Bicycles

Bonobo plywood bike flexes the boundaries of bicycle design

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Polish designer Stanislaw Ploski's Bonobo bicycle has a frame made from bent plywood
Models of possible frame designs for Bonobo
The Bonobo plywood bicycle under construction
The Bonobo plywood bicycle under construction
The Bonobo plywood bicycle under construction
The Bonobo plywood bicycle under construction
The Bonobo plywood bicycle under construction
Polish designer Stanislaw Ploski's Bonobo bicycle has a frame made from bent plywood
Polish designer Stanislaw Ploski's Bonobo bicycle has a frame made from bent plywood
Bonobo features a singlespeed drivetrain and hydraulic disc brakes
Bonobo features a singlespeed drivetrain and hydraulic disc brakes
Bonobo's stem and steerer tube
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One of the nice features of some bent plywood chairs is the fact that they spring up and down, so they have some give when you first sit down in them. Well, Polish designer Stanislaw Ploski has taken that flex appeal, and applied it to a one-of-a-kind bicycle. Named Bonobo, the bike's frame is made from curved, laminated layers of plywood.

"It is built to serve urban cyclists who wish to ride comfortably and with style," Ploski said of Bonobo. "The frame utilizes natural properties of plywood - a natural composite material that is light, strong, and absorbs vibrations. Geometry of the bike ensures a relaxed riding position and lets the user experience the pure pleasure of cycling."

The bicycle is outfitted with a singlespeed drivetrain and hydraulic disc brakes, although Stanislaw says it could also run an internal gear hub or a belt drivetrain.

Polish designer Stanislaw Ploski's Bonobo bicycle has a frame made from bent plywood

The Bonobo does indeed look like it would soak up the potholes, and weighs in at 16 kilograms (35.27 lbs) - by no means a featherweight, but not unreasonable for a cruiser bike.

If you like the idea of a wooden-framed bicycle that you could actually purchase, check out the Lagomorph, or Audi and Renovo's duo bikes.

Source: Bicycle Design

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3 comments
Jay Finke
at last a good idea .. good for you .. look no space plastic or rocket battery\'s or the $18,000 price tag for a ()bicycle()
Steve Corry
I really like the looks of this bicycle and would love to own one, but I\'m just curious as to why the developers didn\'t go farther and use wood for the forks, handlebars, pedals, etc.
Will, the tink
I too like the wood design and think it could have been carried further, perhaps to fork and even rims? One thing that keeps bugging me though and someone can correct me if I\'m wrong, doesn\'t frame flex absorb some of the energy needed to propel the bike?