-
how much does he want for it?
....this is the problem, he doesn't know what to ask and was hoping we would make an offer, my gut feeling is that in the right venue for sale (wherever that may be) it should arouse interest at around £100.00 but this is purely a guess,
he said he originally paid the Sterling equivalent of £250.00 in Thai Baht in wooden craft store before shipping back here -
• #6
mate...start a trend you could make millions.
Its amazing. -
The Amazing Wooden Bike Company
offers a number of wooden bike designs, including the Dragon Bike seen on our cover. They are made in Java, Indonesia.
http://bikerodnkustom.homestead.com/woodeye.html
Also:
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=10697http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/7.10/fetish.html
There's a time and place for titanium, but why not cruise the strand on a hand-carved, tropical-hardwood chick magnet? Javanese woodcarvers handcraft the Uprider from durable teak, securing all joints with pegs, not screws. The only metal you'll find is in the wheels, brakes, and drivetrain. You can order the 60-pound work of ridable art with extras like an 18-speed derailleur or a bull's head on the handlebars, to complete the tiki lowrider look. But supplies are limited - the Indonesian government controls the teak harvest, and skilled carvers don't grow on trees. Uprider: $2,500. The Amazing Wooden Bike Company: +44 (181) 542 2920, www.candytape.com/awbc. -
Yes, you can believe your eyes - you are looking at a picture of one of our Amazing Wooden Bikes. Each bike is hand-crafted from solid teak - one of the most durable hardwoods available. The bikes are teak throughout, except for the running gear wheels and tyres. Not only do they demonstrate the craftsman’s skill, they are perfectly usable as everyday transport. They are fully functional works of art.
Take a look around our site to appreciate the Amazing Wooden Bikes and learn a little about where they come from and how they are made. We can also make a bike for you - click here for details.
Discovery of the Amazing Wooden Bikes
I have visited Indonesia on several occasions and have always been impressed by the beauty, not only of the country, but of the ubiquitous decorative arts that are so much a part of the culture. Whether it be a piece of elaborately patterned batik or an intricately carved religious monument, it is always created with an unerring eye for detail and executed to the highest standards.I have never left the country without some examples of the traditional oil painting or an example of the delicately carved furniture in which the local craftsmen excel. It was on an expedition to find some particular pieces of furniture that I happened across a group of craftsmen who were producing something that I had never seen before - fully functional bicycles hand-carved in teak wood. I was literally amazed by these incredible pieces of art and assumed that they were purely a way to show off the enviable skills of the craftsmen. Not so. Not only are these bikes objects of beauty, they are a practical means of transport.
The design of the bikes has evolved over several months beginning with some spectacular early failures. The job of the early test pilots must have been an unenviable one. Today, the craftsmen have managed to marry beauty with utility and yet they continue to experiment with new designs and embellishments.
I wanted to know everything about the manufacture of the bikes, and as is the way, the endless pots of tea began to appear and before the day was out, I was as enthusiastic about the Amazing Wooden Bikes as the guys who were making them.
And so it came about that I agreed to help them to find a market for these beautiful works of art. A photograph of the bike does not do it justice. It cannot convey the feeling of running your fingers over the highly-polished wood or the unique experience of actually riding something totally original and different. The high cost of the materials that go into the manufacture each bike, together with the many hours of high quality craftsmanship, means that the Amazing Wooden Bike is not the cheapest method of transportation around. However, if you are like me, and you want to be at one with your art, this is the only way to go.
How The Bikes Are Made
Each bike is hand-crafted from solid teak - one of the most durable hardwoods available. Teak trees are cultivated in the Philippines and Indonesia. Teak is used as lumber in shipbuilding and for hardwood furniture. It can remain immune to the effects of weather for hundreds of years.The bikes are manufactured by a group of carvers who live and work in Java, Indonesia. They are primarily carved furniture makers and have only just recently started producing the bikes for sale after many failed experiments in design. Because of the high cost of the materials and the many hours of labour required to produce each piece, there is effectively no home market. They are looking to export the bikes in order to support their efforts.
Each bike takes about three man-months to make. They are completely hand-crafted, the highest tech piece of equipment used in their manufacture is a vice. The joinery is effected by traditional wooden pegging - no screws or nails are used in the frame of the bike.
Click here if you would like to find out more about how the wood used in the manufacture the Bikes is sourced.The bikes are teak throughout, except for the running gear, wheels and tyres. They come with a wooden saddle for 'ceremonial occasions' and a sprung saddle for practical, everyday use. Even the lights are carved in teak! They are fully functional works of art.
The bikes are made to customer specifications. There are many options from a simple, but elegant, framed bike through to a very decorative, hand-painted piece having a horse or bull's head (in solid teak, of course) as a figurehead on the handlebars. There are other more extravagant options such as a very colourful dragon-framed design. Come and have a look by clicking on each model below.How To Order
Every Amazing Wooden Bike is made to customer specifications. Because each piece takes in excess of three man-months to make, the number of bikes that can be manufactured is very limited. Should you decide to order one of our bikes, you will be the owner of a rare and enduring piece of functional art. Do not ride an Amazing Wooden Bike if you are in a hurry to get to your destination. Your journey is likely to be interupted many times by enquiries about your mount by others with an eye similar to your own for the esoteric.The basic model is the Uprider. It is a single-speed machine with hub brakes. Every bike comes with both a hand-carved wooden saddle and a traditional sprung saddle for everyday use.
Because they are made of solid teak wood, our bikes are heavier than the run-of-the-mill tubular steel cycle. The basic model weighs in at around 25 kilos. However, the bike can be supplied with an eighteen-speed Shimano geared option. This option is recommended if you intend to use your bike for everyday transport. It will make the solid ride even more enjoyable.
There are many possibilities for customisation of your bike.
A bull’s head mounted on the handlebars - carved in solid teak of course - is one such option. You will find that most people, especially kids, are unable to resist stroking it. These bikes have to be touched as well as looked at.
The equestrians amongst you might prefer to have a horse’s head instead which even more strokable!
Click here to see the bull’s head as an extra on the Snake.
All of the features that you can see on the bikes featured on our site may be integrated with your chosen model in any combination. Several specialist craftsmen will work on your bike so it can be ready for despatch in around three weeks from date of order.
Prices & Delivery
The price of a finished piece will depend upon your chosen model and options, where you wish to take delivery and the method of shipping that you choose. In our experience, air freight is the way to go. It costs around 50% more to ship by air than by sea but it means that you do not have to wait for several weeks for delivery and customs clearance.
In order to give you an idea of the cost of buying an Amazing Wooden Bike, the basic Uprider air freighted to the UK, cleared through customs and delivered by us will be in the region of 1,200 UK pounds or 2,000 US dollars. This calculation uses the prevailing exchange rate and freight costs.
Please email us with any questions whatsoever that you may have about our bikes by clicking here. We are happy to provide you with a quotation for shipping the bike of your choice to you wherever you are. The number of Amazing Wooden Bikes that can be manufactured is strictly limited so there may be some delay filling your order. However, it also means that you will own a rare, and rather special, fully functional work of art.
-
You can get more here. I'm tired of copy'n'paste..
http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.candytape.com/awbc -
• #14
lots of typing, not enough buying. didn't read it all, but want!
-
Makes you wonder what the carbon footprint of a bike like this is.
Far less than more conventional bikes. Factoring in the mechanised production, transport etc.
Fucking rank, shit lets make bikes out rare animal bones next. Fuck the impact
Not to my taste either, but not exactly making as much of a dent in the forests as, say posh garden furniture.
-
Loooool, want one! Could get a rhino head on the front and shout "charge!" at peds crossing when the green man is not on tsk tsk...
-
I was just being melodramatic, but seriously why would you want something so shit made from something so scarce that wouldn't perform like a very cheap alternative and look so dreadful to boot.
...teak is scarce?
I'm sure if they can make a mansion out of the stuff they can afford to make a few bike frames.
deleted
Valy
nukeluc
Bubblewrap
hippy
mmccarthy
El_Diablo
jaw
Pooface2
musikism
jaygee
OldSkoolRacer
Webof
tarboy-
Post a reply
About
For Sale: Weird dragon wooden bike (off topic)
Posted by
@saxby's
sorry this is off topic but could any enlightened forum members tell me where I could hope to start with the sale of this weird but unique and very well made solid wood bike (yes, such oddballs exist!), a customer came in our shop the other day in the hope we would buy it off him but our boss is not interested as the front guard has a crack on one side (not structual) and is easily repaired I said I would see if I could help....all he could tell me was it came from the Far East and it had been hand carved, he had bought it for 'er indoors as a surprise wherupon she immediately withdrew all conjugal rights and it has since been stuck in his garage for 5 years unridden and gathering dust, he thought it was vintage but the wheels/transmission/brakes are mid 90's by the look, it all works and can be ridden but needs a good service mechanically, definitely an unusual piece and looks like it should be displayed in a local chinese takeaway, the carved saddle is superb!
5 Attachments