bespoke bicycle co.
bespoke is an independent research project aimed at cnc-machining a wooden bicycle frame.
our mission is to create a bike with the smoothest ride, best pricepoint, & freshest look.
wooden bikes existed for decades before the steel frame became the norm.
with modern manufacturing techniques, wood has the potential to perform better than steel, aluminum, and carbon.
benchmarking
renovo bikes
industry leader in wooden bikes
drawbacks: $5-6000 frame, 6 week manufacturing time
bsg bikes
plywood frame, urban style
drawbacks: $3300 price, heavy construction, steel rear triangle
sandwich bikes
flat-pack DIY wooden bike
drawbacks: ugly as sin, comes unassembled
bespoke’s design objectives
lightweight frame – < 20 pounds to compete with modern fixie road bikes
smooth ride quality – harness wood’s flexibility to dampen road vibrations
low cost of manufacturing – beat the competition with a < $1k price point
initial prototype
objective: prove a wooden bike frame can be CNC-machined in two halves.
2nd generation
form exploration through sketches
3d modeling
objective: model a custom frame around standard bike parts in SolidWorks
a steel 1980’s Schwinn single-speed is scrapped for the prototype.
62 parts were salvaged.
a total of 87 parts were modeled in SolidWorks to the micrometer.
every nut, bolt, thread pitch & revolution. every chain link.
exploded view – 87 parts
every part & assembly file for this render is available for personal use.
[ solidworks 2015 ]
material testing
various wood species were laminated into strips to test strength-to-weight ratio and flexibility.
the strips were then placed on a breaking jig and weight applied until catastrophic failure.
material considerations
flexibility
it must flex slightly to dampen road vibrations.
cherry and maple are the most flexible options.
weight
it must be light.
maple and poplar are the lightest options.
strength
it must stand up to daily abuse.
maple achieved a load of 34 kg before failure.
