Renovo Hardwood Bicycles

This is Renovo’s third birthday and we’re pleased with how far we’ve come. From our beginnings with a clean CAD screen and a few sticks, we have now shipped bikes of wood to many countries around the world, we are recognized internationally for our designs. and we have more ready to release. But perhaps the best thing about what we do is that Renovo owners have as much passion about riding our bikes as we have in making them.

But it hasn’t been easy. Making bikes of wood has been an enormous challenge in every way, but our focus from the beginning has been quality over quantity. That is reflected by some of our very first frames which now have some 10,000 trouble-free miles and still look as good as the day they were shipped. Still, we have constantly refined and improved our frames from the beginning, and having reached the stage of diminishing returns, we have in the last 6 months turned our attention to increasing our production rate. We have optimizing both our designs and our processes for manufacturing; we’ve built new fixtures and tooling, added skilled employees to every area and increased our space from 5000 to 7500 square feet. We still have much to do, but we’re excited about the progress we’ve made; the increase in our capacity is dramatic.

The design we’re releasing now is the Renovo R1, a much modified Pandurance, which is now discontinued. This frame is offered in ash or laminated bamboo only, has larger tubes all around than the Pandurance as well as internal modifications, making it lighter and a much better performer than the Renovo R1, caramelized bambooPandurance. This is our least expensive wood frame, offering all the benefits of wood, but without the costly features of the other R series frames like; outer wood laminations, arched stays or top tubes, etc. It’s produced in ash or bamboo only, with an optional center stripe of walnut. It of course has our patented Really Smooth Ride which is perfect for centuries or charity rides, while at the same time offering a carbon-stiff club ride. The geometry is identical to the R3, available in sizes 51cm to 58cm.

A Gran Fondo is a European style cycling event held on epic courses in destination locations.  Gran Fondos attract a broad array of cyclists including casual riders, weekend warriors, amateur racers and a few professional cyclists. You will be treated to entertainment, a great expo and excellent food and wine that will give everyone a taste of what the wonderful Napa Valley has to offer.  We'll also have a variety of demo bikes at the Expo.

Join our team to help raise money for cancer treatment, research, and to support cancer survivors at personal and local level. Echelon Gran Fondo is also donating to an organization committed to building walk/run trails.

Nearly any kind of cycling event you could want, and hundreds of exhibitors. Renovo will in space #167 offering demo rides and perhaps participating in a road race or two. We hope to have a new model at this show along with plenty of demo bikes. Check their website for details.

Port Townsend, WashingtonImage- Seattle Times

I herein confess that I have owned and enjoyed wooden boats for nearly 30 years. I’ve also owned fiberglass and aluminum boats, but never again; the beauty, feel and yes, grace, of a handmade wooden boat is sublime.

We always have a grand time, so we're heading back to the festival for our 3rd year to show what a wooden boat would look like if it were a bicycle. We will as usual, offer test rides. Wooden boats, wooden bikes and great pubs; this is a wonderful event in a lovely place, with great folks, our favorite show of all. 

-Ken