This article was published on April 10, 2019

Video: Wood you believe this business makes bikes out of… wood?

How do trees get online? THEY LOG IN LMAO


This video is part of our series on Lille’s Maker Faire. To stay up-to-date on releases (and to find out more), check out our master post here.

Have you ever looked at a bike and thought “THERE’S TOO MUCH METAL THERE?” Well, at least one person has: Edouard from Atelier Suji.

He runs a company that makes wooden vehicles – you can find out all about them in the video above. Edouard began his career by making skateboards, but eventually moved onto making two-wheelers out of wood. Specifically, French ash. Cool, right?

But, wait, you want to see a picture of this wooden bike? Don’t worry, we’ve got you:

The <3 of EU tech

The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!

We asked Edouard a range of questions about the wooden bike (again, video!), but the one big question mark I have is about durability. While he said that it’s varnished to withstand bad weather, I wonder how long it’d hold up with constant-use.

This is especially pertinent considering the frame by itself will set you back between €2,200 and €2,500 (roughly $2,479 and $2,817). That’s serious money. Of course, you’re paying for something that’s handmade and sustainable, so it’s bound to be expensive. But, if it doesn’t last more than a year or two, neither of those things really matter. I guess time will tell.

Despite this reservation, I genuinely believe it’s both super cool and a lovely idea. Trying to help the environment by looking at changes we can make in our everyday lives is worth respect. So shout out you, Atelier Suji.

Want to learn more about the amazing things we saw at the Maker Faire? Then head over here to see more of our videos.


This post includes affiliate links to products that you can buy online. If you purchase them through our links, we get a small cut of the revenue.

TNW Conference 2019 is coming! Check out our glorious new location, inspiring lineup of speakers and activities, and how to be a part of this annual tech bonanza by clicking here.

Get the TNW newsletter

Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.

Also tagged with