We recently wrote about Brooklyn’s Bamboo Bike Studio, and now the Guardian points us to a similar venture lead by Craig Calfee, a California based bicycle designer and early pioneer of carbon fiber, who since 2005 has begun to turn his attentions to the use of bamboo in frame construction. Given bamboo’s numerous advantages – lightweight, flexibility and when grown under the right circumstances, sustainability – as a raw material it is virtually unmatched. Not to mention, it requires a less energy-intensive (and environmentally intrusive) process to harden. So why has it yet to catch on as the smarter alternative to steel and carbon?
One reason, is consumer perception – the belief that a bamboo frame won’t hold up to the rigors of an urban ride – but the larger issue, at least for Calfee’s designs, is price. Despite their 10-year warranty, his high-end models cost between $2000-$3000, a fact that stands as a serious deterrent to widespread adoption. Still, as we’ve seen, many products need to catch on in smaller, premium markets first, before they reach the level of mass appeal.
However, if Calfree has his way, he’ll be building demand from the ground up while simultaneously pushing his luxury line. He is working on bringing his ideas to underprivileged parts of the world where bamboo crops grow well and teach the locals to construct simple, more utilitarian frames. A move that if successful, will not only empower communities, but grow global ridership as well.
[via Guardian]
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It’s all fun and games until you park it near a panda…
June 22nd, 2009 at 3:59 pm
Too bad none of the other 30 parts on the bike are made sustainably. Also, buying a bike that will only last 5 years is not what I’d call sustainable. Sure, steel is not bamboo, but steel bikes last decades, and I’d think in the end they require less consumption…
June 22nd, 2009 at 6:58 pm
bamboo bike = green gimmick IMHO
aluminium is a lot more sustainable … last for ages, doesn’t rust, and you can easily recycle it
June 24th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
I really like the look of the bike, has a vintage kind of feel. Thought the first comment was really funny!
June 26th, 2009 at 1:24 am
currently, bamboo is highly using in many industry, from the shoes, soap, gucci deluxe bag are using bamboo as part of the materials. it’s not just the lighting, home decor, kitchen utilities or eating tools, bamboo is now playing as wood alternative.
June 27th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
I can totally imagine pandas stalking you as you park your bamboo bicycle!
there are plenty of great bamboo/wooden bicycles coming out of Denmark and Germany as well, Waldmeister for example handcrafts wooden frames and fits them with serious performance parts (to better pedal away from those pandas)
more: http://bit.ly/Woodbike
June 28th, 2009 at 5:59 am