Sea Otter 2018 – Renovo Hardwood Bikes

by Brian Mullin on May 22, 2018

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BadAsh 29

The Renovo BadAsh XC Marathon Racer represents the first-born frame in the Renovo Racing Development project and was explicitly designed over the past two years by Renovo engineers to excel in XC Endurance races with its lighter, smoother, more efficient absorption, damping technologies for impact, shock and vibration than traditional hardtails. The lightest MTB frame we’ve ever made, a size-large complete build is targeted to come in under 21lbs with a top-line kit.

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The BadAsh’s fully-hybrid wood & carbon fiber construction incorporates carbon laminates inside the main triangle and in the chainstays for added stiffness while retaining the fantastic vibration-killing properties of wood. The BadAsh delivers equal portions of smoothness, stiffness and composed handling.

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Longtime Renovo fans will remember that the BadAsh was the name of our first 29er- which debuted in 2010 as the world’s first hollow hardwood mountain bike. The hybrid carbon/wood construction of the new BadAsh is just as groundbreaking as its predecessor, and we’re excited to bring forth the next stage of hollow hardwood bicycle frame technology this summer.

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The Glenmorangie Original 

A collaboration inspired by a shared passion for innovation with wood, the Glenmorangie Original by Renovo is handcrafted using staves from Glenmorangie whisky casks. Equipped for roads paved and unpaved it is a versatile companion.

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In 2016 we began testing wood for a new and exciting project, now available as the product of an unusual partnership between ourselves and Glenmorangie scotch whisky. Renovo has collaborated with Glenmorangie, creators of Highland Single Malt Scotch Whiskies, to create the world’s first bicycle made from whisky casks. In giving a new life to the material, this partnership creates a supremely functional machine with history; and a future, of building enjoyment. For the Glenmorangie Original bicycle, Renovo designers took inspiration from the shape of Glenmorangie whisky cask staves, with the downtube and top tube echoing the trapezoidal shape of the stave and the arcing curve of the cask. These shapes are integrated into a frame with the same smooth-riding hollow frame technology as all Renovos and “longbow” seatstays engineered to further tame rough roads.

Besides the same legendary ride as all Renovos, the Glenmorangie Original is a rolling testament to the versatility of wood. That versatility is evidenced by the ability of the Glenmorangie Original to exceed expectations on any ride. A fast and responsive road machine when shod with the stock 700x28mm tires, it can transform into an incredibly smooth and stable adventure machine by merely swapping in larger tires- up to 40mm wide to tame the roughest of unpaved roads.

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John Day

The best endurance bike we’ve ever made, the John Day is engineered to achieve the optimal balance between smoothness and stiffness on pavement or gravel. Explore your backroads with confidence on the John Day.

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Aerowood

The Aerowood is our superbike – the world’s first hybrid wood and carbon frame engineered to absorb more vibration and deliver a smoother ride than either material alone. Striking speed, killer looks, and a surprisingly smooth ride make for a complete dream bike.

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The naturally smooth, silent ride of Renovo’s hollow wood frame is enhanced by obsessive engineering and aerodynamics, making it unique even among Renovos. This frame mainly displays the beauty of the wood, but its performance exceeds the sleek aesthetic.

This elegant frame is a singular blend of handcrafted American artistry, rigorous engineering, and state-of-the-art computer-driven design and manufacturing, all of which are revealed in the superb joinery, hand shaping and finishing which creates one of the most beautiful bikes on any group ride. From the finish line to the coffee shop, the Aerowood is a head turner and conversation starter wherever it goes.

The Aerowood sports a shrouded rear wheel (newly updated with clearance for 28mm tires) and aero downtube with a carbon-fiber layer inside to enhance ride quality as well as an updated seat mast fairing to reduce wind resistance.

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The seat mast consists of an extended aluminum seattube with a shortened 27.2 mm seatpost, around which is a lightweight wood fairing. The bike is shipped with the mast sized to fit the customer. The seat post may be extended from the seat tube by merely loosening the collar. If a substantial change is required, a new seat tube fairing may be ordered.

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Renovo has used wood as our material of choice since 2007 after testing showed that it absorbed vibration four times better than carbon and much more than any material of equal stiffness. Engineering wood using computer-aided design and manufacturing allows us to create lightweight hollow bicycle frames with the unique blend of stiffness and vibration damping they call Total Ride Quality.

 

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