Grow A Bamboo Bike For Minimal Embedded Energy

The average speed of journeys across London today is slower then 100 years ago when most journeys where by horse and cart! Millions of people travel into central London every day to work and the car simply isn’t an efficient way of moving these people around; this has been acknowledged by the Mayor who has further disincentivized car use with the notorious congestion charge. If you want to avoid the dehumanizing effects of riding the tube the bicycle is next up for many commuters.

Cycling has multiple benefits for individuals, society and the environment. The modal shift to cycling in urban centres can in one fell swoop reduce obesity, congestion and pollution whilst freeing up space in cities and improving well being. The UK treasury may have calculated that the money it saves on treating heart disease, asthma and traffic makes investing in private bike ownership a good use of funds. You can now buy a tax-free bike in the UK through the bike to work scheme.

For the real diehards who want to shrink their ecological footprint to within a stiletto heel the embedded energy of their bicycle may be a concern. This has all changed with the launch of a bamboo bike created by Calfee design. To get the low-down we got in contact with Craig Calfee.

Amazingly these bikes are actually more tolerant then your average carbon fibre bike. The bamboo is sourced from Taiwan where it is prepared by smoking and heat treatment to prevent splitting and even some of the attachments are available in hemp for an added natural touch. Aside from the natural feel and flexibility of the frame there is something very cool about growing a bike! The frame will absorb carbon as it grows making the machine itself almost as green as the transport mode.

Craig says “We are selling direct to early adopters. Those that ride them are fanatics about it!” Decide for yourself at www.calfeedesign.com