ROME – The bicycle is one of the ecological means par excellence but if its realization involves the use of plant sources then it becomes a masterpiece of sustainability. On the other hand, we know well what the extraction and processing process that requires aluminum, the material with which the vast majority of current bicycles is made, entails in energy terms, as well as for the much more expensive carbon. The intuition that gave life to the Astan Bike, a plant-based bicycle made of natural fibers and glued together with plant resin, is the result of the creative flair of the Brazilian designers Guilherme Pella and Nicolas Rutzen. The two young bicycle enthusiasts, after careful design studies, managed to create an original work that they themselves defined as “a bicycle made of natural fibers that is lighter and stronger than aluminum bicycles”. Although the construction process is handcrafted, the parts that make up the innovative wooden trellis frame (material also used for the fork and handlebar) have been precisely cut using the laser.
Furthermore, the patented trellis frame structure, combined with the intrinsic characteristics of the wood, on the one hand offers strength and on the other hand offers better absorption of the roughness of the ground, thus increasing comfort. The frame of the Astan Bike, with the components that follow the natural direction of the vegetable fibers, is also surprisingly light since it weighs only 4.5 kilograms, while the complete bike of all its parts reaches 12 kg. Beyond the look and the appreciable final result, what matters is the sustainability of the project, as underlined by the two designers: “According to researchers from the Brazilian universities of Santa Catarina and Sao Carlos, Astan Bike has shown that it has a 95% more sustainable production process than aluminum and carbon fiber “. The bicycle is available with a simple Velosteel pedal brake system or in the more articulated version with a seven-speed Shimano gearbox and disc brakes.