Thin layers of oak veneer make up the three-piece wooden frame of this bicycle designed by student Niko Schmutz .
The frame tends to make the most of the “resilient” properties of wood, and has been made to soak up vibration and lend the vehicle a “spring impact” on uneven urban roads.
In accordance to Schmutz – a pupil at the College of Design at Pforzheim University in Germany – wood is comparable to metal in terms of rigidity, is significantly less susceptible to cracking or denting, and also provides a longer lifespan.
Relevant story: Sandwichbike flat-pack wooden bicycle by PedalFactory goes into production
Three concentric diamond-shaped strips of wood, reminiscent of the patterns of tree rings, make up the core of the bike.
Alternating matt and gloss aluminium components, this kind of as the front fork – the two blades that hold the wheel – are seamlessly connected to the wooden frame. A tube extends up through the leading of the wooden pieces to support the seat, and each saddle and handlebars are covered in leather.
The bike takes its reference from the so-known as dandy horse bikes of the early 19th century, which also featured wooden frames – though the designer sees wood as a materials of the potential, rather than the previous.
“In addition to large good quality and resilient resources like aluminium, steel, carbon and titanium, almost no other material is justified on the bicycle market right now,” explained the designer.
Related story: Pininfarina fuses 1930s design with modern day technologies to produce bespoke bicycle
“If you analyse the market, you learn that the wooden bicycle with the authentic materiality of the wood is more and more being made once again and ought to be established in the market place,” he added.
As the designer acknowledges, he’s not the 1st to propose a design for a wooden-framed bike, with manufacturer AERO creating a prototype similarly constructed from layers of birch.
Amsterdam designer Paul Timmer rather chose strong ash for his layout, which was paired with 3D-printed aluminium components, while furnishings manufacturer Thonet employed its standard steam-bending processes to generate a slender beech frame.
