Bamboo Bike Research

Racingpanda

Hi everyone,

I am a mechanical engineering graduate at Oxford Brookes University. I am currently doing some further research to gain a better understanding of the bicycle industry and investigate the feasibility and production methods of a bamboo bike. This is a continuation of my dissertation project to design, build and test a cross country bamboo mountain bike frame. The project was a success and the university have some initial funding for further research into the idea.

As part of this study we are conducting a survey to help us better understand the biking industry, consumer demands, ideals and thoughts on the concept. The survey is pretty short and shouldn’t take much more than five minutes of your time.

You can find the survey here:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XGGQDLB

We are interested in all ages and abilities, so get your friends and family to fill it out too!

Any questions or feedback please let me know though the forum thread or to jonathan_biddulph@yahoo.co.uk

Many thanks!

Jonny

PS not sure if this is the best area to post this message in so plese let me know if it should be somewhere else.

underdog

A bamboo bike, how odd I was just reading how to make one on http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to- ... o-Bicycle/

Chunkers1980

And the point is?

Great for tubes, bad for joints...

They want to fund further - they must be mad.

They'll be up against tough competition, I've heard Specialized bamboo section is huge and growing at a fast rate

andyrm

I saw this the other week at Bristol Bikefest - looks intriguing!!

Fair play for the project - looked really well put together when I saw it.

supersonic

Already been done quite a few times before.

TheKrikkitWars

TBH, I don't understand the choice of bamboo (though if you can explain without interfering with the survey, I'd love to know more); Laminated hardwoods would achieve (to my mind) much the same effect whilst allowing a monocoque design eliminating joints entirely and having a significantly higher strength than bamboo.

The only problem I can see with lamination is the need for the headtube and BB to be relatively big to encompass a sufficient internal diameter. I had been thinking of laying one up, to see if the concept works... Yours seems to have an element of that, but with the awkward areas built up using bamboo fiber to form a composite material.

Stevo_666

I spend a bit of time over in the Far East (am in Tokyo now, which is why I'm posting in the middle of the night). Never seen a bamboo bike over this side of the world. You'd think that if it was a good idea, they would have done ithere by now?

FunBus

As supersonic said, its already been done. I'm suprised you've not seen one Stevo 666 over in the far east... I was over in Taiwan in March and saw loads. The Taipei show must have had at least 5 brands showing bamboo bikes and accessories.

True, its not good for the joints, thats why its only used on the tubing - very similar to the old school bonded carbon frames......neat idea, for shows, but cant really see the benefits in the real world.....unless you get lost in the dark and need to light a fire!!

supersonic

I'd be scared of been chased by pandas.

Stevo_666

FunBus wrote:

As supersonic said, its already been done. I'm suprised you've not seen one Stevo 666 over in the far east... I was over in Taiwan in March and saw loads. The Taipei show must have had at least 5 brands showing bamboo bikes and accessories.

I've been in HK, Shanghai, Tokyo, Singapore and Bangkok over the last couple of years and never seen one out on the streets.

FunBus

True, i've never seen one on the streets, just at exhibitions - which is what i said when i filled in his questionnaire. Seems like development for developments sake, i cant really see any major benefits apart from the "green" aspect.....

TheKrikkitWars

FunBus wrote:

True, i've never seen one on the streets, just at exhibitions - which is what i said when i filled in his questionnaire. Seems like development for developments sake, i cant really see any major benefits apart from the "green" aspect.....

I don't think it's actually particularly green, considering that it'll be much more fragile, and needs lots of toxic resins to manufacture.

I suspect that this is actually focusing on the damping properties of bamboo, which could be worthwhile; but i think that using engineered timber would achive the same effect whilst potentially being more resiliant.

Paul 8v

could the fibres be laid up and laminated like carbon fibre?

FunBus

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/f ... bike-26706

TheKrikkitWars

Paul 8v wrote:

could the fibres be laid up and laminated like carbon fibre?

If you look at the pictures of OP's bike, that's what they've done for the headset, BB and joints.

Kobike

Hi,
I'm new here, untill today I just read this forum.
I know that some of you have doubt about the strength of bamboo bikes, but I made my first bike one year ago, rode hundreds of kilometers and tested under very poor road conditions with my 80kg. It works great.
I just finished my 2nd, improved bamboobike frame, its weight is 1,64kg! Someone recommanded the hardwood as a row material. The weight/strength ratio is the reason of using bamboo instead of hardwood.
I'm working on a web site about my bamboobikes, check it if you are interested:
http://sites.google.com/site/kobikedesign/