Bamboo Bike!

[Akiwi]

Just finished building a Bamboo Bike for my commute to work. I work sometimes in Basel Switzerland. Live in France as it is cheaper so bike about 6km to work each day.
Anyway I built myself this Bamboo City bike and pimped it up a bit. I built the frame at Bamboo Bicycle Club Munich. Read they were making an E-Bike with the batteries inserted in a bamboo seat tube!!
Just thought someone might be interested.

 

[GrahamPaul]

Love it! But for your next exercise in bamboo frames, may I suggest a Pedersen?

From memory, the frame was designed specifically with bamboo in mind.

I borrowed a steel version once. Probably the most comfortable bike I have ever ridden (it has a hammock, after all). Just not something for windy regions. Oh, and car drivers tend to crash while rubbernecking.

 

[Akiwi]

Love it! But for your next exercise in bamboo frames, may I suggest a Pedersen?

From memory, the frame was designed specifically with bamboo in mind.

I borrowed a steel version once. Probably the most comfortable bike I have ever ridden (it has a hammock, after all). Just not something for windy regions. Oh, and car drivers tend to crash while rubbernecking.

Seen one of those, but you have to admit, it is very ugly.
One of my often used mottos, is "it doesn't have to work as long as it looks good!!" ;-)

 

[GrahamPaul]

Seen one of those, but you have to admit, it is very ugly.
One of my often used mottos, is "it doesn't have to work as long as it looks good!!" ;-)

I though so, too, until I got on it. Then it was the most beautiful bike in the world - to ride on the road, anyway.

Being a typical engineer, you'll hear me oft moaning: "...form over function..." The curse of modern times...

 

[Akiwi]

I love building things, (Bikes, Skis, Snowboards, Longboards etc) and I like to try to make things as functional as possible, and as beautiful as possible.

 

[GrahamPaul]

I love building things, (Bikes, Skis, Snowboards, Longboards etc) and I like to try to make things as functional as possible, and as beautiful as possible.

and, from the pictures above, a true craftsman. Chapeau!

 

[GrandPaBrogan]

Just finished building a Bamboo Bike for my commute to work. I work sometimes in Basel Switzerland. Live in France as it is cheaper so bike about 6km to work each day.
Anyway I built myself this Bamboo City bike and pimped it up a bit. I built the frame at Bamboo Bicycle Club Munich. Read they were making an E-Bike with the batteries inserted in a bamboo seat tube!!
Just thought someone might be interested.

Outstanding build, Akiwi. Nicely done! It's cool that there's a bamboo bicycle club in Munich... sourcing bamboo materials for such a build in Europe can't be easy, I imagine.

None in New Zealand that I know of, but I came across this from a quick search...


A frame I might be able to import, but I'm toying with the idea of building one too... but I don't think NZ MAF would look too kindly at bringing in raw bamboo.

I've seen bamboo grow in NZ, but I have no way of knowing if it's the right species suitable for bike frames.

 

[Zimmerframe]

I've seen bamboo grow in NZ, but I have no way of knowing if it's the right species suitable for bike frames

Just find the one which is 10 times more expensive than the others : that's the bike compatible variety.

Aren't there like 3000 types of bamboo ? I'd say wing it. Everything I've ever cut has been strong as hell. The black is slightly slower growing I think and would look nice.

 

[GrandPaBrogan]

^ The ones that grow here are thin walled and split easy. So not too keen.

 

[Akiwi]

I have to admit that by doing it in a workshop, it made things a shit load easier, and I didn't have to inform myself or make decisions in that direction. It is not the way I normally do things, but it was there so I used it.
Yes MAF can be a R.P.I.T.A sometimes, but I studied Horticulture so I know why. Ask my wife about the $200 apple they found in one of our bags last time we came to N.Z.
What you could try is to order a kit from Bamboo Bicycle club. I think they ship internationally. The guy who owns it in England is very helpfull apparently, I did it through the German Branch.

 

[Zimmerframe]

What you could try is to order a kit from Bamboo Bicycle club. I think they ship internationally. The guy who owns it in England is very helpfull apparently, I did it through th eGerman Branch.

Or you could try my method and use some fresh grass clippings mixed with a bit of resin (uhm.. flour and egg) squashed into some of those left over cardboard tubes from all the wrapping paper....

Honest, it's perfect .. maybe don't ride in the rain often though...

 

[wepn]

my method and use some fresh grass clippings mixed with a bit of resin (uhm.. flour and egg)

Pretty sure I tried that when I lived in France as a teen. Delicious from memory

I have to admit that by doing it in a workshop, it made things a shit load easier, and I didn't have to inform myself or make decisions in that direction. It is not the way I normally do things, but it was there so I used it.
Yes MAF can be a R.P.I.T.A sometimes, but I studied Horticulture so I know why. Ask my wife about the $200 apple they found in one of our bags last time we came to N.Z.
What you could try is to order a kit from Bamboo Bicycle club. I think they ship internationally. The guy who owns it in England is very helpfull apparently, I did it through the German Branch.

So cool. It's so much more than just a bamboo bike. It's a work of art. Timor Black would be pretty amazing.

 

[GrandPaBrogan]

So cool. It's so much more than just a bamboo bike. It's a work of art. Timor Black would be pretty amazing.

I think you can’t use bamboo that’s still green or fresh. They need to be dried out (or kiln dried) first so not sure if the black bamboo would also end up brown. In that YouTube video, the ‘bam-builder’ was also prepping by taking the outer layer or skin off the bamboo. There must be a reason why it’s done...

Maybe the dark green colour can be reintroduced by mixing a tint with the clear acrylic finish.

 

[Zimmerframe]

I guess the outer layer is still soft and "active" .. and will probably peel off over time if you don't remove it.

Just glanced at this and there's some info in there ..

All About Bamboo

I spent my time finding this picture of a professional bamboo bike engineer at work.

 

[KennyB]

Seen one of those, but you have to admit, it is very ugly.
One of my often used mottos, is "it doesn't have to work as long as it looks good!!" ;-)

"If it looks stupid and it works it can't be that stupid."

 

[Zimmerframe]

"If it looks stupid and it works it can't be that stupid."

It says that on my CV at the start.

 

[Akiwi]

I think you can’t use bamboo that’s still green or fresh. They need to be dried out (or kiln dried) first so not sure if the black bamboo would also end up brown. In that YouTube video, the ‘bam-builder’ was also prepping by taking the outer layer or skin off the bamboo. There must be a reason why it’s done...

Maybe the dark green colour can be reintroduced by mixing a tint with the clear acrylic finish.

I removed the outer layer only at the joints, as the Epoxy resin needed to bind with the bamboo for a good strong connection. The rest of the bamboo I left it. Gave it a light sanding before I Varnished it.