Fixed-wheel bikes are all the rage right now. People all over the world are giving up their addictions to oil and doing like the Dutch by getting around on their own steam. While we may be making small strides in taking back the streets, we still want to look good doing it. And what looks better than the natural beauty of wood?

Andy Martin has designed a stunning wooden road bike perfect for getting around the city. This is no garage construction made up by 2x4s nailed held together with nails. The bike has been designed for Thonet, the company that made its iconic café chair using steam-bending techniques in 1859. The chair is so beautiful that it can still be seen in cafés all over the world. In fact, the most surprising this about this project is that the elegant curves weren’t employed to make a bike sooner. The beech frame of the Thonet Concept bike was hand bent. After the bending, the joints were CNC cut and strengthened by strung rods in all the necessary places. This was essential in allowing the complex engineering of bikes to work with the low-tech steam bending. The bike was fitted with carbon fiber HED3s wheels.

As bikes move back to being vehicles rather than just sporting equipment, they have to change in their design to suit our needs. The Thonet Concept Bike melds beautiful craftsmanship with functionality in a bike that is sure to become a classic.

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