THE WOODEN BICYCLE Kiriakos Iosifidis
AROUND THE WORLD
Contents 6
Preface by Kiriakos Iosifidis
7
BIKEART.gr
8
American Wood Bicycle Components 1896–1897 by Robert Cobcroft
9
Bamboo Bicycles by Jeff Greenwald
10 WOODEN BICYCLES 50
Dots Object
94
Matías Flocco
96
Michael Thompson
98
Mihail Luxandra
12
8.5 Telai Project
14
AERO
15
Airwoodbikes // Konstantinos Koutrakis
54
DVOIKA Studio
16
Alan Downey
56
ECCE Cycles
100
Möbel—Holzsport Häupler
17
ANT
58
Fibra // Singol Fixie
102
MUD Cycles
18
Analogone // Grainworks
60
Fidel Ismael López Velázquez
104
My Esel
20
Ango Bikes
62
FRB Custom
106
No3 // Vladislav Strelbitsky
22
Animus Bike
64
Fullwood
107
Noir Vif
24
Artcycles
66
Fusion // Yojiro Oshima
108
OKES // Reinier Korstanje
25
Bentwood
68
Galicia Custom Bike // Rafa Gomez
109
Plybike
26
Astan Bike
69
Geros Bike
110
Paul Timmer
28
Beamz
70
Hoopy
112
RAAK Design Studio
29
BKR Ecoframe // Pietro Russomanno
72
HTech Bikes
113
Samorost
73
Igor Ravbar
114
Renovo
30 Bonobo // Stanisław Płoski
52 Drevak // Ondřej Čarňanský
32
Bough Bikes
74
Jan
116
Ricor
34
Boske // Daniel Gestoso Rivers
75
JANO Dual-Bike
118
Rolling Art Bicycles
35
Carbonwood // Gary Galego
76
Jurgen Kuipers
120
Rootless
36
Caloi 10/1985 // Beto Janz
78
Kardam Bikes
122
Sandwichbikes
38
CarrerBikes
80
KEIM
124
Selva
40
Castor Woodbikes // Lekovitisi Bros GP
84
Kudaün
126
Sman Cruisers
41
Coh&Co
85
Le Velo Bois // Damien Béal
130
Sojourner Cyclery // Jay Kinsinger
42
Chukudus
86
Ligneus Bikes // Nick Cole
134
Speciale
44
Connor Wood Bicycles
88
Ligneus Octo // Naturrad
138
Sueshiro Sano
46
Daniel Haeckermann
90
LJ Bicycles // Raphael Much
140
Sustainabike // Ben Talbot
48
Diesla // Meier Thomas
92
Masterworks Wood and Design
142
Sylvan Cycles
186 BAMBOO BICYCLES
232 WOODEN BALANCE BICYCLES
144
The Human Bike // Jan Gunneweg
246 PARTS AND PRODUCTS FOR WOODEN BICYCLES
188
Asante Bamboo Bikes
234 Baik // Lucia Čmilanská
146
The Re-Done Bicycle // Tristan Kopp
192
Bambike
235
Bambuki // Tobias Meyer
147
The Woodbike // BKRY
193
Bamboo Beam // Andrey Factor
236
Brum Brum Bike
148
Tratar Bikes
194
Bamboo Bee // Sunny Chuah
237
Drevak
150
Uniride
196
Bamboo Bicycles Beijing
238
Dude // Constantine Montanari
151
Urban One // Guapa Co.
198
Bamboocycles
239
152 Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana
200
BME Design // Brano Meres
IKEA Hack—Draisienne // Samuel N. Bernier Andreas Bhend
255 Metrofiets
156
Vélibois // Moustache Bikes
202
Booomers // Yonso Project
240
KaboogaBike
256
Moto Urban Pedal
157
WEB
204
Bamboo Bike Supplies (Stalk Bicycles)
241
Re pello
257
NaturRad
158
Waldmeister // Marcus Wallmeyer
206
Ciclo Bamboo // Giuseppe Zuccaro
242
Rokket // Michele di Modugno
258
PaperSpokes
160
WooBi
208
Craig Calfee
243
tBike
259
Sykes Wood Fenders
161
Wood.b
210
Carrus Cicli
244
The Tricycle // A21studio
260
Thibaut Malet—Studio
162
Woodbike.com // Bill Blackburn
211
EerlijkeKansen
245
ZÜM // Todd Mains
261
TWO-O
163
Woodsman
212
Faserwerk // Tobias Meyer
262
Wood Fenders
164
Wooden Bike Larissa (WBL)
214
Greenstar Bikes
263
Woodstick
166
Wooden E-Bike // aceteam
215
Kawayan Tech
264
wOOdwish
168
Wooden Fixie // Ken Stolpmann
216
Malón Bambú Bikes
265
Wouter Jeuring Design
172
Woodencycle
218
Mekong
176
WoodRover
220
Koala Bicycles
266
Resources & Credits
178
Woodster
221
Michael Verhaeren
272
Acknowledgements
180
Woodu // Bartosz Lesman
222
Ozon Cyclery
182
Woody Bicycles
224
Pedal Forward
184
Woody // Tymothé Auberson
225
Treecycle
185
Zelo // Boris Beaulant
226
The Bamboo Bicycle Club
228
Veloboo Gold
230
WebbWorks Bamboo Bikes
248
Bamboo Bee
249
Coyle Tree Piece Helmets
250
Ghisallo Wooden Rims
253
Holzfelgen
254
Kolb Rahmenbau
FUSION // YOJIRO OSHIMA
The concept here is to “Live with a lifetime partner.” The main idea for this concept is the relationship between the bike rider and the bike. In the long term, bike lovers prefer to keep the bike for a lifetime not just as transportation, but as an art or partner, or a treasure, and so on. The point of choosing “wood” as the bike material is the beauty of its degradation over time and its smooth touch. The wooden bike will change its appearance over time and live with the owner even after they’ve retired from riding a bike. The second point is touch. The bike is something that extends the rider’s strength and becomes part of the body. The touch of wood is warm and fits into the hand, which will provide another important way to enjoy the bike.
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Wooden Bicycles
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HOOPY
Peoples’ first reaction to the Hoopy is one of amazement. They don’t quite know what to make of it. They look and they stare and as they do so they become aware of many of the details that separate the Hoopy from “normal” bikes. They notice the internal drive, which is a result of wanting to make the bicycle easier to build by creating a parallel frame in contrast to normal bikes whose rear stays splay out. It also provides an added bonus of no more ripped or greasy clothes! Plus, it just looks better. The Hoopy is a genuine “one size fits all” bicycle. Taller riders simply sit further back on the seat (although the seat height can be changed during the build). From the moment of conception, the Hoopy wooden bicycle has been designed to be built without the need of specialist tools or skills. This means that so long as you are relatively competent and not afraid to “have a go,” you should have little difficulty making your own Hoopy. What’s more there are many ways to personalise your Hoopy, from the plywood you choose, to the designs you create on the frame sides. All this and more is discussed in the very concise, yet comprehensive plans, containing over 200 photos. The Hoopy is the brainchild of Benjy, a wooden yacht restorer, as is Woodenwidget, which was created to encourage people to have a go at making things with their own hands rather than just buying them. All the designs share the same concept; they are easy to build, are fun and practical, and taken care of, can last a lifetime.
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KARDAM BIKES
Ride a masterpiece: Kardam Bikes is a company devoted to manufacturing and selling handmade wooden bicycles, targeted to exclusive customers, who love nature and healthy life, and look for distinction and style. We offer our clients and customers a wooden masterpiece, individually customized, using top-quality materials, which all together create a functional bike that incorporates cutting-edge technology; all this without renouncing to ecological sustainability, one of our identity signs. At Kardam Bikes we aim at being a reference for biking lovers, as well as for those looking for exclusivity, elegance and novelty. Our inspiration is the “Luthier” tradition for musical instrument manufacturing, which has created, for centuries now, instruments that are both precise and beautiful. Art and technics in perfect pairing: We strive for innovation and to figure out a different future, to offer our customers a new concept of bike that exceeds all of their expectations. Four generations devoted to care and treatment of wood and wooden objects make us, at Kardam, feel proud of each and every unit produced. Our long experience, passion for wood, and search for new, higher endeavors, have made us champion this project, which we face with courage, commitment, and incredible passion.
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ROOTLESS
The Rootless project sinks its roots—pun intended— into the common passions shared by a group of friends meeting at Fablab Torino: the pleasure of building rather than buying; the new digital fabrication techniques; the natural beauty of wood, and—of course —bicycles. Aiming at being as environment-friendly as possible we chose ash wood that we can find PEFC-certified and locally grown. Ash is also a strong and resilient wood and is a perfect fit to our needs. Rootless was born as a napkin sketch, 3D modeled using Rhinoceros + TSplines, carved on a CNC router, and painstakingly sanded by hand before being finished in bicomponent polyurethane varnish. We wanted our bicycle to be an expression of our combined skills and of the sharing philosophy that underpins the Fablab movement, so we released the 3D files and the tutorials about the project under a Creative Commons license for anyone to use or from which to take inspiration.
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WOODENCYCLE
Uniqueness is what makes you the most beautiful, and this is what we strive for in every Woodencycle we make; to allow you to become the center of good conversation. Talented village artisans put their hearts into completing each unique piece through handcrafting. It can take them more than one month to complete one Woodencycle by hand. The Woodencycle is designed to be strong for everyday use yet beautiful enough to be showcased in the living room. Each Woodencycle is reinforced with a steel frame inside and it is rugged enough for every terrain. The steel frame is covered with old teakwood—only teakwood older than 50 years is chosen. The teakwood undergoes the whole process of detailed cutting and carving meticulously until it is ready to become a full frame. The frame is then sprayed with lacquer and a protective coating for weather resistance. Now the Woodencycle is ready to be enjoyed. We hope you will have a chance to appreciate it. Be Unique.
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MALÓN BAMBÚ BIKES
The Malón Bambú bike is a handcrafted bicycle made in Argentina, with organic materials and innovative design. Bicycles are entirely made of bamboo and designed specifically for urban, everyday and recreational use. Ergonomically designed, and as a result it provides most comfortable driving position. And finally, it meets with all quality standards and ecological sustainability in manufacturing processes. Still, the absolute novelty of Malón Bambú Bikes, beyond the design of the models, is in its bamboo fork. To date, no company in the world has matched the ability of these specific bamboo forks to meet all the requirements of stability and security that are needed in this part of the structure. The result here is for a more exclusive and original design; it's conceptually more integrated because it removes a larger amount of metal parts from the visual field, achieving a perfectly natural harmony in the product.
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VELOBOO GOLD
The Veloboo Gold is a truly exclusive bike, made entirely by hand. Designed by Hungary’s Antal Szalay, only 30 models have ever been made. As the name indicates, the bike’s frame is made of bamboo but this is not even the Veloboo Gold’s most distinguishing feature, since almost all its metal parts are covered with 24-carat gold leaf. The only exceptons are some components of the gears, the pedals, the contact surface of the brake pads, the spokes and the seatpost. Even the cranks are laminated in gold. For the frame, bamboo is folded and strengthened to prevent it from bending, but despite this—and the addition of the gold leaf—the overall weight of the bike does not exceed 22 pounds (10 kilograms).
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Bamboo Bicycles
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BAIK // LUCIA ČMILANSKÁ
My name is Lucia Čmilanská and I’m a student of Industrial Design in Czech Republic. My university allows me to participate in many real-life projects and every year I sign up for at least one competition. My biggest success is in Swedish Innovation Prize in IKEA category and I was part of a team that participated in Tokyo, Bratislava, and Vienna Design Week. I was studying for one semester in South Korea. I like to add hidden function to my designs. This balance bike is for children around two to three years of age and it follows ergonomic rules. It is a bicycle without pedals that helps children to learn balance and steering. The frame is from plywood; added parts are from steel, textile, and rubber. There is a third tire under the seat that has hidden function: it makes the seat bounce and makes the ride more amusing and playful. The bike is variable thanks to the adjustable handlebar and seat.
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BAMBUKI // TOBIAS MEYER
Back in 2009 Tobias Meyer came up with the Idea of building the first “bike” for his new-born daughter himself. The idea was to design a sustainable balance bike made out of bamboo for her. The first prototypes showed, that the material was far stronger than he expected. About a year and eight 3D design versions later, the bambuki was born. After his little daughter's first few rides on the “bambuki,” people kept asking if it was possible to buy the bike somewhere. That’s when he decided to build more of them. Since then, every “bambuki” is produced locally and is 100 percent handmade.
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THIBAUT MALET—STUDIO
I’m 27 years old and I work as a furniture designer in Montpellier, South of France. Since I was young, I’ve loved handcrafting, and particularly woodworking. I try to conceive and realize simple and useful objects, furniture or bikes accessories. My focus is to design single lines to create bikes with sober and pure design. The wood helps highlight the details and to get a unique design for each creation.
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Parts and Products for Wooden Bicycles
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TWO-O
In today’s modern world, progress is forever at odds with nature. At a time when society is constantly inundated with technological advancements, bridging the gap between sustainability and rapid development is a Herculean task. As our materialistic values are admittedly slow to change, the key is striking a balance between conservation and consumption. Rising to the challenge is TWO-O. As creative entrepreneurs with a conscience, Rodny Heemskerk and Bob Koning launched TWO-O in July 2011. At their workplace in Amsterdam, the pair designs an ever-expanding range of stylish accessories; from bicycle crates and iPhone cases to cufflinks and bar blades; all made from sustainable wood. Each piece is a unique expression of the materials elegance and durability, blending natural beauty with timeless design. The FSC-certified wood contains the basis for all their creations. With their hands-on mentality and a critical eye for detail, TWO-O aims to raise consumer awareness through the development of sustainable products. Their latest collection seeks to inspire like-minded, eco-conscious individuals to make green choices. Coupled with their commitment to craftsmanship, TWO-O is a brand that goes against the grain.
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The Wooden Bicycle Around the World Kiriakos Iosifidis
Up until about a century ago, wood had always been the only available material for the construction of the first bicycles, and it was as recently as the 1950s that wood was the only material used for bike wheels in all competitive cycling realms. These days, in opposition to the great industrialization of steel manufacturing, wood and bamboo are increasingly being used to create a niche space in design within the industries of transportation, sport, art, culture— and indeed modern lives in general. With the significant advances in technological research and application, wood and bamboo are increasingly being promoted as materials suitable for the construction of bicycle frames and individual bicycle components. Showcasing more than 250 designers from around the world, including craftspeople (many of them renowned bicycle makers), manufacturers and associated organizations, this book dedicates
hundreds of pages to beautiful bike designs, illuminating the latest modern trends in specialist bicycle craftmanship. Set out with detailed, distinctive design dialogues from each craftsperson or manufacturer, we learn how wood and bamboo are being enhanced and developed as extremely durable, aesthetically appealing materials, and which are considered sustainable, ecologically viable, user friendly and dynamic across each application. Beautifully illustrated, with historical references and texts by experts in the trade, and backed up with technical engineering knowledge, The Wooden Bicycle is a handy reference for those who have a true passion for the beauty and aesthetics of the modern bicycle in the wooden form, and a strong belief in a more sustainable way of living.
ISBN 9781864707144 Format 215mm x 306mm Binding Casebound with jacket Pages 272 Illustrations Full color In bookstores August 2017 For publicity information contact Merry Lovell: merry@imagespublishing.com +61 3 9561 5544 Distributed in North America by ACC Distribution www.accpublishinggroup.com/us To place an order contact ACC Distribution at +1 413 529 0861 or ussales@accpublishinggroup.com Distributed rest of world by ACC Distribution www.accpublishinggroup.com/uk To place an order contact ACC Distribution at +44 (0) 1394 389 950 or uksales@accpublishinggroup.com