Cool yet scary BAMBOO mtb frame
Nat
1 - 14 of 14 Posts
Joined
·
29,132 Posts
Joined
·
603 Posts
Nat said:
Bamboo is an incredibly strong material. I've studied Bamboo a lot. I wouldn't mind riding a bike made of it. It gives you plenty of warning before it completely breaks. Just take a piece of bamboo and try to snap it, it will still crack but never break clean.
One thing about that bike is that he will have to change the bamboo once a year. Bamboo naturally contains bacteria that eat it away once it dies. There's no way around this, yet you can smoke treat it to lessen the effect. The Japanese are masters of smoke treating bomboo, but even that doesn't last more than 7 years in a dry place.
Another cool thing about bamboo is that you can heat it up and bend it like glass due to the high silica content. Once it cools it holds its shape. I've done this MANY times with a propane torch.
I scare myself sometimes with how much I know about bamboo. I took a summer long course from a world renound bamboo architect from Italy, Alberto Renaldo. Bamboo is the best building material you can find in nature. It is many time more environmentaly friendly than wood.
BTW, many people think asians are the leaders in bamboo. In fact the Italians are into it more than they are. Italians can also grown certain strains that don't grow in Japan/China.
Joined
·
7,501 Posts
Bamboo is very strong...
however, i wouldn't want my seatpost made out of it...
however, i wouldn't want my seatpost made out of it...
Joined
·
168 Posts
Craig Calfee, a well known high-end road bike builder had a bamboo bike at this year's Handmade Bicycle Show. I think he won an award for it too. Apparently it's his daily commuter. Check it out. I love the matching grips and saddle.
![Image]()
Joined
·
29,132 Posts
I have to admit, these bikes look really cool, particularly the built-up one. I wonder how is the "road feel" of a bamboo bike?Kennetht638 said:Craig Calfee, a well known high-end road bike builder had a bamboo bike at this year's Handmade Bicycle Show. I think he won an award for it too. Apparently it's his daily commuter. Check it out. I love the matching grips and saddle.
![Image]()
RE: best avatar vote. Thanks!
What about sealling the bamboo somehow, with a resin or something? There must be a way to seal it. I remember see a newer version of the calfee, at interbike or on their website. I can't imagine that Calfee would be replacing the tubes every year.MicroHuck said:
Just curious.
Joined
·
58 Posts
I gotta have more cowbell baby!!!!drevelo66 said:
Joined
·
29,132 Posts
Check it out: the crafty bastard who made that bamboo frame also made his own carbon fiber frame in his garage! On a homemade jig no less! I'm very impressed.
http://www.bme.szm.sk/carbonframe1.htm
http://www.bme.szm.sk/carbonframe1.htm
Joined
·
7,501 Posts
There are some serious talent out there...
I think reading through the framebuilding sites demystifies as lot of what really goes into a building a frame (still a ton of work but you begin to understand why custom builders charge what they charge, specially the single man operations). The Calfee bamboo/composite bike, from what I read, has actually been raced and fixed a few times. The home made carbon bike is ingenious!
I think reading through the framebuilding sites demystifies as lot of what really goes into a building a frame (still a ton of work but you begin to understand why custom builders charge what they charge, specially the single man operations). The Calfee bamboo/composite bike, from what I read, has actually been raced and fixed a few times. The home made carbon bike is ingenious!
Joined
·
3,738 Posts
I'd ride it. In asia they use bamboo for scaffolding when constructing or working on tall buildings. If bamboo can hold up all that, it can probably hold up a bike. If you ride in the rain will leaves start to sprout? Hey, is your bike too small? Just water it!
Here's some typical scaffolding in asia:
Here's some typical scaffolding in asia:
Attachments
1 - 14 of 14 Posts
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
