There is so much to think about in designing a bicycle , At first glance it seems like the most simple of machines, a couple of wheels two triangles and some odds and sods like brakes a seat etc.

However once you sit down and start designing one from scratch you realise pretty quickly that every little thing effects every other thing and often there is very little space to play with. Top all that off by choosing to use and unusual material like wood and its quite a challenge.

Thankfully I like a challenge and armed with some books on bicycle some tables on wood species and their strengths and my own experience working with timber and adhesives I was able to slowly piece together a design I hoped would work well.

I was aiming for stiff and strong with moderate weight. I also didn’t want to follow down the same path as others by glueing up large blocks of wood and then using a router to shape the outside and hollow the inside, this seemed like a waste of material to me so I decided upon building my frame up out of hollow boxes, bandsawing planks to thin strips creating little waste and maximising the wood used.

I chose Victorian Ash its a eucalyptus grown in Tasmania and is very strong for its given weight, its also a very stable and beautiful timber. The inner pieces are from Poplar this is plantations grown in Wanganui and is light weight of moderate strength.

The chain stays I laminated from Jarrah a hardwood that is very strong and stiff.

I have tried to build a sporty road bike so went for as short a chain stays as I could and a fairly upright head angle with lowish trail to keep it all tight and crisp.

I’m looking forward now to the build and seeing how it all comes together and particularly what it rides like.