Bamboo is a versatile natural material. It provides shelter, sustenance and tools of various trades among other things. Its structural strength has long been recognised – witness the bamboo scaffolding still used today for construction of modern buildings in the East. That intrinsic strength gave rise to its use for transport too, in the form of the bicycle frame.
The First Bamboo Bicycles
The first bikes were in fact made of wood. Early production rolled steel followed as bicycles went through a series of design experiments. In 1885 Englishman John Starley introduced the Rover Safety Bicycle, a design that had wheels of equal size and a triangular frame, as is still predominant today.
In the late 19th century cycling began to take off as a pastime and a means of conveyance. Just as bicycle designs were still in their infancy so were metallurgy techniques, and manufacturers were on the lookout for alternative materials. With its high strength-to-weight ratio and natural elasticity, bamboo offered a solution for the bike frame. Disadvantages had to be worked through, particularly the plant material’s instability while still green, but none of those stopped the first bamboo bicycle pioneers.
The Bamboo Cycle Co. Ltd of Wolverhampton, England, began producing its bamboo bikes in 1894, with considerable success according to customer reviews. In its 32-page 1897 brochure the company promotes two styles of road racer, a light roadster, a lady's bicycle, a ‘double top tube high frame’, a ‘youths' machine” and a tricycle. The company had agents as far away as the Antipodes. In its edition of 18 January 1897, New Zealand’s Hawera and Normanby Star described the bamboo bike as “nicely finished, (with) the appearance of being a very light and strong machine.”
Bamboo bikes were being made in the USA at the time, too. The Wisconsin Historical Society holds documents of a bike made by the Huseby Cycle Manufacturing Company of Milwaukee in 1897.
Use of Bamboo in Modern Bikes
With the development and dominance of heavy industry in the 20th century, bamboo bikes became of historical interest only. Then late in the century Californian designer and manufacturer Craig Calfee began building bikes with bamboo frames as a novelty. Today, the Calfee bamboo bike is an award-winning addition to the company’s range of hi-tech machines. Calfee works in conjunction with communities in Africa to source suitable bamboo and provide skills, employment and better transport options for the people who live there.
As bamboo bikes have moved into the 21st century, Brazilian Flavio Deslandes has been another prominent designer and promoter. A trained specialist in applying bamboo in the manufacture of bicycles, Deslandes operates out of Denmark and uses material imported from his homeland. “Biking is a very energy effective way of transportation,’ Deslandes states on his website. “And combining a sustainable material as bamboo with energy free mobility seems like the right thing to do."
Bikes for All Using a Sustainable Resource
Because of material sourcing issues and the manufacturing process, the bamboo bike has been relatively expensive to produce. Models have therefore generally been aimed at the elite and more affluent cycling enthusiasts. But that is changing as bamboo bikes are increasing their market share.
Heightened interest in bamboo bikes has also spawned do-it-yourself production initiatives. The Bamboo Bike Studio gives bicycle enthusiasts the chance to apply their own labour to making a bike. This enterprise also contributes to the developing world, working through the Bamboo Bike Project, a partnership with The Earth Institute, Columbia University.
Bamboo bikes are popular again after a long hiatus. They are fashionable, good for the environment and help those living in less fortunate circumstances. As with all cycling, their use also encourages physical activity and an appreciation of the great outdoors.
Brian Cross - Brian is a feelance writer specialising in content for the corporate sector, based in Wellington, New Zealand.
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