- Bamboo has potential as a sustainable material for bicycle frames due to its strength, stiffness, and lightweight properties. It grows quickly and can be harvested annually without depleting natural resources. However, bamboo frames require treatments like epoxy to strengthen the joints and prevent splitting. Making a bamboo frame involves positioning, joining, and wrapping the bamboo tubes with hemp fiber and epoxy to create a durable composite structure. Riders experience a comfortable ride with natural vibration damping, while still benefiting from the performance advantages of a stiff lightweight frame.

2. PREPARED
AND
PRESENTED
BY
DENNIS WIAFE-AKENTENG

3. BRIEF HISTORY
• German Inventor Karl von
Drais is credited with
developing the first bicycle.
• His machine, known as the
"swiftwalker," hit the road
in 1817.
• Dispute about who invented
the first bicycle with pedals
(1818)

4. BAMBOO BIKES
• First patented in England by the Bamboo Cycle Company
Ltd., and introduced to the general public on 26 April
1894.
• A US patent was applied for in 1895, by August Oberg
and Andrew Gustafson, and granted in 1896.
• Though bicycles are a staple of transporting humans, in
both rural and urbanised areas, bamboo bicycles are
currently not widely introduced; however, with the
advent of the Green movement, bamboo is being used
again, primarily for high-end racing/touring bicycles.
Today, bamboo bikes are starting to enter the market
once more as low cost alternatives to the relatively
expensive and unsustainable aluminium/metal bikes.

5. BICYCLE??
• BICYCLE: A human-powered, pedal-
driven, single-track vehicle, having
two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the
other
• Bicycles were introduced in the 19th century in
Europe and as of 2003, more than 1 billion have
been produced worldwide, twice as many as the
number of automobiles that have been produced

6. BICYCLE PARTS

7. MATERIALS??
• Frame - The core
• Material importance lays with weight and
strength
• Strength and Density of material and
processing
• Titanium
• Steels
• Aluminium
• Bamboo

8. FRAME FABRICATION
• Designed based on the usage
of the bicycle
• Major overall bicycle
requirements are speed,
safety, comfort, and
endurance.
• Weight is the key to speed,
but the lightweight need
must be balanced by the
other factors (safety,
comfort, and endurance)
• To fulfil these requirements ,
specific materials must be
chosen

9. WHY BAMBOO FOR BIKES??
If you are considering buying
a carbon or titanium frame,
then let’s learn more about
the re-discovered properties
of bamboo

10. BAMBOO?
• BAMBOO: a natural composite material longitudinally reinforced by
strong fibres.
LIGHT: In wood the strongest fibres are packed in the centre of the
trunk, however in bamboo the stems are full of cavities and the
strongest fibres are distributed most densely in the outer surface
region.
STIFF: As a consequence the most stable fibre structures in bamboo
are most dense in regions of greatest longitudinal stress. Wood
bends relatively easily but bamboo does not.
STRONG: Extremely strong wood fibres can resist up to 5kN/cm2
and steel can resist at most 37kN/cm2 whereas the outer fibres of
slim bamboo tubes have tensile strengths of up to 40kN/cm2
• Bamboo is therefore an ideal material for bike construction where
stiffness and strength to weight ratios are important

11. • OXYGEN: Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on earth, generating more
oxygen than the equivalent stand of trees.
• NATURAL RESOURCE: There are about 500 species of bamboo and
hundreds of sub-species throughout the world. Within a year, plants
reach full height, and over the next 6-8 years, plants gain hardness and
strength as they lignify. It is an enduring natural resource that can be
selectively harvested annually.
• ECO FRIENDLY: Steel, aluminium and titanium frames all require high
levels of energy to produce, from extraction to extrusion, before being
suitable for bicycle manufacture. Carbon fibre also requires a lot of
energy to produce in its controlled oxidation, carbonisation and
graphitisation. The graphitisation process in particular is highly energy
intensive, requiring temperatures of ~2600°C for high strength fibres or
~3000°C for high modulus (elastic) fibres.

12. BAMBOO SETBACK
Limited durability- splits but
fibres stay together
afterwards

13. THE BIG PICTURE
• Give a man a fish,
• He eats for a day
• Teach a man to fish,
• He feeds his family for a lifetime
• Teach him how to make fishing gears,
• He creates job for his neighbours
• Buy his products,
• He grows his business and prospers

14. Frame Geometries
SIZE*
TOP
TUBE
LENGTH
TT
SEAT
TUBE
ANGLE
ST
SET
BACK
SB
STAND
OVER
HEIGHT
B.B.
DROP
HEAD
TUBE
ANGLE
HT
HEAD
TUBE
LENGTH
HT
MAX
HEAD
TUBE
EXTENS
ION
MAX
SEAT
TUBE
EXTENS
ION
WHEEL
BASE
48 52 72.5 14.4 76.0 5.5 70 9.1 3.5 1.5 98.0
50 53 72.5 15 78.2 5.5 70.5 10.0 3 3 98.1
52 53.5 72 16.1 79.4 5.5 71 11.3 2.5 3 98.2
54 55.3 71.5 17.1 81.0 5.5 71 12.8 3 2.5 99.0
56 56.5 71 18.2 83.3 5.5 71.5 15.0 3 3 99.8
58 57.5 71 18.9 84.3 5.5 72 16.0 2 2 100.5
60 58.8 70.5 20 86.2 5.5 72 18.0 3 2 101.1
62 60.5 70.25 21 88.0 5.5 72 20.0 3 2 102.1

15. MAKING A BAMBOO FRAME
• Preservation Treatment
• Positioning of Bamboos
• Sanding (avoid waxy surface)
• Apply Epoxy
• Sand Epoxy joined surfaces and apply Hemp fibre
soaked in epoxy
• Should be 1/2 to 3/4″ thick and should extend down
the tubes about 2 1/2″ to 3 (on all sides on tube) to
make sure joints are adequately stiff.

16. • Sand Hemp fibre wrappings
• Final finishing

17. RIDE CHARACTERISTICS
• QUIET LUXURIOUS RIDE: The vibration damping
characteristics of bamboo make this bike a dream to ride. It is
much more comfortable than a carbon fibre frame.
PERFORMANCE ADVANTAGE: This is not just a cool bike. It is
appropriate for racing and for everyday use. The vibration
damping is a performance advantage on longer rides,
reducing fatigue and shock associated with carbon frames.
• NATURAL DAMPING: The composite nature of bamboo gives
it an enviable advantage over carbon for absorbing road
shocks and vibrations. By absorbing shock, yet remaining
incredibly stiff, the rider experiences a rare combination - a
forgiving, performance frame.

18. SIT BACK AND RELAX
TIME FOR MAKING YOUR OWN
BAMBOO BIKE FRAME