Mixing alcohol and cycling is a bad thing that never ends well. At best, the story ends in the nearest ditch. But when Renovo and Glenmorangie join hands, we can talk about a completely different collaboration between the renowned manufacturer of wooden-framed bicycles and the producer of one of the best single malt Scotch whiskies.
The Lesenjača is a wooden bicycle of Slovenian origin, behind which the up-and-coming Mika Kovač and his parents stand, and it was created in the family carpentry studio 4MK. The Lumberjack's journey to Kickstarter is an interesting one, as it all started in the 2nd year of high school, when Mike and the rest of the class were given an assignment to make something out of wood. Since Mike is a cyclist at heart, a wooden bicycle was the first thing that came to his mind, and his home workshop also came up with the idea. The result is worth not only a high five, but also financial support, don't you agree?
With its innovative design, the Aero wooden wheel aims to discover new possibilities of composite wood, i.e. specially treated wood (a process of chemical modification of wood by introducing smaller molecules into the cell walls). It was created according to the idea of architects Atanas Zhelev, Mariya Korolova and Martina Hutzal, and saw the light of day at Milan Design Week 2015.
Paul Timmer, a Dutch designer, carved the wheel from ash wood (without the addition of veneer or plywood), a wood renowned for its aesthetic qualities and strength. But that doesn't mean that riding with such a frame is hard. Quite the opposite. The wooden structure intercepts more vibrations on the way to the body, even more than carbon fibers. Nevertheless, the bike is durable, which is especially appropriate for a cyclocross bike.
Kickstarter is richer for another Slovenian project - Tratar Bikes, where a three-member team led by designer Janez Tratar is raising 25 thousand dollars to realize their idea by January 10, 2015. It is a (city) wooden bicycle that comes in two versions - Kick shift (with gears) and Single-speed (without gears). The wooden frame weighs two kilograms (which is in the same range as aluminum ones), and a total of 11 is accumulated.
This season's trends range from classic bikes with a modern twist to cute Dutch, sophisticated British, comfortable Californian and cool "fixie" styles. We also looked for slightly more unusual trendy bikes, such as a modern rickshaw, a tricycle, a "halfbike", a wooden DIY and a bicycle recycled from waste.
Although it hasn't really smelled like spring yet, the chirping of birds here and there is already waking up the scraps for the time when the bikes will be relevant again. If you are up for something new and crazy, a custom wooden bike will be the right choice.