Show us what you did today, thread

[epicyclo]

Nice forks

Just realised you're just the man to ask.

I want to build a wooden bike, basically to experiment with some geometry ideas. I've built boats with wood and epoxy, so I don't have to learn new skills (wood butcher level, favourite finishing tool - angle grinder).

I'm not familiar with UK wood, but something stiff and light is what I'm after, and something readily available. First thought was spruce, or ash.

What's your opinion?

 

[player]

Re:

This arrived today in the post, couldn't resist it

Now I need to buy a bike to match :facepalm:

 

[clubby]

Re:

Dyna - it's ash that the guy in Ireland uses.

http://www.woodelo.ie

Looked at them last year before plumping for the Saffron build. Quite fancy one of the bamboo bike building classes as well. Saw they did them in Edinburgh a few weeks ago.

 

[gmac123]

saw this at i' eroica a few years back, guy was selling wood rims, bars, fenders and grips

DSCN0211 by gmac123, on Flickr

at the i'eroica Britannia the other week, there was a stall with similar stuff, sure the guy was acting as an uk agent for 4 companies including the wooden products and royce

the wooden stuff was http://www.ghisallowoodenrims.com/ (I think)

 

[gmac123]

if you dig about you may find the full documentary of this

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-28122309

craftsmanship!

 

[dyna-ti]

if you dig about you may find the full documentary of this

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-28122309

craftsmanship!

I'd like to see that indeed. Laminates is the way ive thought of doing ,were I to. Theres the Glasgow wooden bike company and I know the bloke working at it. took an interest for a while but fickle as I am.
If I see him again ill propose a laminated idea ive had. Partly based on someone elses method.


But as any will tell you and you can guess that any set up would be really tricky to set up for ultimate accuracy. I expect frame jigs for metal isn't going to work for wood


Did you look at the idea of using the welded tube sections and connecting them in bamboo ? probably make fitting a BB and headset a fair bit easier.

Great subject this. I'd love to actually make one But alas its a monumental undertaking.

Aye, ash is nice though it is brittle. Personally and from what I understand about grain structure is it would best be riven sections laminated, with cross and diagonal section laid in :?

OH see what you've started :evil:

 

[dyna-ti]

Fist project though is a set of mudguards now ive got the thicknesser. I can produce my own accurate thin stock for laminating.
What'shisface that did those fabulous ones last year :? the ones with the copper fittings
Sublime they were deffo look to make the mounts and fittings too. I hadn't thought of going that route.

 

[epicyclo]

[...Aye, ash is nice though it is brittle....

Mmmm not a good quality for bike.

What woods are good?

The longbow wood, yew, must have a good bit of ability to absorb a bit of movement.

I suppose if laminates are the way to go, a crude prototype in marine ply might work. Which would lend itself to CAD* process.

In the past the difficult bits were places like the dropouts and BB, but with through axles and pressfit BBs, all that can be done in wood now.

Should hie myself off to http://forum.atomiczombie.com/content.php



*cardboard aided design.

 

[The History Man]

A yew longbow has a limited life span hence the need for so many spare bows (think mary rose) Modern laminated ones are a better more durable solution so presumably would be the same here. yew/bamboo/lemon/yew i think mine was.

(Ex longbowist)

 

[velomaniac]

Re:

Came across a bike built of ordinary softwood planks of 15-20mm thickness glued together in various overlaps. Cant find it now but the bike was ingenious and seemed pretty strong. Builder set it up as a flat barred roadbike, even did the forks, handlebars and seatpost out of wood. There was youtube footage of him riding it