Sojourn Cyclery Lets You Live the Dream of Owning a Wooden Bicycle, and It's Not Cheap

Folks, the machine before you today is truly a bicycle built out of wood. Furthermore, it's a friggin e-bike! Let's face it, a wooden bike is something that we've seen before, but it seems like Sojourn Cyclery is a crew doing one hell of a job in creating a functioning machine and one up to par with modern standards.

If you've never heard of Sojourn, it's probably because you never explored owning a bicycle built out of wood. After all, wood can't possibly be strong enough to handle the stresses exerted on a bike's frame...right? Well, Sojourn proves otherwise and builds bike frames out of the prehistoric material, and the results are astonishing, to say the least.

You may be worried about seeing a bike frame built out of wood because it simply cannot withstand the stresses experienced while riding. Well, don't be as the wood of choice for this manufacturer is black walnut, a material that has excellent machining properties and retains its shape reasonably well after exposure to the elements, if treated properly, that is.

Well, it would seem like wood manipulation techniques have come quite far in the modern age because Sojourn reports that their frames are stronger than steel. To prove this, they tested their design with the same techniques used on steel, and the result, their wooden frames came in stronger than steel ones by 50% or more. The steel frame they used buckled at 800 pounds (363 kilograms) of pressure, while the wooden frame took up to 1,200 pounds (544 kilograms) of force before components of the hydraulic press, and not the frame, began to fail.

Now that you can sleep easy knowing that the wooden machine before you can handle cycling. Let's see what's in store if you decide to dish out $9,950 (€9,473 at current exchange rates) on an Elettrico. What, you thought this sort of work is cheap? Heck, there's furniture you can hand down to your great-grandkids that's built out of walnut, and with proper care, this may be true for your wooden wonder.

But the frame isn't all the wooden attention this sucker has received. Because it'll be used for most city riding and possibly a little dirt path on your way home, Sojourn is equipped with fenders. And yes, they too are built and shaped out of wood. Is there no end to all this wood!? Actually, that's about it.

Since it is designed to be electric, Sojourn added a Shimano Steps system and a Gates carbon belt for a visible touch of technology. With an Alfine 11-speed setup and Di2 electronic shifting, Elettrico boasts a maximum range of 93 miles (149.6 kilometers). This means that you'll be able to take quite the long rides. Heck, with the inclusion of things like a rear cargo rack, it looks fit for the part. The addition of headlights and taillights ensures that night doesn't bring unforeseen dangers.

There is a slight catch to this machine. If you want one, yours will not be exactly the same as the one here. Why? Simply because each piece Sojourn spits out is a one-of-a-kind. Even the wood grain will differ. Frankly, if you want your bicycle to stand out from all others in your neighborhood, possibly even country, give this crew a call and live the dream of owning a wooden bike. I don't think you'll regret it. I know I wouldn't.