Bamboo bike

Bamboo bikes are growing in popularity as a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to traditional bicycles. Riders are waking up to the environmental benefits of bamboo as a renewable resource.

The material has been used in bicycles for over a hundred years: the first bamboo bikes were patented and introduced in England in 1894 by the Bamboo Cycle Company. In 1896, a U.S. patent was granted to August Oberg and Andrew Gustafson to build bike frames from bamboo.

The benefits of bamboo frames are clear: the tubing has a high strength-to-weight ratio and excellent vibration control, which provides for a smoother ride and increased stability on rough terrain.

But the mainstream modern-day industry is still dominated by aluminum frames—mostly due to manufacturing challenges, such as quality control and consistent sourcing. Some buyers also have concerns about the longevity and maintenance of bamboo frames.

Bamboo poles can be joined in several different ways; early bikes used metal joints which were then tightened around the bamboo. Another approach is to wrap the joints with resin-saturated fibers to make composite lugs.

Today, bamboo bikes are invariably rather niche products—albeit very interesting ones, in a world increasingly focused on sustainability.