A bicycle made of bamboo

People are amazed by the wood-framed bicycle the Grimsby man crafted after learning about the bikes from his business partner at Dream Ironworks in St. Catharines. Knowing of Botezatu’s love for cycling, his partner mentioned a show he had watched on TV featuring the wooden bikes. It was something Botezatu had to see for himself.

“I had to have one,” said the Grimsby man, who scoured the Internet looking for manufacturer’s of the natural bicycles. Coming across only expensive models, in the thousands of dollars range, Botezatu decided to build his own.

And so his first bamboo bike was assembled eight months ago. Not being familiar with the wood material proved to be a problem, as the first bike split under the weight of an 100 pound rider.

“There was a lot of trial and error,” said Botezatu, who has since crafted five of the unique bicycle frames, made of bamboo, carbon fibre and resin. “And I finally got it right.”

Originally, Botezatu set out to make the bikes because he couldn’t justify spending thousands of dollars on a bicycle. But being an avid cyclist, Botezatu has caught the attention of other cycling enthusiasts on trails and streets. Seeing the interest from others, Botezatu has decided to turn his new hobby into a business.

“Every time I go for a bike ride I gather a crowd,” said Botezatu, who recently took the bike on a trip out east. “I ride this bike every day. We try to leave the car at home as much as we can, so these bikes get a lot of miles.”

He builds the bikes in his wrought iron shop in St. Catharines. The frames, which are made of 100 per cent bamboo and held together by carbon fibre and resin, take a few days to assemble.

Wood, unlike steel, is shock absorbent, so all the vibrations cyclists normally feel when riding over a bumpy surface, are absorbed by the bamboo, said Botezatu.

“They are very strong,” said Botezatu, noting the bikes don’t only look cool, but are environmentally friendly and ride smooth. “Bamboo is just as strong as steel, but it absorbs the shock. It’s totally different than any other bike I’ve ridden.”