Colorado-based Boo Bicycles and its genius bike developer Nick Frey, 26, has officially built a handcrafted racing bike from a blend of bamboo and carbon fiber. The outcome of the cycling masterpiece is an ultra-lightweight, high performance racing machine.
Frey is a graduate of Princeton’s mechanical and aerospace engineering program and a dedicated competitive cyclist. During his junior year, he took the project on and quickly turned heads with his understanding of form and function.
“We knew Bamboo’s unique properties gave it great potential,” explains Frey. “It has a Young’s Modulus — a measurement of stiffness compared to mass — closer to carbon fiber than any other material, natural or synthetic.”
Furthermore, Bamboo is amazingly sustainable for those who want to do their part in saving the planet. While most bikes are made from steel or titanium, which involves the application of toxic mining and processing processes, the use of bamboo is environmentally friendly.
Frey’s Boo Bicycle isn’t the first bike made of bamboo on the market, but it is the first model that is race-ready. With more than 2,000-plus varieties of bamboo growing around the globe, Frey made use of “iron bamboo” — the strongest varietal.
Want to own your own race-ready Boo bicycle? Its base price begins at about $3,000. If that breaks your bank, you can also consider the Aluboo for around $1,200. For more information visit aluboobikes.com.
