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Wooden bikes

materiabikes.com

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Re: Wooden bikes

#81

Post by michaelmior »

mcv wrote: post #26
seotut2 wrote: post #20

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 ene…

I guess it depends on the kind of bike experience you want. I see people riding extraordinarily impractical bikes every single day. Of course that would make wooden bikes a matter of taste, and not superior by any stretch of the imagination.

> not superior by any stretch of the imagination.

I think it's safe to assume each rider has a different utility function, in some cases drastically different. "Extraordinarily impractical" bikes may very well have other upsides for a particular rider that outweigh the disadvantages for them.

Re: Wooden bikes

#82

Post by gameswithgo »

The vibration dampening is a red herring. As a point of comparison, the differences in dampening between various frames/materials is on the order of ~1psi of tire pressure normally. In other words, if you found yourself with the harshest of frames, you could drop air pressure by 1 or 2psi and be at the same level as the "smoothest" frame.

Re: Wooden bikes

#83

Post by fifnir »

amelius wrote: post #60
Tomte wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Schwalbe has such a tire. It‘s filled with some sort of foam: https://www.schwalbe.com/airless-system/index.php/home.html

Thanks, this will be my next tire :)

Keep in mind that this will change the feeling of the bike quite drastically. When you hit a bump with an airtyre, the entire wheel responds to absorb the shock, but with foam tyres that doesn't happen (only the part of the tyre right above where you hit will contract)

Re: Wooden bikes

#84

Post by gameswithgo »

mymythisisthis wrote: post #70
cuban-frisbee wrote: post #46

I use a bike as my primary transportation (I live in a very, very bike friendly city) and I don't think I have ever seen a wooden bike. Vibrations from the road is not something I've ever considered since it has not been a problem in any of the bikes that I've had. My primary considerations when considering a bike would be: * Price * Durability * Cargo support (like basket and rear hub)

If you do a road trip more than 80km, you feel the vibration. I find aluminum is worse than steel. With short, daily trips, I don't think people notice vibration.

>I find aluminum is worse than steel.

Try to do a blind test on yourself sometime, with the same tires and tire pressures.

I don't notice "vibration" at any distance unless its nasty chip seal at which point nothing will save you short of a mountain bike.

Re: Wooden bikes

#86

Post by gameswithgo »

collyw wrote: post #67
amelius wrote: post #57

I wish someone invented and actually sold tires which can't go flat. I don't mind if it makes the bike somewhat harder to ride. For short-distance trips (intra-city) this should be no problem, and could perhaps even save me a visit to the gym.

Tubeless tyres have been a thing for a few years now.

tubeless tires can go flat as easily as tires with tubes to close approximation. (there is some reduced chance of pinch flats but some increased chance of burping)

tubeless tires are commonly used along with sealant, which helps, but you can put sealant in a tire with tubes as well.

Re: Wooden bikes

#87

Post by fifnir »

michaelmior wrote: post #81
mcv wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I guess it depends on the kind of bike experience you want. I see people riding extraordinarily impractical bikes every single day. Of course that would make wooden bikes a matter of taste, and not superior by any stretch of the imagination.

> not superior by any stretch of the imagination. I think it's safe to assume each rider has a different utility function, in some cases drastically different. "Extraordinarily impractical" bikes may very well have other upsides for a particular rider that outweigh the disadvantages for them.

It's also safe to point out that the vast majority of people for the vast majority of topics don't know and don't care. Don't tell me the people who go around cycling on tiny bikes with their heels on the pedal and their knees reaching their throat have found some kind of alternative definition of practicality...

Re: Wooden bikes

#88

Post by mrob »

mymythisisthis wrote: post #70
cuban-frisbee wrote: post #46

I use a bike as my primary transportation (I live in a very, very bike friendly city) and I don't think I have ever seen a wooden bike. Vibrations from the road is not something I've ever considered since it has not been a problem in any of the bikes that I've had. My primary considerations when considering a bike would be: * Price * Durability * Cargo support (like basket and rear hub)

If you do a road trip more than 80km, you feel the vibration. I find aluminum is worse than steel. With short, daily trips, I don't think people notice vibration.

I've done longer journeys that that on a steel frame touring bike with 1.5" tires and I didn't notice any problems with vibration. I think most people complaining about vibration are probably using excessively narrow tires.

Re: Wooden bikes

#89

Post by gameswithgo »

seotut2 wrote: post #20

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 ene…

>Namely, a stiffer, more rigid frame is more efficient

Engineers have tried to measure efficiency differences between different types of typical road frames and been unable. This isn't really an important effect in terms of how fast you go, even if it feels better. Most of the energy in frame flex seems to be returned.

Re: Wooden bikes

#90

Post by gameswithgo »

Yetanfou wrote: post #48
danburbridge wrote: post #30

Ride comfort (on a rigid bike) is primarily a function of the tyres (size/inflation/construction). A bike with cheap 23c tyres at 150psi will rattle the fillings out of your teeth. The same bike with decent 25c or 28c tyres at e.g. 50-70psi (depending on rider weight) can float along with a magic carpet like ride.

Why call those 23c tyres "cheap"? Why mention price at all? Ride comfort is a function of tyre size, not tyre price. You can buy very "exclusive" expensive 23c tyres, pump them up to 7 atm. and have just as hard a ride as the person who just overtook you on his "cheap" 23c tyres. That "magic carpet" ride does come at a price but it is not monetary: the softer the tyre, the more resistance and with that the slower the…

>Ride comfort is a function of tyre size

And tire construction. Though price likely does not correlate well with how supple the tire construction is.

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