Bamboo bicycles anyone?
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Bike talk among our group of cross-country cyclists usually revolves around alloy parts and carbon fiber frames. Not that we have carbon fiber bikes but there’s no harm in dreaming. 
Well, I was surfing Flickr yesterday and know what I came across? A bamboo bicycle. Imagine biking for more than 10 years and we never heard of bamboo poles grafted to alloy components. We’ve seen a temporary bamboo fence and low-price bamboo flooring but not bamboo bikes.
Before we dismiss the idea as the product of a deranged biker’s mind, let’s have some interesting facts about bamboo first. It’s actually not a wood, although it is sometimes described as having a woody part, but is a member of the true grass family, Poaceae. It is the fastest growing “woody” plant, attaining a growth spurt of up to 4 feet a day, depending on the species. Giant bamboos can grow more than 100 feet tall.
As for its mechanical properties, bamboo is tough to beat. Its tensile strength is superior to mild steel and can withstand up to 52,000 pounds of pressure PSI (per square inch). It’s weight to strength ratio surpasses that of graphite fiber. Rright, the carbon fiber of light bike frames fame. Bamboo survived the atomic blast at Hiroshima and provided the first green leaves and hope of re-greening.
Now, to shots of real bamboo and hemp bikes from CalfeeDesign.com…
A road bike
A cross-country mountain bike
The more than $2,000.00 price tag of the bamboo frames might turn-off a lot of potential customers. Don’t worry, do-it-yourselfers can try following this plan and make their own home-made and truly unique bamboo bike frame.
CalfeeDesigns has a Ghana bamboo bicycle programme to help Africans make their own bikes from locally abundant bamboos.
Update
After that first look at bamboo bike frames, I found another high-performance bike made of bamboo poles and carbon-composite joints. Assembled in 2004, it is still going strong in 2008 after 2 marathons. Read its full story here and be impressed.
A commenter on TreasureNature, James Wolf (comment # 30), has shared his photo of an antique road bike whose frame are bamboo poles. James runs a bamboo company in Vietnam called Trevang. Check out his website for innovative and beautiful bamboo products.
Other posts you’ll want to read:
- Bamboo cycle trailer.
- The unusual bamboo plant.
- Bamboo clothing and fabrics.
- Bamboo skateboard decks.
- Practical bamboo product: bamboo cutting boards.
September 13th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
a solid hitech artifical material bike costs as much as the bamboo one. bamboo is superstrong so i do not see the price like a negative thing when buying a really good bike it is really worth the consideration
September 13th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
I had no clue there was a Bamboo bike! I really like Bamboo even though it has a pretty pricey tag on it. Thanks for sharing.
Going Green Taras last blog post..5 Ways to Green Your Paper Use
September 14th, 2008 at 9:47 am
Bamboo is a highly sustainable resource that requires little processing in order to be used in products we commonly use everyday. It’s utilization can offset the damage caused on the environment by extraction and processing of less sustainable or mineral products, which actually balances the cost.
Thanks for dropping by.
September 16th, 2008 at 9:04 am
Those are totally amazing facts, like the tensile strength is superior to mild steel. I really didn’t know much about the properties of bamboo and to see it being used as part of a bike frame is definitely new to me!
September 17th, 2008 at 6:27 am
I agree that it’s a little known fact that bamboo is really a strong material. Here in Asia, houses can be built completely out of bamboo and they can last for decades. They can even stand their ground against typhoons and really strong winds.
But I have to admit, I was surprised to see a bamboo bicycle.
MJs last blog post..Of Rain and Landslides
September 18th, 2008 at 10:31 am
This is awesome idea, I’m surprised this wasn’t thought of sooner. Especially since the bamboo is so strong it actually makes sense to use it. It knew it had some strength but I never would have thought it would be strong enough for a bicycle!!
Green Productss last blog post..Neuton Electric Mower
September 19th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
That’s kinda neat. Do these bicycles hold up long term?
PaulsHealthBlog.coms last blog post..Save Thousands of Dollars and Needless Suffering
September 22nd, 2008 at 2:28 am
Wow! I’ve heard about these through the wind and decided to do a search for them today. My initial worry was about the longevity of a natural product through the wear and tear of everyday cycling, not to mention the bangs and bruises my current bike takes everytime I take it off road on the weekends. The bmeres post took care of that worry. Nice work!
DTs last blog post..Time and Attention
September 24th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
oh wow! that’s very creative and very interesting!
September 25th, 2008 at 6:17 am
Bamboo bicycles are quite eco friendly.im amazed at the level of ingenuity by the person who came up with the idea! Kudos
Collinss last blog post..Safaricom Slumber -Sirens Blazing !
September 26th, 2008 at 8:00 am
I love the idea of a bamboo bike - it should be quite light-weighted, eco-friendly and good-looking:)
Polinas last blog post..Looking for Skin Care Protection from Your Furniture Again??
September 26th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
the first too look just amazing
September 30th, 2008 at 10:07 am
Very nice bikes! Who would think that bamboo was that strong and versatile!
NathanKP - Imagination Manifesto
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October 2nd, 2008 at 6:33 pm
Now that is just cool! The first picture doesn’t even look like it’s bamboo. I bet they are a little more eco-friendly as well, since the frame is made from natural material.
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:46 am
OMG, it’s really made from bamboo? but still another part like the wheel are made from aloy. In my country there is a lot of bamboo tree too. But the treatment technology to make those bamboo stronger are not available yet in my country.
October 4th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
Amazing, bamboo is everywhere now! I never realized how many thing can be made from that and hemp.
DJs last blog post..Sleeping Angel
October 6th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
Hi all!
Well, it’s nice to know we are not the only ones who were amazed by these machines.
The last one featured was built by Brano Meres, an engineer who builds custom bike frames, in 2004. It’s his favorite riding bike since (we envy the man). He has ridden it in 2 marathons, in 2007 and 2008, and it still looks, and rides, fine. That’s 4 years or real use.
It would be difficult to use bamboo for the wheels and alloy components so we’re afraid a real and usable all-bamboo mountain bike is out of the question. But still, the bamboo in the frame already replace a lot of steel or aluminum alloy or carbon fiber, all made from non-renewable mineral resources.
Hardening bamboo is a simple matter of drying and heat treating. We’ve made simple bamboo spears by hacking a point on dry bamboo poles and thrusting it briefly into an open fire. It makes a sharp and hard tip.
Thanks.
October 7th, 2008 at 1:00 am
Hi there!
I just sold my mountain bike, its not worth it to scar my legs for fun yeh know! ^_^ Here I go again hopping in your blog and dropping EC’s! Visit my site ayt?! http://www.kumagcow.com thanks!
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October 9th, 2008 at 4:03 am
hi bamboo bike it is. we used to have one like that but ours is made out of wood planks and it is called karitela.
just dopping by to say hi!
thanks
Talk2myCPA
http://talk2mycpa.blogspot.com
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October 10th, 2008 at 10:00 am
I belong to the American Bamboo Society and we have a gentleman who wants to make a bamboo bike from scratch. He wants to know what species of bamboo is used for the frame. Can you tell me? Thanks, Mike 619-300-4612
October 17th, 2008 at 9:52 am
@ KumagCow
lol
Mine is worth all the cuts, scrapes, scratches, and a sprained elbow and shoulder I got from biking.
@ Talk
A karitela is a skateboard with handles.
@ Mike
Me and my biking buddies were also discussing suitable species. Locally available ones that fits the bill are Schizostachyum lima and Bambusa multiplex. We think any thin-walled, small diameter, and straight bamboo will do with the right tempering.
Your best bet probably is contacting CalfeeDesigns.com. They may have done some research on suitable bamboos depending on location. Their project in Africa utilizes locally available variety.
October 25th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Wow a bamboo bike. I would like one of those to go with my cool weird bike collection. I dont think it will beat my pocket bike thought.
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October 25th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
I have to admit that this is the first that I have ever heard of bamboo bikes. I also didnt know those facts about bamboo. 4 feet a day?!? That would be pretty cool to get one, but I think it would definitely get a few raised brows
Larrys last blog post..Pressure Cleaning Your Home
October 26th, 2008 at 12:51 am
There are also bamboos that grows less than a millimeter a week.
October 31st, 2008 at 1:37 pm
That’s interesting!
I also had met an old man riding self-made wood bicycle to travel around Europe.
iWalks last blog post..Dachshund Leo and Rescue Dog Barry
November 1st, 2008 at 8:52 am
That IS interesting! Seeing a real-life bamboo bicycle. Thanks for dropping by.
November 1st, 2008 at 11:23 pm
it was thought of and bamboo bikes are about as onle as bikes (100 years) i have a picture of a 90 year ond bamboo bike in a museum
November 9th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Amazing. I guess bamboo must be strong as it is used for scaffolding in so many parts of Asia.
Mark Hs last blog post..Visiting the Smallest Town in the World (Hum, Croatia)
November 10th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
@ James Wolf
Wow! Want to share it with us?
@ Mark H.
Indeed. During its construction boom, skyscrapers in Hong Kong were wrapped in bamboo scaffoldings tied together with hemp or rattan.
Thanks.
November 10th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
I have been a master craftsman my whole career and a bamboo craftsman for about 14 years. i own my own bamboo factory in Vietnam and have been puting my RISD design education and blood sweat and tears into bamboo for 14 years. I am so glad to see that bamboo is being regognised and industrialised these days, but don’t like the green washing (pasting bamboo onto a laptop or external hard drive does not make it the “greenest”. it worked fine with out it and that is Greenwasshing and using bamboo for an Eco-Edge when there is nor real reason.) Now, bamboo bikes are really using it for the inherant qualities it has. I am now building the first of many bamboo bike and vehical frames in my factory. I cant wait for this to go mainstream. If anyone wants to visit my site its trevang (dot)com (dot)vn. Tre Vang means Bamboo Gold and also means Yellow Bamboo. But i like the idea of turning bamboo into gold. How can i post my photo of the 90nyear old bamboo bike?
November 11th, 2008 at 12:56 am
James,
It truly is a pleasure to have somebody who works with bamboo commenting at TreasureNature. At our end, we try to convince farmers and homesteaders to plant bamboo instead of cash crops in upland and sloping areas to help in keeping the thin top soil in place. Bamboo’s root sytem is perfect for this. But we can only be succesful if bamboo becomes a valuable commodity.
Like you, we also don’t promote “green” products simply bacause of the color. They need to be used as bamboo (not s shell or covering) and have an impact on the environment, like cutting boards and chopsticks.
You can send the picture to us at treasurenature [at] gmail [dot] com. Better yet, we’d like to feature your company. Why not send us an article on it and what you are doing for bamboo and th eenvironment? We’d be most happy if you do.
Thanks and regards.