When the bike is finally in front of us, the first thought is: The trick is the kink.

That looks unusual.

We rode an e-bike for a few days and became unfaithful to the much-loved racing bike, which was driven solely by muscle power.

It is the unusual shape of the frame that stands out in our fling.

The top tube swings into the seat tube and then becomes the seatstay.

"Platzhirsch" is the name of the wheel, it is made in Germany, its manufacturer is Urwahn based in Magdeburg, founded more than five years ago by three young entrepreneurs.

Michael Spehr

Editor in the "Technology and Engine" department.

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The founders are graduates of Otto von Guericke University, they studied mechanical engineering, sports and technology, so it is hardly surprising that the materials used in their bikes are also special.

The straight tubes are made of steel, the connecting elements of the frame and other components are produced in 3D printing with metal powder.

A laser beam melts powdered steel in wafer-thin layers - an additive manufacturing process.

Above all, the viewer sees that he sees nothing.

As with a carbon frame, there are no welds and the designers have new options because, for example, the front light can be integrated naturally into the handlebars.

The battery for the electric drive with a capacity of 250 watt hours is located in the down tube, for charging the bike has to be close to the socket.

The battery can be accessed via the bottom bracket opening for maintenance or removal.

Inconspicuous driving behavior

The power connector faces up the down tube and is protected by a cheap-looking plastic cover.

A proprietary charging cable that is sometimes fiddly to attach is used.

The Mahle rear hub motor has 250 watts and delivers 40 Newton meters with a torque curve that packs a punch at low speeds and ends when 25 km/h are reached.

Our bike came as a one-speed model with Gates CDX belt drive, alternatively the eleven-speed Shimano XT gear system is also available.

With a weight of 15 kilograms, the top dog is still easy to carry.

The electric drive relies on minimalist operating technology.

There is an LED element on the right of the steering wheel that visualizes driving mode and battery capacity in four different colors.

Two buttons toggle between four assist modes.

When the sun is shining, you can't see anything.

On the first trips you are a bit irritated and would like more information, but you get used to the new modesty.

The smartphone app provides more data.

On a longer test drive, the driving behavior was absolutely unremarkable.

The bike seems stiff and torsion-free and, well, if everything goes so well, why not ride the route that we usually complete with racing bikes in the Taunus?

1,800 meters in altitude are the challenge, and where the pulse soars and the pace remains modest on long mountain routes, you can now effortlessly pedal up the hill at almost 20 km/h thanks to electric assistance.

However, the sweat of the brave cools down more slowly downhill.

Where we reach 40 to 60 km/h with the racing bike, the top dog lags behind with speeds between 35 and 40 km/h.

The toothed belt drive takes some getting used to, if you often want to go faster than 25 km/h, you will opt for the Shimano gears.

Quite suitable for touring

The manufacturer specifies a battery range of up to 80 kilometers.

We were amazed that this specification was kept loose despite the mountain climbs.

After the LED indicator flashed red frantically, we activated the additional battery in the drinking bottle holder.

Unfortunately, it is not electrically connected to the main battery, but you have to pull a cable from the bottom of the battery to the charging cable connection on the down tube.

The additional battery is not only used for the motor drive, but also charges the main battery at the same time.

The fill level of the range extender cannot be read from the LED unit, but rather from another LED on its top.

The manufacturer also realistically states the range of the second power dispenser.

Only after another 50 kilometers was the red zone and thus the end station reached.

We would not have been able to reach the average speed of a little more than 27 km/h for 130 kilometers with the racing bike, here we are at around 23 to 25 km/h on the same route.

Overall a fun trip.

Despite the lack of gears, we think the top dog is suitable for touring.

With fenders and luggage rack, Hexlox component security and GPS tracker, you can increase the base price of the top dog of 4700 euros a little.

Urwahn specifies the delivery time as two to three months.

Around 20 specialist dealers keep the bike ready.