Bike Noob

Because I'm Always Learning Something New

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Partners

Bamboo Bikes

03.01.2015 by Ray Niekamp // 1 Comment

This has been a tough week for Bike Noob. Tough, because the weather has gone to pieces, and we’ve had irritating light rain and chilly temperatures for the last several days. I’ve gotten in no riding at all this week. So, since I have no riding to write about, I thought I’d take a look at an interesting development in the biking world.

I keep getting emails from entrepreneurs who are starting up small companies that make bamboo bikes. That’s right, those tall stalks of segmented wood tubes are used to make bikes — and not just in Southeast Asia, not by any means.

At first blush, it sounds crazy. But bamboo is different from other woods. It’s light, but strong. The cellulose fibers that make the outer layer of the wood are stiff and strong. Because it’s hollow, bamboo is light. The segments in the stalk provide built-in vibration damping.

A road bike by Bamboosero of La Selva Beach, California.
A road bike by Bamboosero of La Selva Beach, California. (Click to enlarge.)

According to the testing firm Instron, one disadvantage of bamboo is the uniqueness of its different species. Each has different properties. Its height, age, and water content can all affect its ability to perform as a bike frame. It also has to be treated to avoid insects and fungus.

The bamboo is heat treated to prevent cracking, and coated to keep out moisture. It’s joined to other parts of the frame by carbons fiber jointing, or by wrapping in epoxy.

Bamboo bikes are labor intensive to build, and therefore, the bikes can be pricey.

This bamboo 29er mountain bike from Calfee Design costs a cool $10,000.
This bamboo 29er mountain bike from Calfee Design costs a cool $10,000.

One company, Greenstar Bikes of Minneapolis, claims to be the “affordable” bamboo bike, with a price of $450.

Greenstar's EcoForce 1 bike in blue.
Greenstar’s EcoForce 1 bike in blue.

Or, you could buy a do-it-yourself kit from the Bamboo Bicycle Club of London for about $445 US.

The Bamboo Bicycle Club offers workshops and class for people who want to build their own bikes.
The Bamboo Bicycle Club offers workshops and classes for people who want to build their own bikes.

 Bamboo bikes strike me as the ultimate niche cycle. A number of other companies around the world make them, but they’re still not something you see every day — or ever.

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Categories // Bikes Tags // Bamboo bikes

Comments

  1. GreenRideBikers says

    March 5, 2015 at 1:22 am

    Nice..would love to make/buy one

    Reply

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Get Email Updates

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 257 other subscribers

Categories

  • Accessories
  • Bike fit
  • Bikes
  • Blogging
  • Books
  • clubs
  • Cold weather
  • Community
  • Commuting
  • Components
  • crash
  • cycling
  • Equipment
  • Favorite rides
  • fitness
  • food
  • guest post
  • Heat
  • Injury
  • logs
  • Maintenance
  • Mental
  • Nutrition
  • Odds 'n ends
  • People
  • Poll
  • Racing
  • Records & stats
  • Review
  • Rides
  • running
  • Safety
  • soreness
  • Specialized
  • Technique
  • Technology
  • Tips
  • tires
  • training
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Partners

Recent Posts

  • Getting Back on the Bike: Road Cycling Tips for Older Cyclists
  • Are BCAAs and EAAs Good for Cycling?
  • How to Fix Numb Toes When Cycling
  • How to Find and Vet a Bike Club
  • Celebrate Pearl Izumi with Big Savings in the Memorial Day Sale

Categories

  • Accessories
  • Bike fit
  • Bikes
  • Blogging
  • Books
  • clubs
  • Cold weather
  • Community
  • Commuting
  • Components
  • crash
  • cycling
  • Equipment
  • Favorite rides
  • fitness
  • food
  • guest post
  • Heat
  • Injury
  • logs
  • Maintenance
  • Mental
  • Nutrition
  • Odds 'n ends
  • People
  • Poll
  • Racing
  • Records & stats
  • Review
  • Rides
  • running
  • Safety
  • soreness
  • Specialized
  • Technique
  • Technology
  • Tips
  • tires
  • training
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized

Archives

  • May 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • March 2022
  • October 2020
  • November 2018
  • May 2018
  • September 2017
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • January 2016
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008

Copyright © 2026 · Modern Studio Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Go to mobile version
%d