I have never been anywhere near Stanisław Płoski’s Bonobo plywood bike, but I can feel the thing flex as clearly as if it were beneath me on a pothole-strewn road. Plywood is strong and beautiful to look at, but it isn’t exactly stiff.
Saying that, Płoski has certainly bent his sheets of veneer into a rather fetching form, something like a smoothed-off outline of a regular diamond-shaped frame. And by leaving out the seat-tube, this thing will probably ride as softly as a 1950s Cadillac.
Along with the flexy ride, I also worry about the weight of this thing. Wood is heavy enough as it is, but combined with all those bolted-on brackets it likely weighs a ton.
Not that any of this in necessarily bad. Dutch-style city bikes also weigh a ton, but they are comfortable too, just like the Bonobo with its laid-back riding position.
Finally, I wonder how you’d lock this bike? Any thief could quickly saw through the frame and then just use a splint to glue it back together.
Bonobo [Duzosuper via Cycle EXIF]
See Also:
- Wooden Bike Like Riding a Perfect Piece of Furniture
- Audi's Wooden Granny Bike Costs Almost $7000
- Cheap Wooden Bike Basket Looks Curiously Familiar
- New Renovo Bike Frame Gives Bikers Wood
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