Timber Tandem - The Baum Bike

As the image above shows, (when you look closely), here be yet another wooden bicycle. We’ve had a few of these in our time (Likeabike, Xylon, Jano and the Waldmeister spring to mind).

This particular rendition includes a completely functional prototype that took 400 hours of woodwork to craft (see detailed pic after the jump), so we doubt that translates into cheapie commercial product.

Much of that labour was in carving away 10kg (22 lb) of laminated beech plywood, to arrive at a finished frame-only weight of 27.5kg (61 lb), though 52lb is quoted elsewhere. Fully specced out, the bike weighs in at a rather hefty 52 kg (114 pounds) Not exactly lightweight, even considering it is a tandem for two riders.

Nevertheless, Jens Eichler, of WWG, a woodwork designer in Germany is pretty happy with the final result, and has plans to embark on a safer and lighter second version.

The practicality of such bikes can easily be questioned, but it hard not to admire the delicious juxtaposition of beautiful timber detailing, and of cycling. Apparently this current version was out for a spin at the recent RadTour, so at least we know riding a wooden bike is, in fact, feasible. ::Wernsdorfer Werkelgemeinschaft, WWG, via Spluch.