We’ve noted other “green” bikes, including those made from renewable materials including bamboo, but recently Vijay Sharma showed that he has a cane-do spirit for making bikes from the quick growing grass (which bamboo technically is rather than a wood).
What makes these bikes stand out is that Sharma has created his bikes using the skills his father, a carpenter, taught him. The result is that Sharma has turned this into a not-so-small business making the Bambikes. Sharma also notes that bamboo is comparable to steel in terms of strength, something the people in North-East India know quite well as the material is used to build houses. Bamboo is also known to be shock-absorbent and flexible, while still retaining rigid – qualities that are essential for bicycles.
The bikes have caught the eye of other makers and even riders, such as Mauro Vanoli, an Italian cycling professional, who had Sharma make a custom bike. So although we don’t except to see Bambikes in any grand tour this season, we do think the bikes will likely become a bit more common the road. However, given the craftsmanship involved, don’t expect to see these grow on trees – and they will likely be comparable to other high-quality materials, with frames selling for $1,000 to $3,000. Still compared to other materials, the Bambike is about as green as it gets.