Wood bike?

[mikeschn]

Has anyone here build a wood bike? Inquiring minds want to know...

Mike...

 

[ilovevocs]

I have not built one personally but have seen a few built from plywood.

They were bulky and features oversized by comparison to typical bicycle construction.

 

[Greg M-TNT]

These "Buckboard Bents" are fairly lightweight and super comfy. I keep meaning to make one.

 

[mikeschn]

I was thinking a little more traditional. Maybe something like this.

How would one even build something like this?

Mike...

 

[greygoos]

How about a bike made from a weed? http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Bam ... of-Riding/

 

[Greg M-TNT]

I was thinking a little more traditional. Maybe something like this.

How would one even build something like this?

Mike...

You'd need a pretty big steam box, and a whole lotta clamps...

 

[mikeschn]

Interesting...

I wonder if some of those pieces on the weed bike could be 3D printed?

I found this 3d printed titanium piece...

Mike...

 

[Awesomejim]

have bot built ine but saw a bamboo bike at a ride in Connecticut. The builder was a craftsman, it looked just like a carbon road bike, you barely would have known, beautuful.

 

[Awesomejim]

have not built one but saw a bamboo bike at a ride in Connecticut. The builder was a craftsman, it looked just like a carbon road bike, you barely would have known, beautiful.

 

[Tony Latham]

How would one even build something like this?

I would think that was done by steam bend multiple laminations over a form––one lamination at a time. I've steam-bent canoe stems that way but this would be way above my pay grade.

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Tony

 

[Xanthoman]

I have never built one but would love to. My methods of creation would depend on the look you are going for. Admittedly, with a veneer you maybe could change it all after you do something else for structural.

The easiest method would to do a plywood bike using two laminated 3/4” Baltic birch pieces and cut out the frame components and route and sand them until you achieve the curvatures you want. Pretty simple really, and quite strong. I made Olympic Rings this way and they were super strong.

The next method for strength would be custom laminates by slicing thin pieces and glueing them. If you stick to mostly broad angles and thin (<1/8”) you can get away without steaming. But steam boxes aren’t complicated so could go that route as well.

Another option might be finding quality stock and turning the tubes on the lathe and then using plywood or laminated just for the joints and tail forks.

I would recommend fiberglassing the top no matter what, but definitely if you go with solid wood. Laminate structures are so strong it’d just be for maintaining the finish...

But generally you can make anything out of wood similar to how you would do it out of metal. The seat post junction comes to mind. Just make a laminated block of maple or other high quality wood and mill it to shape and cut the appropriate tube holes by drilling. (I would do the holes first and Mill after, just to be clear.)

A design I would like to explore in wood would be one similar to the Moulton TSR with a plywood frame in the middle.

 

[Westy-TNT]

Here's one that could be done. It's made from plywood.

Website here http://www.woodenwidget.com/

Westy