Bikes made of wood

[thatguitarguy]

That's awesome, Bob!! When you shave you really do look like a crash-test-dummy.

I'm trying to re-purpose an old bike frame into an extension for my Greenspeed GTO, that will incorporate my 26" motor-wheel and battery without molesting the original Greenspeed frame. I also have about 25 composite ski poles that I might be able to use to build a different frame, or suspension components. I'd eventually like to enclose the trike in Coroplast, but for now I just want to get the frame extended and powered up.

Any ideas?? Any pix of the framework under the body of the Car Cycle?

[Bicycle Bob]

Originally Posted by kenwood

Well, I'm trying. 'hydrocarbon fiber' is just mumbojumbo; our muscles are 'a form of hydrocarbon fiber'. Wood, and bamboo for that matter, is cellulose fiber in a lignin matrix.
The entire bicycle frame flexes, both in torsion and bending. To my knowledge, there are no parts which 'need' flexibility, unless one is referring to tires. Flexibility, as the opposite of stiffness, is a relative property controlled by the designer of the bike to produce the desired ride qualities and performance, from race to beach cruiser. One doesn't just add some flexible parts to the stiff ones to make a bike...

Muscles are made of protein and many other compounds. Their fuel is derived from hydrocarbon, usually fructose or sucrose. Cellulose is also a sugar, but too tough for us to digest with our single stomachs.

We crossed messages here.

[Bicycle Bob]

Guitarguy, there's a link on that page to Car Cycle with lots of chassis details.
I'd have to see your shop, parts, and skill set to suggest ways to work on the Greenspeed, but ski poles are not an efficient cross section for a leaf spring. However, they have a gradual failure mode, and get more from the materials than we can with garage techniques.

[Laurentiu]

Originally Posted by Bicycle Bob

I designed and built a recumbent trike in which just six fiberglass parts provided seat, frame and a very sophisticated suspension. Only the dampers needed to be separate parts. I'm interested in doing it over using mostly wood. The Car Cycle

"Bicycle Bob".....I take out my hat for you , Sir