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Urwahn’s Vagabund Edition Bicycle Disrupts Classic Bike-Building Principles

It’s no mystery that urban mobility has exploded in recent years, and that means you’re bound to see all sorts of examples of mobility taken to the next level. Germany’s Urwahn Bikes is one of the teams exploring a new era of bicycling.
Vagabund Edition Bicycle 11 photos
Photo: Urwahn Bikes
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The specimen you see here is known as the Vagabund Edition. Take a minute and look at it; I mean really look at it. See where the welding has taken place. See the way the seat tube becomes one with the seat and chainstay. See all of it. Once you’ve done all that, you probably won’t need the rest of the text. But I won’t leave you hanging like that. It's time to find out how such a beauty is possible.

If you’re a two-wheeler fan and have been keeping up with autoevolution, it’s possible you’ve heard of Urwahn already. In case you haven’t, this team produces some of the most beautifully shaped and capable bikes I've seen in a long time. To do so, it relies on several techy tricks and good ol’ elbow grease as each bike sees the touch of human hands.

Vagabund Edition Bicycle
Photo: Urwahn Bikes
Now, the Vagabund Edition gets its name due to a collaboration with an Austrian team, Vagabund Moto. If you don’t know much about them either, the best way to sum up the level and style of work they do is to say that they’re a sort of Austrian Deus Ex Machina, without the surfboards.

About the collaboration, Ramon Thomas, Managing Director of Urwahn Bikes, offered us this little tid-bit. “From a collaboration with our friends from Vagabund emerged this reinterpretation of purist motorcycles on our Urwahn Bike. Our common preference for the finest craftsmanship and attention to detail flow together in this special edition.”

That raw look and “purist” feel is seen and felt the first time you encounter the bike. I’ll be honest, when I first saw it, I found it odd to be staring at exposed welds like that. However, once I found that the welding on this bike, as other Urwahn vehicles, is completed using 3D printing techniques, I felt it’s pretty nice to explain to people why I didn’t have enough cash to paint the rest of the bike.

Vagabund Edition Bicycle
Photo: Urwahn Bikes
One technique is known as Selective Laser Melting. This process uses individual layers of steel applied to joints and fused into place with a laser to form a weld that isn’t just beautiful and clean but also durable.

The frame and fork are both composed of CrMo steel and include flat mounts and internal cable routing. One neat feature you get when buying one of these beauties is an integrated GPS tracking module and integrated lighting right into the frame. For a starting price of €4,499 ($5,368 at current exchange rates) without the GPS system, you better throw in the extra €179 ($213 at current exchange rates).

Moving things along is a CDX Gates Carbon belt drive system, while Shimano BL MT200 Disc brakes clamping down on 160 mm (6.3 in) rotors cover the braking side of things. But there’s a catch here, too, one of those good ones. One thing you can do with this bike is to make it electric. By throwing in some extra cash, you can equip a Mahle ebikemotion setup, granting you 40 Nm (29.5 lb-ft) of torque and a range of about 50 miles (80 kilometers).

Vagabund Edition Bicycle
Photo: Urwahn Bikes
One thing you may notice on the frame is the lack of any suspension components. True, aside from the tires, a pair of Continental Grand Prix Urban, there are no other visible suspension systems, except for the bike's rear. Because the frame is built as it is, it absorbs some shock and vibrations your ride will throw at you.

From a design aspect, the bike is an absolute paradox of elements. The rear half reveals the welding and steel frame, while the front offers a clean and painted surface. Park this bad boy outside your local café, and you’re sure to get a few questions.

As for myself, I fell in love with Urwahn bikes from the first time I saw them, and the Vagabund is no different. Maybe this time, that infatuation will happen to you.
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About the author: Cristian Curmei
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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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