mike watkins dot ca : A Bike Made of Wood?

A Bike Made of Wood?

http://www.renovobikes.com/storage/thumbnails/2528739-2280993-thumbnail.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1238352928711

This is about the coolest bike frame I've ever seen! It is produced by a company in Portland called Renovo Design and they do amazing things with wood. Yes, wood!

Some folks view these frames as works of art, too nice or delicate for daily use, but they aren't your mom's dining room table. We chose wood for it's ride quality and sustainability, and got beauty as a bonus; but it's not a weakness. An impact that will dent and ruin a butted metal or carbon frame merely bounces off the Renovo frame leaving a small dent. http://renovobikes.com/

Click the thumbnail images for larger views of my friend Elizabeth's new frame being fabricated:

[Thumbnail]renovo1.jpg (152.3 KB, image/jpeg)
A Renovo bike frame taking shape: Front triangle after bonding, but before any shaping or sanding sanding
[Thumbnail]renovo2.jpg (118.7 KB, image/jpeg)
Test fitting the stays after the front triangle has been sanded
[Thumbnail]renovo3.jpg (66.0 KB, image/jpeg)
Close up showing purpleheart figuring in the birch