Auto company Ariel returns to bicycle manufacture… after 92 years
The Ariel 3D printed Dash eBike is not just another electric bike made by another car manufacturer but a return to bicycle manufacture after a 92 year production gap, with a cycling heritage that is probably pretty unique.
Ariel has roots in bicycle manufacture that go all the way back to 1871, when the first Ariel, an Ordinary or Penny Farthing bicycle, was made – reportedly the world’s first ever series production vehicle. Even James Starley has a strong connection with Ariel, having designed the Ordinary (aka Penny Farthing or High Wheel) before he went on to develop and patent the tangentially spoked wheel still used today, the differential and rack and pinion steering as well as developing and perfecting the chain drive.
Today, Ariel is manufacturer of the Ariel Atom and Nomad cars, as well as the Ace motorcycle. Automotive and aerospace standards have been woven into its new Dash eBike, a lightweight titanium and carbon fibre eBike, available as an Urban or Adventure model.
Weighing 10.9kg overall, the multi material frame is made from 3D printed titanium, titanium tube and carbon fibre. There’s a 250W 55Nm Mahle hub motor, integrated battery with an up to 50-mile range (battery range extender provides up to 95 miles).
They are hand assembled, made to order and signed off by a single Ariel technician and will set you back £8,320 + VAT. While currently being offered D2C, the business has informed CIN that should there be sufficient interest from bike dealers, that will be considered as a future option.
The Dash Urban is a city-focused road bike that uses single speed, belt-drive technology to deliver a simple and easy riding experience with a power-assisted range of up to 45 miles, or 80 miles with the range extender.
The Dash Adventure is a go-anywhere road / trail / gravel bike fitted with chain-drive and 12 gears to enable riders to tackle any terrain. The Adventure will deliver around 50 miles of power-assisted riding and 95 miles with the range extender.
All brake, gear and control systems are routed through the frame internally, as well as through the forks and handlebars, for an ultra-clean design.
The tailored and hand-made approach enables Ariel to focus on skilled craftmanship and personalised service, staying true to the company’s reputation as the ‘Savile Row of the Automotive World’.
The Ariel Ordinary aka Penny Farthing / High Wheel
The Ariel Dash e-bike celebrates not only the first Ariel, but the very first series production vehicle in the world – the Ariel Ordinary – introduced more than 150 years ago in 1871.
Known now as a Penny-Farthing or High Wheel, the Ordinary was designed by engineer and entrepreneur James Starley and had a 48-inch front wheel, revolutionary tensioned wire spoked wheels, a lightweight hollow steel tube frame, and was the first to use rubber tyres. At just 23 kilos the Ariel was both fast and light.
Acknowledged as the father of the bicycle industry, Starley went on to develop and patent the tangentially spoked wheel still used today, the differential and rack and pinion steering, as well as developing and perfecting chain drive.
The Ariel Ordinary was at the beginning of a revolution in transport that quickly developed through bicycles, powered tricycles, quadricycles and into early cars.
Simon Saunders, Director of Ariel: “The importance of the Ariel Ordinary cannot be underestimated. It is essentially the first mass production vehicle of any kind and marked the very beginning of the automotive industry. We’re lucky to have Ordinary number 47 in our collection, from the first year of production in 1871, and I think Starley would be impressed by the technology used in making the Dash, particularly printing titanium from a computer.”
From the very first Ordinary, Ariel continued bicycle production for more than 60 years with gents, ladies and racing cycles, breaking many records along the way.
In 1873, the first ever hour speed record, possibly the first speed record, was set by James Moore riding an Ariel Ordinary 14½ miles (23.33 kilometres) in an hour at the Molineux Grounds (now the Molineux Stadium) in Wolverhampton. By 1893 Ariel factory rider J W Stocks had become the first rider to exceed 25 miles in one hour on an Ariel, then increasing the world record to 32½ miles in an hour in 1897, as well as winning the Catford Gold Vase with a score of 296 miles 1,715 yards in 12 hours averaging nearly 25mph.
The last Ariel bicycles were manufactured in 1932 when Ariel turned their attention solely to motorcycle production. Today, the return by Ariel to bicycle manufacture after a break of 92 years marks the completion of an engineering circle that stretches back more than a century and a half. Despite the passing of time the same principles of innovation, engineering, and lightweight manufacturing remain, bringing one of the most revered and historic names in cycling back into production.
The Dash is now in production. Find out more at arielmotor.co.uk/ariel-vehicles/dash
The Dash Urban is £8,320 + VAT
The Dash Adventure is £9,160 + VAT
