Hi, my name is Ken Wheeler, the founder of Renovo.

You’re here to look at bicycle frames of wood, and I acknowledge that many folks are skeptical of the performance and durability of wood. I understand and respect your skepticism, so, on this site I go into a fair amount of technical detail to answer concerns and explain ‘why wood’.

But simply stated, there are five reasons why wood bikes make sense:

1. The engineering properties of wood, particularly relating to aircraft. Wood has a long and very successful history in aircraft. Bicycles and airplanes share many structural requirements; lightweight, stiff, strong, durable, etc., and since airplanes are subject to much higher vibration and stresses, bicycles are a slam dunk for wood.

2. Durability of finish. A legitimate concern unless you’re talking boats. As an owner of wooden boats for 30 years, I’ve watched technology develop to where the beauty and integrity of wood is well protected in marine conditions far worse than any bicycle would ever endure.

3. Technical precedence and support. Bonded wooden airplanes and boats have many years of success with well documented design, engineering and construction by both industry and the U.S. government. We have gratefully used this literature extensively.

4. Testing. We started with structural, configuration and wood species testing before the first Renovo was ever built. The goal was to make a wooden tube which at least equaled an Easton aluminum mountain bike down tube in out-of-plane bending strength, torsional stiffness and weight. That goal was achieved and surpassed, but testing continues, it's a way of life at Renovo, the key to understanding, refining and improving our products.

5. Weight. Our hollow tube configurations are stiff, tough, strong, and also lightweight. If they were not, there would be no Renovo, because I have absolutely no interest in making frivolous bikes, novelties or wall art. Renovo builds high performance bicycle frames of wood, a well proven and understood engineering material which has unique advantages, and requires no apologies whatsoever. Our growing list of customers concur.

The Real Beauty of a Renovo is the Ride... the Looks Are a Bonus:

The smoothest bike you'll ever ride, stealth quiet, light and responsive, stiff as you want. Renovo hollow wood and laminated bamboo frames will forever change your understanding of what a bicycle should be, and how these natural materials can perform when designed to their strengths.

Renovo R4, padauk, wenge, curly maple. Frame weight 4.8 lbs (click to enlarge)

Renovo R4, black walnut, Port Orford cedar. Frame weight 3.6 lbs. 

Why Wood?

• Lightweight; a frame weighs from 3.5 to 4.9 pounds--bikes, 16.5 to 20 pounds.
• A magically smooth ride thanks to wood's unique ability to absorb shock and vibration--you feel the difference immediately.
• Stiffness? Oh yeah. Right up there with carbon or better, but with an unequaled, supple smoothness. And, with a variety of wood combinations, you can tailor the stiffness and ride to what you want, not just what comes off a production line.
• The hardwood frame is remarkably tough. It easily withstands impacts that ruin butted metal or carbon frames. 
• The fatigue life of wood rivals carbon and is substantially longer than aluminum or steel. The Renovo is an heirloom quality frame.
• The Renovo frame is environmentally friendly, with sustainable woods, bamboo and low VOC waterborne sealers and finishes.
• See our customer's comments here.

 Handmade, Mostly

Think of it this way; most custom frame makers and bike manufacturers start out with a set of tubes or even fully fabricated frames, foreign made of course. The Renovo tube set starts out as lumber. A complex process turns select boards into a hollow bike frame; sorting and matching the wood; cutting, sanding, bonding, machining, shaping, and after a while, painting.

Renovo frames are a sublime blend of high-tech magic and fine craftsmanship. They're created on computer and machined by a computer controlled machine. But the majority of time in a frame is handwork; the real beauty is revealed only by caring craftsmanship wielded by computer-age people with a deep commitment to fine craft and fine bicycles.

Made On Our Side of the Ocean:

Renovo bicycle frames are made completely in Portland Oregon, often with Oregon woods.

Functional Art then, if you insist.

Some folks view these frames as works of art, too nice or delicate for daily use, but they aren't your On her 800 mile tour in Germany, Brigitte parks wherever...mom's dining room table. We chose wood for it's ride quality and sustainability, and got beauty as a bonus; but it's not a weakness. An impact that will dent and ruin a butted metal or carbon frame merely bounces off the Renovo frame leaving a small dent. Wood is tough stuff; a good example is the walnut stock of the 1903 Springfield rifle. Used in warfare from WW1 through the Korean conflict, they were thrown from trucks,dragged through sand, rivers and hell, used as pry bars, clubs, crutches and occasionally, rifles. But after the wars, civilians bought these battle-scarred relics and refinished the stocks into gorgeous sporting rifles.

 

A Renovo Frame Will Outlast You and Still be Looking Good

Like the Springfield gunstock, or any bicycle frame, a Renovo can be dented and scratched. But, like those gunstocks, and unlike other frame materials, the Renovo is easily refinished, because it's wood all the way through, not just a paint layer. And the best news--a dent or scratch won't escalate into a frame-terminal crack as with other bike frame materials. So really, if you want a beautiful bicycle as your daily driver, the Renovo is your best bet, and yes, between rides some folks will park their Renovos in their living rooms as art they can enjoy even when they're not riding.

Unlike Any Other

The Renovo is semi-custom made with select woods chosen by the owner, and, thanks to the color, grain and figure of wood, each frame is completely unique, even if made from the same wood as another Renovo. Compact geometry in six sizes ranging from 49cm to 61cm fit nearly anyone.

The woods, adhesives, and finishes are probably not what you're familiar with, so please visit 'What You Don't Know About Wood' for an overview.

The Panda?

Renovo Pandurban Bamboo Commuter

 The Panda series is our line of handbuilt, affordable, complete bicycles in laminated bamboo, which is ultra-green, ultra-durable, and strong, with the smoothest ride of any material we've worked with. There are two versions of commuters, a road bike and a fixie (we are in Portland). These bikes are a treat to ride, a treat to look at; they'll make you smile every time you ride.

 

Patents are pending on the Renovo hollow frame.