
The only problem for most of us is that its $2700. Not exactly budget friendly in these times, but its the future now. The company, Calfee Design, is working to improve their production process. For instance, it wants to grow the bamboo stalks in the right size for the bike frame components. That way they can go directly assembled into the bike. It would be like having “a factory in the field.”
Bamboo is underrated and none as a “poor man’s timber”. But in actuality it has a greater tensile strength (resistance to being pulled apart) than steel. It can withstand compression better than concrete too. Bamboo grows up to 60 feet tall and it has the same width from bottom to top. As a result all the compression strength is needed to hold its own weight and tensile strength to bend in the wind without breaking.
Calfee Design who started making bikes with carbon fiber is gambling bamboo will be the next hot bike material. Its eco friendly as bamboo grows fast like a weed and can easily be sustainably harvested.
Calfee Design is also working with the people of Ghana to help them grow their own bamboo bikes! Perhaps if we give them the knowledge then they can mass produce them for the masses and make them affordable for everyone! The project is called the Village Bicycle Project (VBP). Training on construction, repair, and maintenance is given to Ghanans. The metal components are derived from used bike parts in Ghana.


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October 1st, 2008 by admin in Eco Transport | Comments (27)