Wood has been used in bicycle construction since the early 19th century when this mode of transportation was invented. As the decades went by, construction materials for bikes changed from wood to various metals and alloys. But wooden-frame bikes are now making a come back and becoming more and more popular. But unfortunately for most people, they are a bit out of our price-range with a single complete bicycle costing a few thousand dollars.
If you don’t care for the eco-friendliness and ride characteristics of a wooden-frame bike, Rob Pollock has just the thing for you. The New Zealander has pretty much spent his entire life in the automotive industry, panel painting and repairing cars. And over the years, he has also applied faux wood finishes to a number of cars. A few years back, his son Aaron suggested that he apply the same technique to bicycles which resulted in a new business venture, Rob’s Woodgrain Bike Frames. The average time frame to apply a “woodgrain finish” to a bike frame generally takes between seven to 10 days.
A customer will send Rob Pollock a frame and a fork. Rob will then strip off the old paint, and spray a base coat that he uses on all his bikes. He then uses a handheld brush to overlay a one-of-a-kind woodgrain patter in a darker color. The next step is to cover the paint with a tinted clear coat and a protective epoxy coating. All bikes are hand painted so each bike is guaranteed to be unique. The total cost is $1,500 + shipping. For more details, go to Rob’s Woodgrain Bike Frames.
Now, check out the video below to see how Rob Pollock paints a bike!
Check out more pictures below!
Rob even has something for the little ones!
