Wooden bikes • Hacker News Board

Re: Wooden bikes

#11

Post by eesmith » Wed, Nov 21, 2018, 11:45 AM UTC

Cthulhu_ wrote: post #7

ArrayList wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Better than carbon [citation needed]

Carbon bikes are made from hollow tubes, hollow tubes can buckle / collapse, plus carbon bikes are designed for lightness, not sturdiness. Wood can take a beating, but is a lot heavier.

The wooden bikes mentioned are made from hollow tubes too. "Materia Bikes frames are hollow and lightweight"

Re: Wooden bikes

#12

Post by Carpetsmoker » Wed, Nov 21, 2018, 11:46 AM UTC

ArrayList wrote: post #5

I just don't buy this. At all. Why don't we see the Tour de France peloton rolling through on wooden bikes? They can afford the best of the best.

A lot of the post is about comfort and durability. If you're doing the Tour de France then your most important concern by far is pure performance. Everything else is secondary.

You're not riding the Tour de France when you're commuting to work or riding as a hobby.

Re: Wooden bikes

#13

Post by tokai » Wed, Nov 21, 2018, 11:47 AM UTC

ArrayList wrote: post #5

I just don't buy this. At all. Why don't we see the Tour de France peloton rolling through on wooden bikes? They can afford the best of the best.

They want high frame stiffness to minimize loss of power to flexing. I feel you though. I would rather improve ride smoothness with larger tires, lower tire pressure, lesser tension of spokes, different sadle, etc, than riding on a wooden bike.

Re: Wooden bikes

#14

Post by sergiosgc » Wed, Nov 21, 2018, 11:48 AM UTC

I don't understand the market for bicycles in the thousands of euro price range. Bikes get stolen often enough for me to never be relaxed leaving such a bike outside a shop or caffe or such. If you can't leave the bike anywhere, it's almost useless, except perhaps as a virtue signalling device.

Re: Wooden bikes

#15

Post by sasaf5 » Wed, Nov 21, 2018, 11:50 AM UTC

sergiosgc wrote: post #14

I don't understand the market for bicycles in the thousands of euro price range. Bikes get stolen often enough for me to never be relaxed leaving such a bike outside a shop or caffe or such. If you can't leave the bike anywhere, it's almost useless, except perhaps as a virtue signalling device.

Or as sports equipment.

Re: Wooden bikes

#16

Post by NikolaeVarius » Wed, Nov 21, 2018, 11:51 AM UTC

Cthulhu_ wrote: post #7

ArrayList wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Better than carbon [citation needed]

Carbon bikes are made from hollow tubes, hollow tubes can buckle / collapse, plus carbon bikes are designed for lightness, not sturdiness. Wood can take a beating, but is a lot heavier.

Hollowness is nonsensical argument. Hollow tubes maximize strength per weight

Re: Wooden bikes

#17

Post by tcgv » Wed, Nov 21, 2018, 11:52 AM UTC

I wonder if wooden bikes bring any safety concerns in the event of a crash, since when wood breaks it can become reasonably sharp, like a spear.

Re: Wooden bikes

#18

Post by danburbridge » Wed, Nov 21, 2018, 11:57 AM UTC

sergiosgc wrote: post #14

I don't understand the market for bicycles in the thousands of euro price range. Bikes get stolen often enough for me to never be relaxed leaving such a bike outside a shop or caffe or such. If you can't leave the bike anywhere, it's almost useless, except perhaps as a virtue signalling device.

Expensive bikes aren't for leaving around - they are for riding/racing. It is common to have a "beater" bike for cafe/shop/pub outings where its going to be locked up outside.

Re: Wooden bikes

#19

Post by mirsadm » Wed, Nov 21, 2018, 11:57 AM UTC

sergiosgc wrote: post #14

I don't understand the market for bicycles in the thousands of euro price range. Bikes get stolen often enough for me to never be relaxed leaving such a bike outside a shop or caffe or such. If you can't leave the bike anywhere, it's almost useless, except perhaps as a virtue signalling device.

I use my expensive bike for training/exercise not for commuting. Not too hard to understand.

Re: Wooden bikes

#20

Post by seotut2 » Wed, Nov 21, 2018, 11:57 AM UTC

Funny how the website only highlights the advantages of wood as a material, and plays down its disadvantages. Namely, a stiffer, more rigid frame is more efficient. I personally loved how my aluminium road bike rode, more so than steel, particularly because I can feel the road, and my pedal strokes have a more direct feedback.

If a frame absorbs some of that vibration, it is naturally going to absorb some of your energy. So "harshest" ride quality isn't exactly the term I'd assign to aluminum.