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A Beautiful Bicycle Made of Wood, Wheels and All

By Ray Hu - March 22, 2013

in Cars

Remember the Thonet bicycle concept, and how we weren't sure if the seat-tube-less design would be possible to execute in steambent wood? Seeing as there's still no word on whether it will become a reality, Japanese design student Yojiro Oshima has done them one better with a prototype of his unconventional bicycle concept. For his degree project at Musahino Art University's Craft & Industrial Design Department, he has designed and built a Y-Foil/Softride-style frame by hand (it wasn't based on a chair per se, but I'm seeing a little Wegner myself).

The designer recently sent the project to James Thomas of BicycleDesign.net, where Oshima notes: "This proposal is about the shape of the frame and the handle mainly which doesn't concern what material it's made out of. The maximum comfort can be put into practice by wood." Thus, the frame concept also echoes that of the previously-seen (steel) Van Hulsteijn, which is currently in production.

A visible seam

Regarding the construction and other carpentry/bike nerd concerns, Oshima adds,It is all hand made. The down tube and seat tube are hollowed with plenty of thickness left not to disturb the surface when planed too much. As a result, it weights about 14kg in total. The thickness is uncertain though, I guess it's about 6-12mm. It is bonded the half and half into one.

I was also curious to learn that the trispoke-style wheels were originally known as "baton" wheels—the renderings of the Thonet concept has a set of HED's top-of-the-line carbon fiber version—and that the clover-like construction is intended to "soften the ride." Similarly, the cantilevered saddle intended for comfort, while the short stays speak to performance by "assuring the stiffness."

Check out the full-size images at BicycleDesign.net

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RBT

11 years ago

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http://www.naturrad.com/2013/03/holzrad-modell-ligneus-octo.html

german guy builds an all-wood frame with 7,5 kg drive-away weight (c-t 63cm) as single speed. recently laid ma hands on this thing and i can confirm the overall low weight.
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thomas

11 years ago

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Is Renovo (http://www.renovobikes.com/) a valid part of this conversation? Sure, it's just the frame (no wood wheels, bars, etc), but it's a very practical application. I would think the natural springiness might make for a very comfortable ride.
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yom

11 years ago

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It looks like maple to me.
On another note, you can check this soon-to-be-produced wooden bike, designed in France for bike rental :
http://blog.velib.paris.fr/en/2013/03/19/velibois-the-first-wooden-bike/

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Pericles Leite

11 years ago

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I think it`s white oak. But I can be wrong.
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I like wud.

11 years ago

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What wood is it made from?
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Sprockets

11 years ago

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As this concept is essentially a sculpture I can understand some of the shortcomings. That aside though this design is that of a time trial bike that no one is going to ride for comfort riding. And the conflicting points of the comfort of wood and the desire to have short chainstay/seatstay members for increased stiffness is confusing -- more fleixble chainstays will make for a more comfortable ride. On top of this there is no front brake, no brake levers, no front derailleur (but there is an installed shifter), no cable routing, and the seat is pitching far too low. The trail on the fork is completely inappropriate for the frame though it would be at home a comfort cruiser. Beautiful, well-made, and crafted with love and passion, but very much lacking functional considerations. An no one wants a 14kg TT bike.
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slippyfish

11 years ago

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I don't even care if its rideable or not. Hollowed-out? Insane. The only improvement might be to add a little finishing oil to some elements.
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Blair Miller

11 years ago

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Beautiful. Simply beautiful. And 30 lbs. isn't all that bad--my old Schwinn Continental weighed a bit more than that, and while it wasn't much for speed, it did its job well enough.
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