When the Renovo Hardwood Monocoque bike showed up at our office, everyone stared. We stroked the clear coat-glazed grain of the Oregon Douglas fir (one of 15 wood choices available) and inspected the computer-machined, hand-fitted finger joints of the hollow frame. And then we all wondered the same thing: “It’s pretty, but how does it ride?”
Damn well. The carbon rear triangle effortlessly smoothed nasty pavement, and although we noticed a tiny bit of flex at the bottom bracket on climbs and sprints, the frame felt responsive otherwise. At between three and five pounds (depending on the wood you choose), and decked out in the high-end, go-fast parts that came on our build, there’s no doubt that it can hang with well-specc’ed carbon-fiber rivals. The Renovo Hardwood Monocoque bike is no glass jaw, either: When a brain-free driver forced us onto a curb at speed, we anticipated carrying home a pile of toothpicks. Yet the timber never even groaned.
Still, even though it rides like a dream, the Renovo is just too pretty for constant pounding. Order one as your Sunday ride, and check out our 2008 road bike test to find your next daily driver.
[Frames start at $2,000; renovobikes.com]
This article originally appeared in the August 2008 issue.
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October 27th, 2008 at 1:06 am
Hey Jon,
Thanks for the kind words.
I think though we make a good argument that while wood is indeed pretty, it’s not delicate; in fact it’s more durable than butted metal or carbon frames, and also more easily repaired or repainted.
-Ken
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March 4th, 2009 at 1:46 am
I found your blog from google and read your posts. It’s fun and I just add your blog to my Google Reader. Keep up your good posts friend. I’m Looking forward to read more fun from this blog. Thanks…
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September 25th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
Surely Jon could have written a better review than this. The last sentence is a bit of a slap in the face to Renovo.
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