Bonnick Cycle Co “LA SOUPLETTE” curved wooden bicycle from France (1895)

This bicycle was designed at the same time and according to the same principle as the famous Thonet chairs. The frame is made of curved wooden rods assembled by steel parts. The handlebar hanger and rims are also made of wood. The advantages of wood construction are above all lightness (11 kg) and flexibility (hence the name of the brand). The design, with its arcuate uprights forming the stays and bases, is that of a tubular steel frame built by Bonnick in Coventry in 1891. At present, after more than a century of disinterest , wood reappears in the design of bicycle frames, with models in wood, bamboo or bamboo fiber.

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