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High School Student Builds 100% Wooden Bike

Posted January 25, 2008 8:23 AM

From Gizmodo:

Sixteen year-old Marco Facciola built this completely wooden bike for a school project, managing to avoid using any metal at all. Yes, this wooden wheeled wonder even has a chain and gearing made of wood, held together with wooden joints and glue. The detail in the free-wheeling ratchet and spacers between the chain links, pinned with tiny dowels, is amazing.

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Guru
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#1

Re: High School Student Builds 100% Wooden Bike

01/25/2008 1:02 PM

I like the free wheel ratchet... I'd have thought he'd cut some holes into the wheels?

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Guru
Popular Science - Weaponology - Scapolie, new member.

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#2
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Re: High School Student Builds 100% Wooden Bike

01/26/2008 7:00 AM

Hi Del.

If you ever visit the Science museum in Birmingham you will see a bicycicle made completely of wood by an African boy in 1917. The only part that is not made of wood is the chain, this is made of a leather thong in which he has at regular intervals made knots!

Spencer.

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Guru
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#3
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Re: High School Student Builds 100% Wooden Bike

01/26/2008 7:03 AM

Cheers...I remember my Father in Law (sadly dead now) saying he'd seen such a thing in India....

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Guru
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#4

Re: High School Student Builds 100% Wooden Bike

01/30/2008 3:11 AM

A very interesting project, thank you.

Now all we need is to use re-cycled bamboo for manufacture, and it would be both carbon -neutral and eco-friendly at the same time.

I remember Scientific American magazine, back in the late 1960's, showing energy efficiencies of various transport forms.

The cycle won as most efficient, far more efficient than walking.

Kind Regards....

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Guru
Popular Science - Weaponology - Scapolie, new member.

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#5
In reply to #4

Re: High School Student Builds 100% Wooden Bike

01/31/2008 9:28 AM

Hi Sparky.

Near to where I live is the city of Birminham, this is a city of two million souls and very difficult to traverse in rush hour. So last year the council arranged a race to across the city, four people were given this task, one on a bicycle, the second in a car, the third by metro and a fourth by buss.

Needless to say, the train came first with the cyclist second, the motorist came last! Now all of a sudden the rush hour is full of cyclists.

Spencer.

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