New choice of frame material

rjsterry
rjsterry Posts: 27,484
edited April 2011 in Commuting chat
Steel, aluminium, carbon fibre, titanium and now...




Wood!

And not just the frame: there are in fact no metal or plastic components in the bike at all, just wood (of various types) and glue.
1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
Pinnacle Monzonite

Part of the anti-growth coalition

Comments

  • Whatever next?

    Cardboard?
    Nobody told me we had a communication problem
  • asprilla
    asprilla Posts: 8,440
    I've wanted a bamboo frame from Zambike for a while now.
    Mud - Genesis Vapour CCX
    Race - Fuji Norcom Straight
    Sun - Cervelo R3
    Winter / Commute - Dolan ADX
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 27,484
    The cardboard bike shares some similarities, but the decision to have no metal components at all meant that the Splinterbike has a huge cog between chain ring and sprocket instead of a chain, which is quite an interesting idea. Obviously FG only and difficult to fit under the saddle, but I wonder how this compares in terms of efficiency to a traditional chain.

    It doesn't look good for cross winds either.
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • I quite like this one that was built for the Edinburgh Sportive last year:

    %5C%5CBms00006%5Cincome%20generation%20public%5CImages%20%26%20Logos%5CPhotos%5CEvents%5CSportive%5CSportive%2010%5CSportive%2010%20-%20Claire%5CJune%202010%20-%20CD%20066.jpg
  • So what would the best gears for the wooden bike be? Shimanoak XTree or Campagnolog perhaps?
    Nobody told me we had a communication problem
  • So what would the best gears for the wooden bike be? Shimanoak XTree or Campagnolog perhaps?

    Nah, Treeagra, innit?
  • rjsterry wrote:
    It doesn't look good for cross winds either.

    Oh I don't know, I bet with some Contree tyres it would feel really well planted.... :roll:
    Nobody told me we had a communication problem
  • sketchley
    sketchley Posts: 4,238
    --
    Chris

    Genesis Equilibrium - FCN 3/4/5
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 27,484
    rjsterry wrote:
    It doesn't look good for cross winds either.

    Oh I don't know, I bet with some Contree tyres it would feel really well planted.... :roll:

    You standing in for K_B, then?
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • rjsterry wrote:
    You standing in for K_B, then?

    Yep, Kieran Burns wood have made a similar joke, but he's probably gone out.

    Gone out - geddit
    Nobody told me we had a communication problem
  • Wallace1492
    Wallace1492 Posts: 3,707
    And if you were a bit slow on your new wooden bike, you could always shave a few seconds off.... :D
    "Encyclopaedia is a fetish for very small bicycles"
  • And if you were a bit slow on your new wooden bike, you could always shave a few seconds off.... :D

    Yes I always find using a plane makes me faster (if the air traffic controllers aren't on strike again)
    Nobody told me we had a communication problem
  • Wallace1492
    Wallace1492 Posts: 3,707
    Guess you would need a good pair of Oakleys to keep any splinters out your eye's.
    "Encyclopaedia is a fetish for very small bicycles"
  • Guess you would need a good pair of Oakleys to keep any splinters out your eye's.

    Nah, I've got a small head so I'll have to stick with my Raybonsai shades.
    Nobody told me we had a communication problem
  • Wallace1492
    Wallace1492 Posts: 3,707
    Tempted to continue, but think we went through all the "wood" puns a while ago....

    http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12657459&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0&sid=7914cb2c9381eeb2892e28214b612ccc
    "Encyclopaedia is a fetish for very small bicycles"
  • Quite right. I wood chip in more but I'm running a bit late so will leaf now to ride down the trunk road.

    Think I'll sleep like a log tonight.
    Nobody told me we had a communication problem
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 27,484
    Guess you would need a good pair of Oakleys to keep any splinters out your eye's.

    Nah, I've got a small head so I'll have to stick with my Raybonsai shades.

    That, sir, is a poor effort.
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • gtvlusso
    gtvlusso Posts: 5,112
    I may see if there is a way of compressing and glueing my old cigar stubs into some kinda super material...kinda like the burnt string we call carbon fibre.....
  • jonny_trousers
    jonny_trousers Posts: 3,588
    And the award for the thread-designed-to-show-that-cyclists-are-nerds-after-all goes too...
  • A wooden frame would be fine in drier climates but rubbish in the rainy UK
  • A wooden frame would be fine in drier climates but rubbish in the rainy UK
  • A wooden frame would be fine in drier climates but rubbish in the rainy UK

    Somebody better tell people that sail yachts that wood can't be waterproof. They'll go to their deaths, I tells you.
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 27,484
    It's the changing moisture content of the wood that would be a problem. It would expand and contract, which would throw all the joints and moving parts out of alignment.
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • Choosing the right wood, and finishing it properly would sort that out. Danish Oil is wonderful stuff.