The folks from GP Design have developed a bike that can be used for fitness training and also for going to work, the Jano dual bike. They claim that this is a new type of bike with a new market segment, and I agree with them: sometimes I wished my mountain bike transformed into a city bike.
As you can see from the pictures above, there’s something strange with the frame. Yes, it’s made of wood. Wood is up to 10 times stiffer than fiberglass and nearly 6 times stiffer than a kevlar/epoxy composite. The use of wood was also the motivation for building this bike:
research discovered that wood used for bicycles has the ability to absorb bumps and road noise like carbon fibre and has the feel and responsiveness of steel. there is enough lateral stiffness to provide a controlled and responsive ride. therefore wood can provide a unique riding experience.
These are the specifications of the Jano bike:
- Plywood frame
- Maintainance free belt drive system
- Hub gear shift
- Low resistance hub dynamo
- Frame integrated head- and rear lights [leds]
- Attachable frame bag and luggage carrier
- Optional mudguards
Unfortunately this bike is still a concept although some prototypes do exist.
Read all about this bike here: Jano dual bike via Wired.
[...] bicicletas de maderawww.sport-gadgets.com/dual-concept-bike-made-of-wood/ por xavier.conesa hace pocos segundos [...]