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"Ondawagen" is What Happens When an Architect Gets Into the E-bike Business

Well, we can tell it's a bike because of the wheels. Other than that, we could only guess it’s made to carry people. But my question is how retro is retro?
Ondawagen 14 photos
Photo: Rossi & Bossi
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What we are looking at is not some motorcycle design from WW2, nor is it some prehistoric bicycle design. What we are actually looking at is one of the freshest e-bike designs to come out of Italy. It’s called the Ondawagen and is the vision of Italian architect Federico Rossi.

But it’s not just an e-bike that looks odd, it’s all made like that for a reason. The first thing we see that makes this bike different than all others is its exceptionally long frame. It’s within this design that the Ondawagen shows off its glory.

The bike is meant to be a cargo e-bike. And personally, I feel it’s one hell of a design, as odd as it may seem at first. But the functionality of this vehicle is unsurpassed. However, we’ve seen cargo bikes before with Yoonit and Delfast, so what makes this one worth the mention.

For starters, the design of this bike offers a much more aesthetic feel than either of the other two competitors. The Yoonit, for example, is just a plain workhorse that is specifically made to carry loads, including a child. While the Delfast is a classic rickshaw-style bike with the load being towed.

Ondawagen
Photo: Rossi & Bossi
This design, however. is a bit more than that. Even though the Ondawagen is not seen towing anything behind it, the many cargo spaces throughout the bike give it enough capability to rival any other cargo e-bike on the market.

At the front of the bike we can see one of these cargo holds in the form of a basket. That’s standard on whatever model you choose. What differs between the Model S and Model T is the frame shape. Other than that, the rest of the bike remains the same.

Each of these bikes is built from 6061-T6 aluminum and powder coated to keep it as weatherproof as possible. Atop the frame of each one we see a strip of wood accenting. That’s sailing quality wood that has been treated to be weatherproof too.

Each one also comes with a standard 250W Brose motor that can crank out 90 Nm of torque. That’s enough to give each bike a load capacity of 330lbs. (150kg) not including the driver. That’s enough to carry another rider, that’s why a second seat can be places atop the bike, and cargo.

Ondawagen
Photo: Rossi & Bossi
And all of this work is completely emissions free. Which brings us to the battery on this ride. A BMZ V* 630Wh battery is available, and it’s all integrated into the frame. This Bike is so beefy, that its designer refers to the frame as a chassis. That’s next level right there. This battery is enough to offer this e-bike a peak autonomy of 62 miles(100km). But we don’t know how long before it recharges.

Oh, and of course Shimano isn’t missing from this mix. The gearbox and braking systems are both provided by the giant. Altogether, without any sort of accessories, the bike comes in only at 63lbs. (29kg). Light enough to be lifted about one flight of stairs, or more depending on your physical health.

Sadly, as strong as this e-bike may be or rather could have been, its IndieGoGo campaign, with only thirteen days left at the time of writing this article, didn’t fly so well. But why? That's a question for another time.
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About the author: Cristian Curmei
Cristian Curmei profile photo

A bit of a nomad at heart (being born in Europe and raised in several places in the USA), Cristian is enamored with travel trailers, campers and bikes. He also tests and writes about urban means of transportation like scooters, mopeds and e-bikes (when he's not busy hosting our video stories and guides).
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