Platzhirsch Magazin by Urwahn Declares the Ebike an Art Object

“There is actually no surface. You have very little, especially with steel frames. You have one centimetre of which you can see even one. And it’s all very long and thin, too. It’s harder than a DIN A page.” With these words Erik Spiekermann describes the challenge of designing a bicycle. They almost sound like the cancellation of an order. In fact, it was probably more motivation for the designer and typographer. And so Spiekermann, who is one of the best known in his field in Germany, has now left his very own mark on the Urwahn Platzhirsch in a special edition.

Platzhirsch Magazin edition by Urwahn

Repeat offender Urwahn

Urwahn has already caused a stir in the past with special finishes for its bicycles. One time the company cooperated with the luxury brand MCM, another time it celebrated the thousandth 3D-printed component together with the high-end supplier Oerlikon. Now it’s getting artistic. The limited Magazin Edition of the Platzhirsch is about the reinterpretation of an object originating from the industrial environment to the world of private life.

Stephan Dornhofer (left), Managing Director at Magazin, and Sebastian Meinecke, Managing Director at Urwahn, along with Erik Spiekermann, were the leading minds in this project.

The Magazine trading company from Stuttgart knows how this can work. Since the 1970s, it has been taking selected things, for example from factory floors, remodelling them and turning them into furniture, vases or lamps for our homes. That’s why Magazin was involved in this project as a third party alongside Erik Spiekermann and Urwahn.

Bicycle reduced to its technical character

In the case of the Platzhirsch, the transformation described follows rather in the opposite direction – from a private, emotionally laden everyday object to a matter-of-fact, sober commodity. What better basis could there be for this than a shade of grey called pebble grey? From Erik Spiekermann’s point of view, apparently none. He had most of the frame dipped in this colour. For the accents, he used a “traffic orange”. With this colour, he emphasised the unusual and the ordinary in equal measure. The orange transition from the top tube to the seat tube emphasises the flowing lines of the frame and its manufacturing process, which has no typical traces such as weld seams or the like. The lettering applied in the signal colour, on the other hand, emphasises what is known, what is natural about the bike. Spiekermann has labelled the tubes of the frame with their technical terms.

He wants this to be understood as a humour. As an injoke for those who are familiar with the terms. Irrespective of this, it would appear minimal. Not least with the typeface “Input Serif”, he wants to suggest the proximity to construction plans. On these, everything important is often labelled and marked with dimensions. The designer has deliberately omitted the dimensions on the Platzhirsch. His design approach follows the principle of constructivism. This aims to make the syntax of working understandable. Ultimately, it is about becoming aware of the obvious. This is a bicycle. Its frame consists of these parts.

New versatility

Even regardless of its outward appearance, the Platzhirsch Magazin grabs your attention. With it, Urwahn equips one of its ebikes with mudguards and a rear carrier as standard for the first time. In the specifications, the plates are labelled “Urwahn” by the manufacturer. They are made of aluminium and just 36 millimetres wide. The carrier is a model from the manufacturer Standwell from Taiwan. It can carry loads of about 15 kilograms. The frames of all other Platzhirsch and Waldwiesel.E models have the same mounts for mudguards and rear carriers. But you have to add them as an option or buy them privately.

For the first time, mudguards and rear carriers are standard equipment on a Urwahn Platzhirsch ebike.

Otherwise, the equipment of the special edition does not differ greatly from that of the regular model. Only the saddle and grips vary. Instead of the usual Ergon products, the Platzhirsch Magazin features components from the Brooks Cambium range.

Minimalism not only in design

Regarding the actual bike, it feels like everything has already been said. Its X35+ drive from Mahle with the rear hub motor was also convincing in our test. The battery is not only narrower in its dimensions than you might be used to from other ebike systems. However, it is still good for a maximum range of 80 kilometres, which is probably very helpful in everyday life for many riders. In addition, the lower capacity goes hand in hand with a lower weight. The result is a total weight of about 14 kilograms. For an almost fully equipped ebike, this is excellent.

In addition, there is the always surprisingly high riding comfort that comes from the steel frame. Not only is it uniquely shaped, but its construction offers a lot of flex and absorbs minor vibrations on cobblestones and the like well.

Art has its price

Urwahn is launching a version of the Platzhirsch in the Magazin Edition with a singlespeed and belt drive as well as one with an 11-speed derailleur from Shimano – each in a total of five frame sizes. Unsurprisingly, the prices of the bikes have their special finish too. For the singlespeed model you have to calculate 5,249 euros. That’s 750 euros more than an ordinary Platzhirsch. For the derailleur version, the price has risen by 700 euros to 5,699 euros.

Special edition Urwahn Platzhirsch Magazin at a glance

• Name: Urwahn X Magazin X Erik Spiekermann
• Frame: Urwahn CT1-FR1
• Motor: MAHLE ebikemotion rear hub motor, 250 W power, 40 Nm torque
• Control unit: Mahle ebikemotion iWoc TRI
• Battery: Mahle ebikemotion 250 Wh
• Fork: Urwahn CT1-FK1
• Brakes: Shimano BL-MT200
• Drivetrain: Shimano XT, Singlespeed Gates toothed belt 55/20
• Weight: 14.5 kg (frame size M)
• Maximum permitted total weight: 115 kg
• Price: from 5,249 euros

Pictures: Urwahn Engineering GmbH