7 ms·

Build your own bamboo bike kit

39 points by Lio 6y ago

peter_d_sherman 6y ago
If building a bicycle out of bamboo is not utterly, utterly brilliant -- then I don't know what is! Favorited!
- peter_d_sherman 6y ago
  Downvoted? But I'm not being sarcastic, really! Let's say hypothetically, for whatever reason, all of the metal in a society could no longer be used (hyperinflation, scarcity, factories are shut down, Act of God, Zombie Apocalypse, you're trapped on a desert island, ?) -- OK, so then, the next question then is What can you make simple forms of transportation out of? Well, you'd never think that bamboo could be used to create bicycles -- until you saw this article! So I reiterate, a brilliant idea!
  - jaggs 6y ago
    But surely the need for steel for the wheels, crank etc make it not totally cool and dystopia proof?
    - peter_d_sherman 6y ago
      You have to find some wheel replacement, that's true, but the frame made of bamboo is still brilliant!
ebg13 6y ago
This seems like a fun, slightly expensive craft project but not a serious bicycle. Or maybe the problem is that it's a little _too_ serious of a bicycle. $400 for just some tubes, glue, and dropouts, plus another $800-$2500 for the other parts needed to turn the frame into an actual bicycle, plus however much you value several days of labor, and then from their FAQ... > How long will a bamboo bike frame last? It’s difficult to say. If you care for your bike as you would for a musical instrument... Care for your bike like a musical instrument?! They can't be serious. That instrument had better be a steel triangle. > Are Bamboo Bicycles strong enough? Absolutely! Over the hundreds of bamboo bikes built, they have travelled thousands of miles Is that 10 miles each? That's not very reassuring. > If you crash, won’t you get splinters? Likely, yes Oh fun.
- kqr2 6y ago
  Any other recommendations for a DIY bicycle frame?
  - et-al 6y ago
    It begs the question why. This may lead to a huge side debate, but for a lot of mechanics, the frame is actually the boring part of a bicycle build. Sure it's the centerpiece. Sure does it plane? But there's already a plethora of other issues one needs to address when assembling a bike that building your own frame seems like a misprioritisation of time for novices. For example: will all the components of the drivetrain you pieced together actually shift well? Are the cranks going to clear the chainstays? Is the headset too tight? Do the brakes bite at the right moment when one pulls the lever? Why do the brakes squeal? Are the wheels properly tensioned and trued? These details may not matter the first 30 minutes of riding a new bike. But 3 months from now, whether a bike has issues or not depends on attention to these details. Most local bike co-ops have enough 80s Japanese frames that are still compatible with easily accessible parts that I don't see a strong proposition for building a bamboo frame other than a design gimmick. Steel frames are generally lighter, won't fail catastrophically, and are arguably more elegant. But to answer your question, if you'd like to build a bicycle frame, I'd look into a class from any of the following: UBI in Oregon - https://bikeschool.com/ https://bikeschool.com/ Doug Fattic in Michigan (he has a three-week course) - http://www.classicrendezvous.com/USA/Fattic-Doug.htm http://www.classicrendezvous.com/USA/Fattic-Doug.htm One of Doug's students has written a lengthy piece about his experience - https://medium.com/@ben.hudson/framebuilding-with-doug-fattic-pt-1-how-did-we-get-here-20c59ab8abfb https://medium.com/@ben.hudson/framebuilding-with-doug-fatti... Yamaguchi in Colorado - https://www.yamaguchibike.com/content/School https://www.yamaguchibike.com/content/School
    - strogonoff 6y ago
      > Steel frames are generally lighter I’d rather see numbers on that. My cheapo MTB is sure as hell not light. Depending on how much I have to pay for the materials, bamboo one might be lighter and provide higher quality of ride at the same price point (not counting work).
strogonoff 6y ago
Don’t know about eco-friendliness of bamboo bicycle frames, but I am curious if it should be lighter than a metal frame (considering bikes under $500 or so).
- fractallyte 6y ago
  From their FAQ: They are generally lighter than a steel and aluminium frame and slightly heavier than a carbon and titanium.
  - strogonoff 6y ago
    Has to be lighter than my MTB. A friend of mine is strongly into bamboo bikes but rides more casually than I do.
pengaru 6y ago
Visited site out of curiosity, immediately closed tab containing totally useless page without js.
- greggturkington 6y ago
  An e-commerce site loading 250kb of JS on an internet where greater than 99% of users have JS enabled? Seems fair.
sieabahlpark 6y ago
I'm sure this is leisure riding only, no way anyone could put down a lot of force and not snap the gear or pedal. Hell I'd stick with metal just so I don't have to worry about it snapping at whatever speed I would be going and panicking on how to stop
the_arun 6y ago
But why do we need to build Bamboo bikes? What are the benefits? eco friendly?
- bobthepanda 6y ago
  Depending on where you are and what type, bamboo is a very aggressive invasive plant. Finding a use for it is certainly good to help get rid of it. It grows quickly and is very hardy, which is why, for example, in Hong Kong it is used for scaffolding in place of steel. It's light (which speeds up putting together and taking down scaffolding), sustainable and recyclable. https://www.goldthread2.com/culture/bamboo-scaffolding-why-does-hong-kong-still-use-it-construction/article/3080274 https://www.goldthread2.com/culture/bamboo-scaffolding-why-d...
  - randycupertino 6y ago
    That's incredible! I had never heard of bamboo scaffolding so googled it and found this cool building setup: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWwc1DVAyio https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWwc1DVAyio Although gotta watch out if BobthePanda moves into your building, he might get evicted for eating the walls!
  - vram22 6y ago
    Bamboo scaffolding on buildings while constructing them was very common in India. Not seen it much recently but it could be because not seen many new multi-storey buildings for a while. Could still be in use.
    - bobthepanda 6y ago
      IIRC it is banned for >6 stories in the PRC. So perhaps something similar is at hand. (HK still uses it for skyscrapers, though.)
- jstanley 6y ago
  You don't need to, you just can if you want. It looks cool and might be a fun project, don't really need any more reason than that IMO. But if you do need more reason, the linked website says: > Our bikes are built with sustainable materials use a bio-composite and flax fibre. > Bamboo bikes offer a better ride with natural vibration dampening and durability. They're resistant to stress and therefore suitable for the most challenging environment.
randycupertino 6y ago
I used to race Ironmans and saw a few bamboo bikes from people in my tri club. It generally was a hobby project and was honestly pretty cool as a rideable work of art - apparently they were pretty comfy to ride- less stiff than carbon frames. I've seen bamboo ski poles as well, so perhaps this is a new fad... perhaps we'll see bamboo bike racks, etc etc. Wonder if the waterproofing polyurathane coating they use to treat them before use makes it more or less eco friendly than just using metal materials? Although I guess the metal would be water treated as well.
- throwaway0a5e 6y ago
  I used bamboo ski poles because I'm a cheapskate and use poles from the 1970s. Seems like back in the day (i.e. before fiberglass go cheap) it was pretty common to use bamboo for tubular things that need to be more flexy than metals can easily and cheaply accommodate.
- kiliantics 6y ago
  you could treat it with something like tung oil instead, though you would have to recoat somewhat more frequently
samirillian 6y ago
The crank says praxis.
adultSwim 6y ago
How much do the finished road bikes weigh?
singhrac 6y ago
I don’t know if it was intentional but the name sounds incredibly like Bombay Bicycle Club, an English indie rock band
Lio 6y ago
This use of carbon fibre lugs and adhesives reminds me of a Colnago C64 except with bamboo instead of carbon fibre. https://www.colnago.com/en/bikes/c64/ https://www.colnago.com/en/bikes/c64/
agul29 6y ago
Bicycles sold generally conform to ISO 4210, factory tests and material-wise. Do bikes built with these kits do? I'd would not descend at 80 km/h on these.

39 points by Lio 6y ago

peter_d_sherman 6y ago

If building a bicycle out of bamboo is not utterly, utterly brilliant -- then I don't know what is! Favorited!

peter_d_sherman 6y ago
Downvoted? But I'm not being sarcastic, really! Let's say hypothetically, for whatever reason, all of the metal in a society could no longer be used (hyperinflation, scarcity, factories are shut down, Act of God, Zombie Apocalypse, you're trapped on a desert island, ?) -- OK, so then, the next question then is What can you make simple forms of transportation out of? Well, you'd never think that bamboo could be used to create bicycles -- until you saw this article! So I reiterate, a brilliant idea!
- jaggs 6y ago
  But surely the need for steel for the wheels, crank etc make it not totally cool and dystopia proof?
  - peter_d_sherman 6y ago
    You have to find some wheel replacement, that's true, but the frame made of bamboo is still brilliant!

ebg13 6y ago

This seems like a fun, slightly expensive craft project but not a serious bicycle. Or maybe the problem is that it's a little _too_ serious of a bicycle. $400 for just some tubes, glue, and dropouts, plus another $800-$2500 for the other parts needed to turn the frame into an actual bicycle, plus however much you value several days of labor, and then from their FAQ... > How long will a bamboo bike frame last? It’s difficult to say. If you care for your bike as you would for a musical instrument... Care for your bike like a musical instrument?! They can't be serious. That instrument had better be a steel triangle. > Are Bamboo Bicycles strong enough? Absolutely! Over the hundreds of bamboo bikes built, they have travelled thousands of miles Is that 10 miles each? That's not very reassuring. > If you crash, won’t you get splinters? Likely, yes Oh fun.

kqr2 6y ago
Any other recommendations for a DIY bicycle frame?
- et-al 6y ago
  It begs the question why. This may lead to a huge side debate, but for a lot of mechanics, the frame is actually the boring part of a bicycle build. Sure it's the centerpiece. Sure does it plane? But there's already a plethora of other issues one needs to address when assembling a bike that building your own frame seems like a misprioritisation of time for novices. For example: will all the components of the drivetrain you pieced together actually shift well? Are the cranks going to clear the chainstays? Is the headset too tight? Do the brakes bite at the right moment when one pulls the lever? Why do the brakes squeal? Are the wheels properly tensioned and trued? These details may not matter the first 30 minutes of riding a new bike. But 3 months from now, whether a bike has issues or not depends on attention to these details. Most local bike co-ops have enough 80s Japanese frames that are still compatible with easily accessible parts that I don't see a strong proposition for building a bamboo frame other than a design gimmick. Steel frames are generally lighter, won't fail catastrophically, and are arguably more elegant. But to answer your question, if you'd like to build a bicycle frame, I'd look into a class from any of the following: UBI in Oregon - https://bikeschool.com/ https://bikeschool.com/ Doug Fattic in Michigan (he has a three-week course) - http://www.classicrendezvous.com/USA/Fattic-Doug.htm http://www.classicrendezvous.com/USA/Fattic-Doug.htm One of Doug's students has written a lengthy piece about his experience - https://medium.com/@ben.hudson/framebuilding-with-doug-fattic-pt-1-how-did-we-get-here-20c59ab8abfb https://medium.com/@ben.hudson/framebuilding-with-doug-fatti... Yamaguchi in Colorado - https://www.yamaguchibike.com/content/School https://www.yamaguchibike.com/content/School
  - strogonoff 6y ago
    > Steel frames are generally lighter I’d rather see numbers on that. My cheapo MTB is sure as hell not light. Depending on how much I have to pay for the materials, bamboo one might be lighter and provide higher quality of ride at the same price point (not counting work).

strogonoff 6y ago

Don’t know about eco-friendliness of bamboo bicycle frames, but I am curious if it should be lighter than a metal frame (considering bikes under $500 or so).

fractallyte 6y ago
From their FAQ: They are generally lighter than a steel and aluminium frame and slightly heavier than a carbon and titanium.
- strogonoff 6y ago
  Has to be lighter than my MTB. A friend of mine is strongly into bamboo bikes but rides more casually than I do.

pengaru 6y ago

Visited site out of curiosity, immediately closed tab containing totally useless page without js.

greggturkington 6y ago
An e-commerce site loading 250kb of JS on an internet where greater than 99% of users have JS enabled? Seems fair.

sieabahlpark 6y ago

I'm sure this is leisure riding only, no way anyone could put down a lot of force and not snap the gear or pedal. Hell I'd stick with metal just so I don't have to worry about it snapping at whatever speed I would be going and panicking on how to stop

the_arun 6y ago

But why do we need to build Bamboo bikes? What are the benefits? eco friendly?

bobthepanda 6y ago
Depending on where you are and what type, bamboo is a very aggressive invasive plant. Finding a use for it is certainly good to help get rid of it. It grows quickly and is very hardy, which is why, for example, in Hong Kong it is used for scaffolding in place of steel. It's light (which speeds up putting together and taking down scaffolding), sustainable and recyclable. https://www.goldthread2.com/culture/bamboo-scaffolding-why-does-hong-kong-still-use-it-construction/article/3080274 https://www.goldthread2.com/culture/bamboo-scaffolding-why-d...
- randycupertino 6y ago
  That's incredible! I had never heard of bamboo scaffolding so googled it and found this cool building setup: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWwc1DVAyio https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWwc1DVAyio Although gotta watch out if BobthePanda moves into your building, he might get evicted for eating the walls!
- vram22 6y ago
  Bamboo scaffolding on buildings while constructing them was very common in India. Not seen it much recently but it could be because not seen many new multi-storey buildings for a while. Could still be in use.
  - bobthepanda 6y ago
    IIRC it is banned for >6 stories in the PRC. So perhaps something similar is at hand. (HK still uses it for skyscrapers, though.)
jstanley 6y ago
You don't need to, you just can if you want. It looks cool and might be a fun project, don't really need any more reason than that IMO. But if you do need more reason, the linked website says: > Our bikes are built with sustainable materials use a bio-composite and flax fibre. > Bamboo bikes offer a better ride with natural vibration dampening and durability. They're resistant to stress and therefore suitable for the most challenging environment.

randycupertino 6y ago

I used to race Ironmans and saw a few bamboo bikes from people in my tri club. It generally was a hobby project and was honestly pretty cool as a rideable work of art - apparently they were pretty comfy to ride- less stiff than carbon frames. I've seen bamboo ski poles as well, so perhaps this is a new fad... perhaps we'll see bamboo bike racks, etc etc. Wonder if the waterproofing polyurathane coating they use to treat them before use makes it more or less eco friendly than just using metal materials? Although I guess the metal would be water treated as well.

throwaway0a5e 6y ago
I used bamboo ski poles because I'm a cheapskate and use poles from the 1970s. Seems like back in the day (i.e. before fiberglass go cheap) it was pretty common to use bamboo for tubular things that need to be more flexy than metals can easily and cheaply accommodate.
kiliantics 6y ago
you could treat it with something like tung oil instead, though you would have to recoat somewhat more frequently

samirillian 6y ago

The crank says praxis.

adultSwim 6y ago

How much do the finished road bikes weigh?

singhrac 6y ago

I don’t know if it was intentional but the name sounds incredibly like Bombay Bicycle Club, an English indie rock band

Lio 6y ago

This use of carbon fibre lugs and adhesives reminds me of a Colnago C64 except with bamboo instead of carbon fibre. https://www.colnago.com/en/bikes/c64/ https://www.colnago.com/en/bikes/c64/

agul29 6y ago

Bicycles sold generally conform to ISO 4210, factory tests and material-wise. Do bikes built with these kits do? I'd would not descend at 80 km/h on these.