Can you build a fully functional wooden bicycle?

Using wood to build a bicycle isn’t exactly new. It was the material of choice at the end of the 19th century, and there’s no shortage of enthusiasts who prefer wood in their classic models. But today’s plan is to take things a step further and build a bicycle completely out of wood. That means no metal, no plastic, no carbon fiber in the design—even the bearings (or their equivalents) are made of wood.

Every high-profile YouTuber dedicated to construction and DIY has, one way or another, access to a CNC platform. Despite its natural difficulties—the calibration process and a good dose of trial and error—the ability to cut and repeat pieces at will is an extraordinary advantage. At the same time, CNC cutting machines let us use materials that would otherwise be impossible to work with. For example, how does a wooden bicycle sound? Not just the handlebars or tires—I mean the whole bike: frame, seat, gears, bearings, and more. No nuts, no bolts, no welding. William Osman and his team decided to build a functional wooden bicycle, and this is the result.

First step: a CAD model

The problems begin...

The project started with a fairly clean CAD model, but turning it into a real bicycle had several bumps along the way. The CNC machine was too small for the wood panels they were using, they made several cutting errors, the saw didn’t have batteries and had to be hacked (discovering a broken multimeter in the process), and the first gears were horrible.

Precision was lacking

Some failures were significant

They slowly corrected their mistakes, and with a toxic amount of glue—not to mention hundreds of hammer blows—the wooden bicycle finally came together. However, the difficulties didn’t end there, as on its first test they broke a crank with ease.

Making progress

First test and...

Crack

After the damage was repaired...

It worked! It’s extremely uncomfortable, but nobody got hurt, and the wooden bicycle didn’t collapse—at least at that speed. It’s likely that the exact combination of pressure, tension, and vibrations will shatter that bicycle, but the initial concept is a success, and with (multiple) additional adjustments it could become something more viable. Personally, I think I’d stick with a traditional model. Body mass and stuff. (?)