Wooden bicycle

An antique wood bicycle hanging from the ceiling of the Marceliukės klėtis restaurant in Vilnius, Lithuania. Second half of the 19th century.
A modern wood Bough bike Sporty in Utrecht at the Oudegracht.
Modern wood balance bicycles.

A wooden bicycle is a bicycle constructed either mostly, or entirely from wood.[1][2] Wood was the material used in the earliest bicycles, and is being rediscovered by modern builders.[3][4] The wood can be either solid or laminate.

History

The first bicycles recorded, known variously as velocipedes, dandy horses, or hobby horses, were constructed from wood, starting in 1817.[5] [6]

Modern

Recent technological advances in adhesives and fabrication have made wood a feasible choice in the modern cycle world.[5]

Modern performance wooden bicycles are lighter weight than historical versions and are noted for the smooth characteristics of their ride[7] as compared to bicycles with frames made of titanium, carbon fiber or aluminum.

Machined hollow main triangles bonded to solid rear stays are the construction method of choice for modern performance wooden bicycles. This method was pioneered by Renovo Hardwood Bicycles in Oregon circa 2007 and has since been duplicated by a number of smaller builders.[8] Machining may be performed by hand or by a CNC.

Wooden bicycle frames are sometimes aided by steel or composite lugs to connect the wooden tubes or attach components. These frames can be made with plywood, hardwoods, or bamboo.

See also

References

  1. Sophie Hurcom (15 Jul 2013). "Wooden bikes from Flat Frame Systems...". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
  2. Jamie Condliffe (26 June 2013). "This Wooden Bicycle Is Beautifully Impractical". Gizmodo. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
  3. Peter Suciu (Oct 19, 2012). "The $70,000 wooden bicycle". BikeRadar. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
  4. Shea Gunther. "11 awesome bikes made of wood". Mother Nature Network. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
  5. 1 2 Wilson, David Gordon; Jim Papadopoulos (2004). Bicycling Science (Third ed.). The MIT Press. pp. 377–378. ISBN 0-262-73154-1.
  6. Bess Liebenson (July 8, 2001). "A State Story on Two Wheels". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-07-16. Mr. Lallement's first conception, a crude wooden bicycle
  7. "Renovo R4 Pursuit review". BikeRadar. Retrieved 2016-11-23.
  8. "Reimagining bikes made from trees, HTech Bikes blends wood and carbon". BikeRadar. Retrieved 2016-11-23.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/24/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.