Anyone even just slightly involved in the competitive bike racing scene knows that a non-carbon fibre bike will expect titters on race day. But while titanium and steel may turn a few heads, eyes may well pop out of said heads if you ride onto the start line with this machine.
Frame from natural sources
This frame is made from wood. It’s called the Renovo Aerowood, and it has a hollow wooden frame made from Wenge and Figured Maple hardwoods. These hardwoods are “stiff, strong and naturally absorb vibration” according to the maker in Portland Oregon. The downtube does however have a carbon fibre lining, as one concession to modernity. But this combination makes for a marriage of strength from the carbon fibre and shock-absorption from the wood. The front forks are also made of carbon fibre.
Beauty and style
It is possible to have the frame painted but, honestly, why would you when you can enjoy (and show off) the beauty of natural wood?! The Aerowood is one of a surprisingly large selection of hand-made wooden bikes from Renovo. The company’s philosophy is a “blend of American workmanship, rigorous engineering, and state-of-the-art computer driven design and manufacturing”.
There is a pleasing lack of cables on the Aerowood thanks to the wireless shifting system, leaving only the front and rear (calliper) brake cables to break up the smooth lines. This also helps the aerodynamics too, obviously.
This bike is a choice machine for the real enthusiast. The enthusiast with a generous disposable income, that is — the Aerowood will set you back $9995 (we’re not sure whether the power metre shown above is included in that, we doubt it though), and the frameset alone is a cool $5,495. But that does get you one of the most original bikes on the market today.