer, your mind starts to try and figure out what it's seeing, and before long, you've caught a half-second glimpse of the e-Woody, and it's gone.

You go home and scour the internet, searching with the keywords "wood bike near me." You'll probably get very few to no results unless you're in Colorado, Connor Cycles' home state and that just pushes you to dive even deeper, and here you are. Better yet, I want you to picture yourself as the person riding this modern unicorn, a wooden and electric infusion of ingenuity and craftsmanship.

As you do, you'll be straddling several sections of ash wood with a walnut center stripe and reinforced with Kevlar, a look and feel that separates a Connor bicycle from others on the market, even ones that follow a similar shape and geometry; imitations exist.

One aspect of what Connor has achieved here that I want to draw your attention to is all of those sensuous curves we see making up all but the seat stays. Actually, the seat stays have some curves to them, too; it's just on a different plane. I think it's absolutely gorgeous.

Oh, and those looks are actually based upon a bike design that Connor has already achieved massive acclaim for, the Woody Scorcher, a frame design that has even stood up against testing in a 100-mile (161 km) MTB race where 12,000 vertical feet were covered and a top speed of 45 mph (72 kph) was hit on a particular descent. Yes, Robert Brundenell, Connor's entrusted rider, made it out alive and also sparked a lineup for this manufacturer, the Durt. In short, you shouldn't worry about where you'll be riding this thing as long as it's not some enduro descent.

However, the e-Woody is a bicycle destined for the urban landscape, and that defines the gear we see; you can always switch it up if you wish. Connor frames let you do that, much like most other bicycles, as long as you adhere to predefined measurements and guidelines.

Now, this version is designed with a stiff front fork, ensuring you push all momentum into the ground and nowhere else. But, if you happen to need some help, Connor throws on an SRAM e-Matic hub motor powered by a 7.7 Ah, 36 V battery. According to SRAM's website, 250 W is the power of this motor, and as for a top speed, you'll probably be limited to local laws and regulations.

Yet, there's a neat aspect to the e-Woody that I discovered. SRAM's e-Matic hub is a completely self-contained system, with the battery being the only other component in the system. This means changing gears is also handled by the hub, which is the main reason why this bike's cockpit is so clutter-free and why the Gates carbon belt drivetrain can be used. This lets riders focus on nothing else but pedaling and eventually braking. Simple, sweet, effective.

As for the comfort side of things, a "sport geometry" is laid out before us, and while that may not be the most comfortable riding position for all, the presence of 29-inch tires is sure to soften up any bumps you encounter on your rides.

Best of all, Connor took into consideration that the urban rider often carries some cargo, and, as such, a cargo rack is spotted on the rear of the e-Woody. It's also here that this bike's battery pack is mounted. Be sure to look into extra gear like wooden fenders and a handlebar or a suspension fork. Oh, and have a look at the all-walnut variation. The standard version weighs around 50 lbs.

Speaking of customization, a Connor bicycle is just that, as unique as each piece of wood that goes into it, as unique as each human riding it, and because of this, pricing is all over the board. But as a general guideline, you can expect to find your ballpark somewhere between $6,000 (€5,500 at current exchange rates) and $12,000 (€10,900) or more, depending on just how crazy you take things. Be sure to consider the three-month build time.

That's right, these babies are not lying around on mounts waiting to be sold but are only put on the worktable once someone like you and me steps up to the plate. I think it's time to break away from the bicycles everyone else has and go for something truly unique: a Conner bicycle.