We have already featured Urwahn Bikes here several times and have also tested the current Platzhirsch e-bike here. In short, the bike impresses with its unusual steel frame, which is created with the help of modern 3D printing technology. In addition, the Magedburg-based company makes sure to use as many components as possible from regional production and produced under fair conditions. The electric drive is based on the X35 from Mahle — a compact hub motor in the rear wheel with a permanently installed battery in the down tube, which offers 250 Wh capacity.

For an exclusive collaboration, they have now teamed up with german design retailer Magazin as well as renowned designer and typographer Erik Spiekermann. The result of this exciting cooperation is a genuine Spiekermann: with a creative wink, the supporting elements of the bike frame construction were typographically designated. The design refers quite unpretentiously to the special shape of the frame, because – quoting Spiekermann – “…there’s something missing!”. With the pebble grey RAL 7032, a discreet and urban basic colour was defined, the bright accent colour traffic orange RAL 2009 marks – quite typical for Spiekermann’s work – a part of the unusual form and highlight the typo quite well on the main colour. The choice of the technoid-looking typeface “Input Serif” by David Jonathan Ross, with its generous spacing, large punctuation marks and easily distinguishable letterforms, is based on the formal aesthetics of construction plans and source codes. It is intended to “make the syntax of the design comprehensible”, according to Spiekermann, a self-proclaimed typomaniac and bicycle enthusiast.

The naming of the individual frame-parts also reminds a little bit of Porsche’s Big Berta — just in eco-friendly and healthy 😉

Thanks to full commuter equipment with mudguards, integrated lighting system and a pannier holder, the exclusive MAGAZIN edition is not only a pretty-looking designer piece, but also an e-bike suitable for everyday use. When it comes to the drivetrain, interested you can choose between the singlespeed model with a maintenance-free belt drive or a variant with an 11-speed derailleur from Shimano.

However, the price also shows that this is quite an exclusive experience: This Platzhirsch Magazin EDT costs 5,249 euros for the singlespeed and 5,699 euros for the derailleur model. You can order the bike directly from Urwahn or from Magazin’s design store.