Completely wooden bicycle

Tim

Creative Writer
Bike-blog--Michael-Thomps-014.jpg


The SplinterBike is something far more exotic – every single part is wooden; wheels, frame, gears. Even, painfully, the saddle.Not a single bolt or screw has been used, nothing metal, plastic or rubber.
At 31kg, and with one fixed gear and no brakes, it's unlikely to win awards for practicality, but as an engineering exercise it's a marvel.


The wooden bike – an engineering marvel, a recipe for saddle sore | Kirsty Ennew


To set a land speed record with the bike they now need to find £7,500 for admin costs. That's rather a lot really! But then so is the approx 1,000 man hours put in to reach this stage.
 
That is so strange looking. I would be afraid of it breaking. Are there weight limits, meaning could my 300lb neighbor ride one you think?
 
That is so strange looking. I would be afraid of it breaking. Are there weight limits, meaning could my 300lb neighbor ride one you think?

There are limits to riders on most bikes. If you look into suspension units on bikes, they normally cover riders 12.5-13.5 stones (14lbs per stone) then you have to use greater 'weight' springs in them (or pump more air in) and the limit is approximately to cover a 15.5 stone rider. (medium - firm - extra firm)

Tires alone are rated to carry a certain amount of weight. If you look at the side of a tire you'll see the max psi rating for inflation, and know that the heavier a rider, the higher the psi you need to pump in to carry that rider and have the tire work the same. Obviously if you are so heavy that you need more psi than the tire is rated for then you begin to see the problem.
 
There are limits to riders on most bikes. If you look into suspension units on bikes, they normally cover riders 12.5-13.5 stones (14lbs per stone) then you have to use greater 'weight' springs in them (or pump more air in) and the limit is approximately to cover a 15.5 stone rider. (medium - firm - extra firm)

Tires alone are rated to carry a certain amount of weight. If you look at the side of a tire you'll see the max psi rating for inflation, and know that the heavier a rider, the higher the psi you need to pump in to carry that rider and have the tire work the same. Obviously if you are so heavy that you need more psi than the tire is rated for then you begin to see the problem.

Wow. You bring up points I had not thought of. Like in horse racing, the weight of the rider can make all the difference.

A 500 lb man really couldn't ride a bike unless it was specially made.

Cool, thanks!
 
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