By Duncan Geere, Wired UK
A bicycle made entirely of wood, created by a pair of British designers, is aiming for a 31-mph speed record.
SplinterBike doesn’t have a single piece of metal, rubber or plastic. The axles are made of ekki. The frame, wheels and cogs are birch, and the bearings are ironwood. The pedals and handlebars have been refashioned from a broom handle.
Michael Thompson and James Tully say they were inspired to build SplinterBike after watching the Tour of Britain pass Thompson’s front garden. Tully bet him 1 pound [$1.65] he couldn’t build a bike entirely out of wood. Tully lost the bet.
The drivetrain is the most impressive achievement. The traditional chain has been replaced with a pair of 128-tooth cogs that link the pedals to the rear wheel. It’s not the first all-wood bike, but it might be the fastest. Tully and Thompson want to set a speed record to find out.
There’s no existing record, so the pair have called in the Speed Record Club at a cost of 7,500 pounds [$12,500] to record the bike’s speed, which they believe should be able to get up to 31 mph, thanks to a 4:1 gear ratio. However, that’s theoretical because it hasn’t been ridden yet. Thompson and Tully don’t have access to a venue with a smooth-enough surface for the machine’s wooden wheels.
Thompson told the Guardian Bike Blog: “It should go the speed; it’s all down to James now. I’ve done my bit; there’s a lot of work that’s gone into it.”
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