Watch the Complete MADE HERE
Video Series on YouTube MADE HEREI start with harvesting and cleaning the bamboo. After
that, we dry, roast, and cut it with a laser cutter into
the various parts of the frame. When those are glued together
using the jig, carbon-fiber reinforcements are added to the
unions. Then we finish it with sandpaper and a sand-belting
machine before assembling with the bike components.”HOW
IT’S
DONE
I
HAD ALWAYS WANTED TO
design cars, but that changed
when I got to design school.
That’s where I discovered a
world of materials, processes,
and tools I never knew existed.
Cars were limited when it came
to this, and after a trip to Europe, I
found a new passion on two wheels.
This inspiration was driven
further when I returned to an assign-
ment to study bicycle design for a
class. It was then that I discovered
bamboo frames from the 19th cen-
tury. My mind made a design almost
immediately. It’s just putting tubes
together, right? How hard could it be?
The answer came over six months.
After that, I was hooked. It’s been
my life since 2007, especially after
the earthquake that hit Mexico City
in September 2017. I had just made
my first cargo bike, and a friend
and I used it to move rocks and rub-
ble away from fallen buildings. After
that, friends used it to deliver water,
food, and tools. Something I’d made
helped people.
That’s why I feel a great passion
for designing these bikes. We are
constantly getting new design chal-
lenges, geometries, and adaptations
from clients. It’s a puzzle I enjoy solv-
ing. Plus, every bike is a step toward
a better world.POP MECH EDITORS92 March/April 202018
// DIEGO CÁRDENAS, FOUNDER OF BAMBOOCYCLES, MEXICO CITY //