Bamboo bikes: the future?

[chap]

I was impressed with a couple of articles about bamboo bikes, apparently they provide a more comfortable and durable ride than carbon fibre, and are rather versatile. Could this be the future bike building material?

1. http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,670689,00.html
2. http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,670689-2,00.html

 

[Cubist]

I always thought they were a bit of a gimic, designed to panda to a particular market...........

 

[TheDoctor]

They're caning the competition...

 

[Globalti]

This idea has been caned to death. I think we're being bamboozled here, it won't help with the green shoots of recovery.

 

[Ivan Ardon]

I wooden have one.

 

[Cubist]

Love the one made of hemp in the article. If you can't ride it, just smoke it!

 

[Brains]

Bamboo bikes have been around for nearly a century - There is a 1930's one in the National Cycle Museum.

Bamboo wheel rims and spokes were pretty standard for top end track and race bikes between the 1930's and as late as the 1960's

 

[accountantpete]

Here comes another cycling splinter group.

 

[Hilldodger]

Bamboo bikes have been around for nearly a century - There is a 1930's one in the National Cycle Museum.

Bamboo wheel rims and spokes were pretty standard for top end track and race bikes between the 1930's and as late as the 1960's

Bamboo bikes have been around for over a century - I know someone with an 1895 one in his collection.

Mind you, I think they're barking up the wrong tree.......

 

[TheDoctor]

Trust Hilldodger to grass us up!!

 

[Aperitif]

...not playing not playing...

Did Gerry do a good job on that bike or what?

 

[just jim]

I think it's a rattan idea.

 

[Campfire]

There used to be a pair of wooden sprint rims hung up in my parents' garage, they were used to race on the track with! I always wanted to use them myself & can't remember why they wouldn't let me.

 

[Fnaar]

I had an uncle (mentioned him on here before) who used to race on cane wheels in Ireland in the 40s/50s. Sadly he smoked and drank himself into an early grave, but apparently he was pretty good in his time!

 

[threebikesmcginty]

There used to be a pair of wooden sprint rims hung up in my parents' garage, they were used to race on the track with! I always wanted to use them myself & can't remember why they wouldn't let me.

Do you still pine for them?