Scarbo

Now, would that be the world renown, Greg Smallman? In fact, Australia can boast a number of fine, world-class luthiers these days! And, Brazilian rosewood, though really beautiful, now falls under international regulations (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). Ah, well, I can dream, can't I?

Rowan

No, not Greg Smallman. The guy I know lives in a small Victorian town where I used to also live. And yes, to move any of his stock of Brazilian rosewood around, he has to get heaps of approvals from the Australian Government, as well as the destinatin governments.

canklecat

If I was wealthy enough to collect art and handcrafted collectibles, wood and bamboo bikes would top my list of stuff to have. They're appealing functional arts/crafts in the same way as wooden cameras and handmade pinhole cameras.

corrado33

I woould love to ride a wooden bike, just to see how well it works.

Are certain types of wood strong enough to make bike frames out of without CF? Would they have to be solid? Wood isn't very dense, but I'd imagine a wood bike would be pretty heavy. I'd still love to ride it. It'd probably ride like butter (wood would probably absorb all of the bumps!)

martianone

Wood is the original carbon fiber ! YES, a wooden bike frame !!

Mark Kelly 

Hi, I'm the guy who makes these.

Just to clear something up, they are not carbon frames with wood veneer.

The build method is something I developed over several years of research, it involves laying up a composite of tonewoods and fibres (carbon, boron and renewables eg flax) layer by layer. The frames are generally about 50% CF/BF/RF by weight, somewhat less than that by volume (CF is heavier than wood, BF is heavier than carbon).

The intention was not to make a wooden frame for the sake of making a wooden frame: I set out to get the best ride quality I could and tonewoods turned out to be the answer.

The woods used do come as veneer leaf because that's a great way to buy very thin sections of very high quality wood.

Mark Kelly 

I don't like them either, that's the last bike that was or will be done with those joins.

The problem has always been that the tube joints are compound curves and wood won't bend over the compound curve and maintain strength.

I have developed a new method which appears to be novel and am in the process of patenting it.

Mark Kelly 

I only work with Australian tonewoods from sources I can trust.

Tasmanian blackwood (the wood on the medial faces of the tubes in the bike in the OP) is a close relative of Hawaiian koa if that's any help.

Jean3n16

sure!

Mark Kelly 

If you are talking about my bikes, the key difference is that the wood layers are built up in 0.6mm increments and impregnated with a high Tg epoxy ( Tg correlates with crosslinking) which is oven cured: I run a full scale composites curing oven large enough to fit a bike in.

The surface layer of wood is not epoxied, it is finished by hand with tung oil, a process that takes me around a week to complete.

Since I am therefore not relying on a skin of plastic over the surface of the wood (which is what your hockey sticks had) I don't get the delamination that causes the damage you mention.

Maelochs

They are pretty bikes by and large ... but because I am a wood-lover, of course I would say that. Interesting to know the details behind your construction. Your website is a little ... empty at the moment.

I would call your creations "wood/composite frames." But whatever ... They are pretty for the most part ... ai am interested to see how the tube junctures will appear with your latest production technique.

Please post here from time to time to keep us updated. I don't think one of your bikes---nor one of Renovo's---will be in my budget soon ... right now I cannot justify buying another bike (at least until I get my car running ... ) but I am interested as an observer.

Mark Kelly 

Yes, I am very bad at the website stuff, my eldest son has taken over. Hopefully we'll be up soon.

One of the few things on the website that works is the top banner, which now says "Tonewood Composite Bicycles", a tag I've been using for a couple of years.

I mostly hang out over at Velocipede Salon.

1Mule

Nope, I'm adverse to hippie alt frame materials like carbon fiber and wood.

jefnvk

Saw this in Haarlem, in the Netherlands. It'd be a cool city runabout bike!

jade408

Cool looking bike.

Kaze6

The first bicycles were made of wood, and didn't have pedals. The rider pushed his feet on the ground. I can't think of any reason that the wood 200 years ago would be any stronger than the wood of today.

jorglueke

JonnyHK 

Rosewood veneers aren't that expensive.

My company builds boats with the stuff. SPECIAL : Carl Douglas Racing Shells
Kevlar/wood composite skins.

Rowan

We're talking Brazilian rosewood, not ordinary rosewood. There are severe restrictions on its movement and uses.

CrowSeph

Funny how the most common material is used for bike with a double price one full carbonfiber!.

JonnyHK 

OK - we are using Santos Rosewood (from Bolivia, not really a rosewood) now as the Brazilian stock ran out. We're still using Brazilian Mahogany which confused me.

Rowan

No probs.

Stadjer

I'd rather have the steel one behind it, that's a good bike.

I like the woodies when it's about using different woods in composite, with or without other materials to get the right flexibility and rigidity in the right places. The main advantage of wood in this one is that it's easy to retrieve if you bike into a canal. But I've always managed to stay out of canals.

I do see a lot more wooden fenders lately, I like that, it looks good with fat tyres. Wooden rims might be a good idea, they flex in a different way and that's supposed to be very comfortable. Cork handlebar grips is also a good idea but the for the other parts I think it takes a very high degree of woodworking and special woods to beat steel.

jefnvk

For practicality, sure. For looking awesome and having a unique runabout, I'd still stick with the woody!

I like unique, though.

Bikeforumuser0019

Just as nature intended.