£10 prize

SmellTheGlove

Any haughty/arboriculturalists out there?

Could you grow a wooden bicycle frame? It is a long-term project. It would involve forcing the trunk to split at a certain place and angle, then grafting/splicing/rejoining it, then dividing it again, a bit like a Frankenstein's bonsai.
If it grows reasonably straight and with the required double-triangle it should have considerable inherent strength. Would it even need a double triangle if it grew the right shape? What are the drawbacks with this concept?
Has it been attempted or even done?

sketchley

http://www.renovobikes.com/

SmellTheGlove

I like renovo but the frames aren't grown to shape. This is the challenge; grow the trunk to the double-triangle shape. Finishing is permitted but lamination is not. Feasible anyone?

asquithea

Well, my instinctive reaction would be no, but then if you can do this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Neadle.jpg


See also: http://www.arborsmith.com/

SmellTheGlove

asquithea wrote:

Well, my instinctive reaction would be no, but then if you can do this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Neadle.jpg


See also: http://www.arborsmith.com/

Getting somewhere now, sort of... http://www.arborsmith.com/treeatsbike.html