Bamboo Bicycle, info sought

[bricycle]

I think I saw these in the 70's.I think you have taken on a tough project in restoring it to safely be ridden.

Probably not made for a rider over 125 lbs dripping wet.

 

[1motime]

Probably not made for a rider over 125 lbs dripping wet.

That is a big guy in Vietnam. Of course the Monsoon rains will definetly soak you!

 

[John D. Williams]

Yep. The bamboo tubes are strong, the lugs look strong, the seat and chain stays are metal, the front fork is metal. The bike is actually quite sturdy... except for the handlebars. Not sure what kind of wood they used for these, but you can tell it's the weak point of the bike, even with the braces. In some ways, it looks like the rattan wrap on other parts of the bike is more decorative than functional. And, yes, those central wood braces need to be attached to the stays.

 

[Mr. Monkeyarms]

I would think with a great deal of wrapping/weaving creating a "gusset" between head/down/top tube would give it the strength needed up front. Same around the seat cluster again at the bottom bracket. Calfee bikes does this with a resin added to create lugs for their bamboo bikes. Look 'em up for some inspiration. Good luck!

And if you part this one out, Dibs on the bar & grips! I'd settle for the grips. Those are awesome!

 

[1motime]

The guy that made this never used resin. If it loosened up he probably just re-wound it. Repeat customer. Keep it on the road. This bike is from another world.

 

[John D. Williams]

Some pictures of the bike after working on it. Used TiteBond wood glue to reset some of the loose rattan. Along the way, while reading about this bike, I learned that "wicker" is a style of weave, not a plant, and rattan is a kind of palm. All bearings were good. I used jute string to rewrap some sections because the rattan was brittle, and jute kind of matched. One of the handlebar braces was newer. The fenders were delaminated sections of wood, so I reglued them. You can see that the main bamboo tubes were fitted into the large lugs, so it almost looks like the rattan around these is decorative. The wood bracing and handlebars... I wish I was an expert at Vietnam botany, because who knows what kind of wood they used? If you look close at the grips, you can see under the wicker weave that they seem to be the gray old-style Raleigh or equivalent rubber grips. I am soaking the front basket to try to regain its form, and will use jute to fasten it together again. The rear brake is quite weak. I have not tested it yet... I'm 145 pounds, so am going to be careful.

 

[1motime]

I can see how the handlebars need all the help they can get. Good luck with the first ride.

 

[John D. Williams]

I can see how the handlebars need all the help they can get. Good luck with the first ride.

I'm going to put my arm weight on the area with the braces, and go from there.

 

[Mr. Monkeyarms]

Looks much better! Good job!

 

[John D. Williams]

Looks much better! Good job!

Thank you , I appreciate it.