It seems counterintuitive to build a bike with wood. Won’t it just snap? Or catch fire? But if you accept that you want a frame that’s light, strong and durable with plenty of flex, then it’s hard to see why not. Besides, wood has plenty of form in this area – many original cars had wooden chassis. This new bike is the Queen Natalia. It’s made from teak by Selva, a company in the Alps just north of Lugano. They’ve used teak as it’s incredibly hard and is known for its straight and even grain. Selva prides itself on the visual appeal of the wood – this is a frame you’ll oil and polish rather than hose down. You can buy it alone or built to your exact specification. In this case it comes with Shimano hub gears, Sigma wheels, a Brooks saddle, Schmidt Edelux Led lights with hub dynamos, a Lightskin seat post and useful kickstand. And don’t fret, all bikes arw guaranteed splinter free (selva.bike).
Price: £1,740 (frame only)
Frame: teak
Forks: carbon
Weight: 11kg
Gears: Shimano Alfine 11-speed hub
Put your head first
It shouldn’t take a fall to remind you why you should always wear a cycling helmet, but it does tend to focus the mind. Two weeks ago on a bright and clear day I was descending (slowly – I’ve never had the nerve for going flat-out downhill) on a quiet road that I must have cycled down hundreds of times. Approaching a stop sign I eased on the brakes and then… well I’m not sure what happened but my front wheel went one way and I went the other. I estimate I was doing less than 10mph and was alone on the road.
But – and this is the point – I went down hard. I broke two ribs, badly bruised my shoulder and smacked the side of my head on the tarmac. The impact caused my helmet to split in half. I was shaken and riding the last miles home was horrid, but cracked ribs and bruises heal. The helmet saved my head from anything worse. Since then I have been amazed at how many cyclists are still out there risking their brains everyday by choosing not to wear a helmet.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSpa) has recently published the facts and figures for cycling accidents for 2015, the last year available: 18,844 cyclists were injured in reported road accidents, including 3,339 who were killed or seriously injured. These figures only include cyclists killed or injured in road accidents that were reported to the police. Many cyclist casualties are not reported to the police, even when the cyclist is injured badly enough to be taken to hospital. The figures also exclude cycling accidents that occur away from the road. Although the number of deaths is accurate, there could be two or three times as many seriously injured cyclists and double the number of slightly injured.
The helmet that saved my head was from Halfords. It’s called a Hardnutz! It’s hi-vis and suitable for road or MTB – and also for skateboards, roller skates or kick scooters. It has 22 vents to keep your head cool and has 14 reflective panels to improve safety at night. It’s light and comfortable and has soft inner padding that can be removed for washing. It comes in one size. And the grand price for insuring your head stays safe? £35! That’s what I call a bargain. Having split that one, I’m off to buy another.
Email Martin at martin.love@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter @MartinLove166
