Amsterdam-primarily based designer Paul Timmer has developed a wooden bicycle from strong ash fitted with 3D-printed aluminium parts.
Weighing only eleven kilograms, the single-pace bicycle is created to be ridden on a assortment of terrains.
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The designer strengthened the vehicle’s frame by making use of custom-created 3D-printed aluminium elements, alternatively of a veneer or plywood which is standard of other wooden bicycle prototypes.
“The primary benefit of the wooden frame is the outstanding comfort,” explained Timmer. “All vibrations, due to bumps in the road, are instantly absorbed”.
The forks – normally two blades that hold the front wheel – are fixed on bearings outdoors the frame. This allows for the wooden forks to be extended upwards to the handlebars, trying to keep the wood grain intact and stronger.
“Wood is the ideal development material offered,” stated Timmer. “This bike can be as strong as a steel a single, but it has to be designed much better than a steel a single”.
The fork legs kind a triangle from the axle to the handlebar, which is mounted the place the legs meet.
The 3D-printed aluminium elements consist of dropouts – a type of fork finish that enables the rear wheel to be removed very easily – and headset parts – parts for the bicycle’s steering mechanism.
Alternatively of utilizing a chain for propulsion, Timmer employed a belt-drive system that is lighter and more durable. Additionally, the belt isn’t going to require grease – anything that could spoil the bicycle’s wooden finish.
At present the bicycle is a one-off, but Timmer plans to redesign it to make it much more suitable for mass production.
Other wooden bicycle designs on Dezeen incorporate a flat-pack bike that can be assembled in much less than an hour and street bicycle produced making use of steam-bending processes.
