Bikes made of wood

[Lazarus]

Here's a interesting site. All wood all the time. Lots of good stuff here. What a magnificent builder.


And for those of you who want to go fast.

[MetroMPG]

I was expecting this site.

Wood Bikes You Can Make

[Lazarus]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

I was expecting this site.

Wood Bikes You Can Make

At least those I could afford.

[luvit]

there's something sad about that one.
i feel it right here.

[vtec-e]

Thats some serious piece of kit. I expected to see a plywood bike that i saw some time ago but cant remember the web address. It's not in the same league anyway so it doesn't matter.
Ah there it is: http://www.sandwichbikes.com/
No, not in the same league at all......

ollie

[Bicycle Bob]

Hydrocarbon fiber is a wonderful material. If used in a design that separates the parts that need rigidity from those that need flex, it would perform far better still.

[kenwood]

Originally Posted by Bicycle Bob

Hydrocarbon fiber is a wonderful material. If used in a design that separates the parts that need rigidity from those that need flex, it would perform far better still.

Hey Bob, help us out here, whadda u mean?

[thatguitarguy]

Wood is a form of hydrocarbon fiber. Figure out the rest.

Here's some more ideas - more DIY than kit form:

Endless-sphere.com • View topic - Wooden bicycles, lots of pics

[kenwood]

Originally Posted by thatguitarguy

Wood is a form of hydrocarbon fiber. Figure out the rest.

Here's some more ideas - more DIY than kit form:

Endless-sphere.com • View topic - Wooden bicycles, lots of pics

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...

[Bicycle Bob]

A standard bike frame is designed to be inherently light and rigid. Since nothing is perfectly stiff, there is some flex, which the manufacturers say they added for comfort, trying to have it both ways. A bike with long suspension travel and soft springs is a major revelation to ride. It can still be simple and elegant, and far more comfortable if laid out as a recumbent, so that the necessary rigid connection from seat to pedals is at right angles to the flex on bumps. Most of the wooden frames are pretty, but rather appalling, structurally. On a classic frame, the highest stress is on the down tube, where it resists the rocking of the bottom bracket, yet many artists eliminate this part completely. It takes great skill in pedaling to avoid wasting the energy that produces flex.
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