Thursday, September 24, 2009

Interbike 2009: Big Bamboo



Calfee's bamboo bikes have always been a hit at the bike shows they attend, and Brano Meres can always be counted on to do something interesting like he did with the bamboo composite bike he brought last year.

Bamboo composite


Biomega introduced their Bamboo bicycle in 2005 and they brought it to the show this year (as shown above).

One of the hits of this year's Interbike, though, are the bamboo road bikes from startup Boo Bicycles. National Time Trial champion Nick Frey from Des Moines, Iowa just received his mechanical engineering degree from Princeton University and immediately moved to Colorado to launch his bamboo bicycle business.



Another interesting exhibitor is Kilowatt Bicycles with their flagship Bamboo Electric, an electric assist bike with a bamboo and carbon fiber frame.



Kilowatt Bikes also has non electric bamboo bikes with the Bamboo Pedal and Bamboo Mini. I particularly like the Mini bike.




Another bamboo bike that caught my attention is from Organic Bikes from Appleton, Wisconsin. They have people at Interbike but they're not exhibiting (as near as I can tell), but I like the clean, simple design of their Dylan frame.



Photo credits: Brian at Industry Outsider; Elly Blue of Bike Portland; Organic Bikes; Boo Bicycles; Kilowatt Bikes; Richard Masoner.

3 comments:

bikesgonewild said...

...i'll only say it 'cuz the man is such an innovator but let's not forget mr craig calfee, the man who brought the high end bamboo bike to the modern market...

...i love seeing all the new concepts that are starting to flourish but let's give the man his due...& his versions utilize resin impregnated hemp rather than carbon fiber...

bikesgonewild said...

...w/ all due respect & that having been said, i think it's high time during interbike that i announce the introduction of the "bamboobikesgonewild"(tm) version of "the bamboo bike"...

...it may take a while to bring to fruition but mine will be based on the "isotruss" open weave concept similar to "arantix's delta 7"...

...however, being concerned about organic methods of manufacturing, i'll be building mine from tiny, delicate bamboo shoots no thicker than matchsticks...the longitudinal pieces will be bound to each other by short pieces forming a constant triangulation throughout, as such forming the "isotruss" structure & bound by 'organo-resin'(tm) impregnated spider webs which are known for their superior strength & resiliency...

...'organo-resin'(tm) is a composite i've discovered utilizing fairy tears, bat guano & himalayan sea salt..

..i anticipate slow build times but maximum strength potential & wonderfully superior ride qualities...

...the terms "laterally stiff & vertically compliant" come to mind...

...it would have been a great opportunity to introduce the 'bamboobikesgonewild'(tm) bike at interbike but alas, w/ my funding this is as close as i can get...well, that & what w/ the restraining order...

...anyway, look for my "ride tested" panda shots soon...

Bamboo Flooring said...

Wow, they are really taking the whole bamboo bike thing to another level with the design and finishes of their bikes. Great work