‘bike with wooden parts’ by dunker achim

‘bike with wooden parts’ by dunker achim from germany is one of the shortlisted design entries from more than 3000 participants in our recent designboom competition ‘seoul cycle design 2010’, organized in collaboration with seoul design foundation.

designer’s own words: ‘a bicycle is not just a means to get from here to there; it’s also an expression of an independent, environmentally-conscious way of life. this feeling is particularly pronounced if the bicycle in question is an extraordinary one, largely built by oneself – and, of course, at little cost. so how can this be achieved? the design of the bicycle is reduced to a minimum, to its basic functions – single speed, brakes, bell, battery-light, no frills! all components are second hand or sourced from the scrapyard. the bicycle frame is painted dark grey and the flat parts just polished up a little. by concentrating only on what is really needed and playing down potential competing design elements, the light-coloured wooden parts, handlebars and fenders shine out all the more and give the bicycle its intense design character. this model displays a combination of ash and mahogany woods. the wolid wood is multiple-glued and strengthened with glass fibre.

the bicycle is a part of a non-commercial project aimed at reducing youth unemployment and increasing environmental sustainability. young people, many from deprived areas, learn to assemble bicycles and to produce the wooden parts. by the end of the project, the participants have learned how to build bicycles and may then go on to build and sell them.’

'bike with wooden parts' by dunker achim

'bike with wooden parts' by dunker achim wooden fender detail

'bike with wooden parts' by dunker achim wooden handlebars detail

— for those who wish to republish an excerpt of this article, please have the courtesy to mention that the project is a part of the seoul cycle design competition, organized by designboom in collaboration with seoul design foundation, and link back to the original publication on designboom. thank you.