Brazilian designers produce bicycle from natural fibers

In Brazil, two designers have created a bike from natural fibers and plant-based glue that is lighter and stronger than conventional aluminum bikes. 

Guilherme Pella and Nicolas Rutzen use laser-cutting technology and lattice structural patterns from natural fibers to produce the frame for the bike, which they call Astan. By following the natural grain of the wood, they are able to increase the frames’ strength and ability to resist vibrations. 

The bike’s chassis is deliberately asymmetrical to invoke the “organic network of tree roots,”  and triangles at the bike’s rear are meant to look like human lungs. 

The two say their bike is significantly more sustainable than conventional bikes made from aluminum, which requires energy- and land-intensive mining. “According to researchers from universities in Santa Catarina in Brazil, and São Carlos in São Paulo, ASTAN proved to be a 95% more sustainable production process than aluminum and carbon fiber,” they tell Yanko Design. 

Noted British architect Sir Norman Foster was the first to receive an Astan, according to Pella and Rutzen.