just for fun
thanks so much to my favorite d*s reader from down under for passing this on to me. just fyi, i don't think this is available for purchase, so please consider this a post "just for fun" or "just for inspiration"...
brano meres is a bratislava, slovakia based designer who happens to build bikes a hobby. he's made a beautiful bike with a bamboo frame that i just had to share. again, this is just to share and inspire- he's in slovakia so i don't think you can order this. but i'll keep my eyes open for similar models in the states.
brano describes in detail the building and material process on his site, but you can see the pics right here. this thing just looks awesome. such a cool alt to some of the bikes out there. i'd love to ride one of these- esp now that nicer weather is coming. click here for more info on brano meres and his bamboo bike. [thanks, shawn!]
Labels: miscellaneous
posted by design*sponge @ 9.5.05
21 Comments:
I'll agree it looks cool, but I wouldn't want to ride it. That thing would break so easily compared to the advanced materials they make bikes out of now. And bike riding isn't really like having bamboo furniture, etc. You treat those nicely but bikes aren't meant to be babied, they're meant to be ridden. But I guess this post is worthless since like Grace said, it's not for sale. But I thought, for design sake, I'd point out the obvious since she didn't.
i agree it might break easily, thanks for making the obvious a little bit more obvious.
but then again, that's why i said it's a "just cause it looks cool" post.
d*s
food for thought...
http://www.insidetri.com/train/bike/articles/566.0.html
d*s
Dear Mr/Ms Obvious, are you sure you are not basing your opinion on a bad bamboo furniture experience (perhaps your chair collapsed)? ;-)
Bamboo in itself is quite strong, with tensile strength approaching that of mild steel.
However, much like many other organic building materials, the quality/grade of the bamboo and its ability to resist rotting is what is going to cast doubts on whether it's a viable material for bicycles.
Every bicycle material today has its various drawbacks. Ever crack an aluminum alloy bike frame, its easy given the right impact. Carbon composite? I wouldn't want to crash with it. Steel alloy, oops, it can rot too... I mean rust.
Fortunately, these various material problems are overcome by good design (geometry), innovation (ie "butting") and quality construction.
It's a bit naive to say "that thing would break so easily compared to the advanced materials they make bikes out of now"... I guess, unless you are making a bike out of some old bamboo furniture.
Cheers
Dear Mr/Ms Obvious, are you sure you are not basing your opinion on a bad bamboo furniture experience (perhaps your chair collapsed)? ;-)
Bamboo in itself is quite strong, with tensile strength approaching that of mild steel.
However, much like many other organic building materials, the
Yes, people do make wooden bikes.
http://www.candytape.com/html/snake.html
While it's not bamboo, it's pretty far out. And you can actually purchase and own one for less than what most decent bikes cost. (Or at least, less than what I paid for my bike.) (I don't believe them the seat is comfortable though!)
I just love what people can do with wood. Now, I want to see a car made completely out of wood.
This guy's bikes are nice looking too, and look more ride-able.
http://www.planenco.com.br/gota/indexe.htm
I was going to mention this in my earlier comment, tcarole, but have you heard of the Morgan car company?
They have always made their cars with a wood laminate frame (except I believe, the brand new Aero 8, which uses Aluminum).
Although, they are not completely made out of wood, they are still very cool.
Check it (offical site): http://www.morgan-motor.co.uk/
More the point:http://vintagecars.about.com/od/historygreatmoments/a/morgan_aeromax.htm
Okay, enough about wood and bamboo, lol.
Check out a picture of the Calfee road bike that was referenced in an earlier post. It is a beauty in the way it mixes a traditional material (bamboo), with carbon fiber and machined aluminum. I am sure that this bike would outlast many of the ultralight aluminum frames that are currently on the market.
http://outside.away.com/outside/gear/200503/bamboo-bikes-skateboards.html
there's a place in soho(www.saigoniste.com) that used to carry a bamboo/steel bike. i've never visited the store; only seen the bike on the web site.
while i don't see it listed in the "shop" section of the site anymore, if you click on the logo on the main page, then click on the "store hours" link (left nav), a photo of the bike appears.
I guess part of it is I am always around a bunch of hardcore bikers and mountain bikers and they break forks on their bikes like they're plastic … But they also are hardcore and all ride bianchis and gary fishers. So go figure.
Ross Lovegrove's bamboo bike for Biomega (been out a while ago - couple years):
http://www.biomega.dk/Resource.aspx?rid=235
If I am not mistaken, Lovegrove's bike for Biomega is metal construction with a decorative bamboo skin. I like his furniture design, but I was disapointed with that bike when I first saw it.
I think maybe is the designer thought about creating a bamboo sheath to slide a solid piece of strong yet light metallic or quasimetallic rods to increase the support of the human body so that the bamboo has just a cool cosmetic look instead of a function, i think that would work better and sell a lot.
I bet you someone will take this idea and run with it. Hopefully it will be the owner and designer of the bike.
i also think that it's a great look for a bike. Who would of thought..... A bamboo bike!! Oh yeah, and i'm the anonymous guy above this also.
This idea is stolen from another bicicle I don't know the name but ?I have seen a bike with a bamboo frame a year ago..
Bamboo bicycles have been around for almost as long as the bicycle itself. I wouldn't say that any current designers "stole" the idea. They are really just paying homage to inventive designs from 100+ years ago.
bamboo is not the material of the future or of the past. most other materials are from before the past (to borrow from the goddess 'ds'). steel, kevlar, aluminium, etc. should be obsolete by now, but that assumes people are employing advanced thinking. anyway, bamboo will be one of the things we will survive on and with....
I have a bamboo track frame that I bought about 15 years ago in England from an Antique shop. It has oversized aluminium lugs which the selected bamboo stems are pushed into and then appear to be rivetted right through the lugs. The frame is stiff and solid apart from the chainstays which need some repair to the top lugs. It's a large 24" frame and is complete with bamboo forks and handlebars. My guess is that is 1920's or 30's. I am currently looking for some wood rims or complete wheels so I can get it ready for next year on the track, Regards, Graham Drummond.
"That thing would break so easily compared to the advanced materials they make bikes out of now."
??????????
i wonder why some country use it as scaffolds. . .
I have heard, bamboo can be as strong as steel in the right configuration, and it's lightweight, and it grows fast. Why it is not on sale? I read somewhere online that it's hard to find the right size, and it would cost about $3000USD for a bamboo bicycle.
I've made about 60 bamboo bikes in the past 8 years and I can tell you they are very tough. One was in an accident with Harley and suffered a broken (carbon fiber) handlebar. The Harley rider broke her collarbone. The bamboo bike rider rode home, with half a handlebar. There will be some prototype bamboo frames available at a discount on our website: http://www.calfeedesign.com
>> Craig Calfee
Everybody shoud study and read some information before talk. Bamboo fibers have a tensile strengh better than steel.
you should check the Craig Calfee's site, he's building bamboo frames since a few years.
Im from Argentina (that's why my english is so bad) and i'm building bamboo bikes too. But i haven't the same experience in the subject like Craig. My firsts bikes will be soon in the streets, and because everyone that have seen it become surprised, i'm thinking of build some for sell.
my mail: nicomasuelli@hotmail.com
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