When I first heard about a bicycle made out of wood, I pictured something that looked a bit like a Conestoga wagon - clunky and hardly attractive. But Jens Eichler, an engineering student at the University of Applied Science in Eberswalde, Germany, has built an absolutely gorgeous tandem bicycle out of beechwood.
Eichler estimates he spent over 400 hours working with sheets of beech plywood, sanding and grinding the wood to bring out the beauty of the grain and creating the distinctive curves that mark this bicycle. Five layers of oil finish were applied in the final step to crown and protect the creation.
Eichler plans to continue working on wooden framed bikes and hopes to finally bring a viable product to market. His biggest challenge right now is to reduce the weight of his bicycle - this first model weighs in at 52 kilograms/114 pounds.
Image credit - Jens Eichler
Comments
I really appreciate the craftsmanship.
Nevertheless, one has to ask, why?
1976 I saw one that even then was a antique and featured not only a wooden frame and rims but shaft drive. It was displayed at a Lumberyard/Hardware that was celebrating it’s centennial.
Here’s a serious wooden bike:
http://www.renovobikes.com/