Editor’s Note: Grannygear reports on a ride opportunity on Boo Bikes 29 inch hard tail. Unfortunately, it wasn’t Grannygear’s size, and we felt it was best to just give you an impression, rather than a full on review of this bamboo framed bike. These bikes are rare, after all, so getting the right size ain’t easy! 
So the bike has moved on to another reviewer, (look for that in a popular print mag soon), and with that, let’s get on with what Grannygear has to say about Boo Bikes 29″er hard tail….
Twenty Nine Inches Ride Impression: Boo Bikes 29″er: by Grannygear
Quite some time ago I spoke with Nick Frey, owner of Boo Bicycles about getting a chance to test one of his handmade frames, a composite design of bamboo and carbon fiber. Earlier, Guitar Ted had interviewed Nick about the hows and whys of bamboo as a frame building material, so I will not rehash that here. I wanted to ride one and see what all the fuss was about as well as get a close look at the way it was put together.
It took a bit of hoop jumping, but finally I had a Boo version of a hard tail MTB 29″er in my garage to poke and prod before I took to the hills. Looking at the sizing and set-up, I had a bad feeling about the test, and this would prove to be an issue that affected the outcome of my time with the Boo, but we will get to that. The Boo was built with an XX rear drivetrain and shifter and with a Stylo single speed crank for a 1×10 gear range. The bars were quite low and far away on a stem that was longer than anything I use today, in fact it was likely 1995 when I rode with a stem that long. They were also quite narrow, so I swapped to a mild riser bar that was 2 inches wider overall and that helped quite a bit. The frame was built using the geometry of a 19” Trek/Gary Fisher Superfly. The resulting 24.5” top tube would have been marginal for me, but the 72* seat tube angle and slack 69.5* head tube angle conspired to reduce the reach considerably, thus the long stem was required to get the cockpit where I needed it. Too bad, but we shall see.
The wheels were Stan’s ZTR Race with American Classic hubs running Maxxis Aspens tubeless. The fork was a Reba XX with the hydro bar mounted lock-out and the brakes were SRAM XX as well. Nice. The seat post was a bit bent, so I grabbed my carbon Syncros post and WTB saddle off of my single speed and used that for the test.
Looking at the frame itself, the bamboo sections join to the carbon lugs with smooth transitions and the overall effect of the two materials is pretty striking. I kept thinking Woody Wagon; Woodys, long boards, and a Boo townie bike on the roof rack. Oh yeah! The way the water bottle bosses are set into raised wood sections on the tubes is very cool. The dropouts are somewhat plain and clunky looking when compared to the rest of the look, but they appear solid and substantial. There is quite a bit of tire clearance all around, even with the decently sized Aspens. It gets its share of looks as you ride it, that is for sure. Some folks would say, ”is that bamboo look a decal set?” when I rode up. Nope. The real deal.
Up on the scale it went. I was very curious to see what it read because it felt super light. Even with SPDs on it, it still felt feathery. The tale of the scale: 22.5 lbs with SPDs. Mercy! That would make it the lightest 29″er I have ridden except for the Specialized S Works HT 29″er at 20.5 lbs. if I remember correctly.
Pedaling it out in the street gave me the impression that it was gonna’ be an awkward fit as it felt small to me. Nevertheless it sure pedaled well. Looking down during hard sprints showed very little bottom bracket deflection. Hitting the dirt was simple enough. Pedal hard, go very fast. Especially uphill. It sure is fun pedaling a 22.5 pound 29″er with light wheels and a stiff chassis. The 1×10 was quite enough and the 32T chain ring paired with the 36T rear cog was all I needed to get up and over hills that typically might have been a granny ring climb or at least a very hard effort in the middle ring. It really flew along.
One thing that I was quite curious about was the ride. I had just come from time on the Breezer Cloud 9 Pro carbon bike, and I thought that had a very nice ride all in all. Carbon frames, at least the ones I have ridden, seem to have a trait that is unique in the way they dampen trail chatter. You know you are on a hard tail, there is no magic happening, but they do not seem to ‘ring’ like metal bikes do. I am not sure how to describe it, exactly. It is kinda like the pedaling response of aluminum with the smoother feeling of steel, but not really that either.
In any case, to me the Boo bike just felt like a good carbon bike in the way it rode. I could not feel anything unique going on there, but then again, saying it rides like a nice carbon bike is still a good thing.
Handling was a mixed bag and complicated by the poor fit. Out of the saddle efforts felt like I was a foot ahead of the front wheel. Seated was not bad at all, but the long tiller of a stem was wonky to me and I hated it. The geometry was not too much to my liking. I am not sure how well the G2 geometry copy did with the non-G2 offset fork. Maybe it was the stem…maybe the fit…maybe the geometry, but I was getting a lot of wheel flop at slow speeds.
And that is where I leave it. Not really a full test, but an impression only due to the poor fit. I do not want to make absolute statements about a bike that does not fit me and may be coloring the results. But, that said, I stand by the exceptional pedaling, the quite decent ride, and the unique looks of the Boo. Geometry is custom, so you can discuss with the builder what you desire if the G2-type dimensions are not to your liking.
It is unique, it is good looking, it is expensive. Yes, the cost to get in is high and I will not debate here whether it is ‘worth it’ or not. You can decide that for yourself. But you can pay a lot for a mass produced bike of similar performance that will in no way have the one of a kind (signed by the builder), truly unique aspects of the Boo frame. If that blend of show AND go is what you want, then Boo bikes will be happy to take your call.
Twenty Nine Inches would like to thank Nick Frey and Boo Bikes for the opportunity to check out the bike, detailed here, close up. This impression was not paid for, nor were we bribed or compensated in any way by Boo Bikes. Twenty Nine Inches strives to give our readers our honest opinions and thoughts throughout.
Michael, thank you very much for your impression.
Indeed, every Boo is made-to-order custom. The G2 geometry without the proper Fisher-offset fork and the proper sizing for you in particular are the likely causes of the poor steering.
Most of our customers have a favorite bike/geometry that we simply replicate or use as a starting point and make small modifications.
Maybe when we come out with a longer-travel all-mountain rig with an AngleSet I can get it into your hands!
Way to go!
Great concept and market opportunity but honestly why?
If the cost is prohibitive, the greenhouse footprint savings in the order of not driving your car for those two trips to the shops, it just becomes a marketing excersise.
If that is indeed the case, at least make the beast look decent.
Carbon lugs with bamboo tubes just looks backyard unfortunately.
I might sound like an arse but hopefully this critisism is taken constructively to promote the concept
@professed,
Thanks for the constructive criticism. Let me answer the first question, because it’s very important: WHY?
The reason WHY is not borne out in a short impression like this, especially because the Boo didn’t fit Michael properly.
With Boo, you can have your cake and eat it too. The bike is very stiff and light, but it is also extremely smooth and durable. Most carbon rigs are the former, but overly harsh/unforgiving and disposable. I have cracked more carbon frames than I can count, and Boo’s bikes are a long-term investment, similar to ti.
The smooth, supple ride is forgiving and confidence inspiring on descents and tight singletrack, but it still climbs with the best. The bike is meant to be raced or ridden fast, but also to be enjoyed when cruising, a rare combination of performance and livability.
As for the 1) green and 2) aesthetic comments, the first is not debatable–this is absolutely much better for the environment than any metal or carbon frame bike. Bamboo sequesters CO2 faster than almost anything else known to man, second only to algae. The frame is 70% bamboo by mass, the bamboo grows back after it’s harvested, and it eats CO2 in the process. Enough said.
Beauty is obviously in the eye of the beholder, but you are in a very small minority with this opinion. It was one of the most popular bikes at NAHBS, which is saying a lot. It is a head-turner unlike anything else on the market. The combination of synthetic composite and natural composite is striking, and the execution is flawless. We pride ourselves in making the highest performance and highest quality bamboo bicycles in the world.
As for price: our Boo 29er frame is $2885. This is not inexpensive, but it certainly looks reasonable compared to most other custom ti or carbon 29er frames on the market. I will not mention names, but getting a full-custom frame for under $3k is actually quite rare.
Therefore, it is not a marketing exercise, but a Princeton-engineering exercise-turned-company. I’ve had to learn “marketing” by the seat of my pants, and my belief is that if Boo simply makes incredible, unique bikes, then “they will come”.
Again, thanks for the constructive criticisms, and I hope I’ve adressed them satisfactorily.
I guess there are suckers born every… well, how often are these frames sold?
D. if you don’t believe me, I can connect you with some of our customers.
As a owner of a Boo (road bike) I can vouch for its high quality and great ride and is race proven. I am pretty into the green thing and one of the reasons why I decided to go with a Boo is I wanted to test the idea that a natural material (bamboo) could perform as good as a material that is burnt down and built up (carbon, steel, ti). The Boo performs on par or better in all categories except weight slightly.
I like the idea of looking to nature to provide solutions and I think that this type of thinking is important as we look into the future and face some of the sustainability challenges that are looming.
In my opinion the suckers are the ones who are paying 3x’s the value for a bike made in Taiwan with some fancy stickers on it. Most manufactures today are marketing companies first and foremost.
The Boo is an unique high quality, high performance artisanal custom made to order bike engineered by a very smart cookie with the help of mother nature. The look and concept may not be for everyone, but I really dig mine.
Esteban-what you wrote is a perfect answer to “why”.
I would gladly trade my Ti frame for a Boo
Esteban–thanks! I’m certainly proud of our bikes, but having satisfied customers is proof that the pudding is good.
Dan–eBay the Ti and give me a call
Nick,
Thanks for your considered reply to my hip shot remarks.
informative indeed.
I guess one really needs to see it in the flesh and to take it for a spin to appreciate its aesthetics and ride.
And to also make a paradigm shift to accept bamboo as a real alternative to current high tech engineering materials. Not easily done for me.
Professed: THIS is my problem! I’m an engineer, not a salesman, and we make some sweet, innovative bikes but now I am trying to teach myself how to market and sell.
The goal is to cultivate a small network of IBDs who will have a couple Boos on hand for demo. Riding is believing.
We will also be at more of the demo areas associated with the major bike shows.
And yes, I believe bamboo is the next major frame building material. It will NOT overtake carbon fiber for performance, or titanium/steel for clean/distilled purpose. However, it truly does have a supple ride quality combined with stiffness and efficiency that few other custom bikes can rival.
And make no mistake: this IS “high tech”. It is a carbon-bamboo composite. This bike is writing a new chapter in the manual of frame building. You can read more about our construction methods and the engineering behind the design in this Cyclingnews article: http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/pro-bike-tyler-wrens-boo-bicycles-boocx
Your comments have lead to some reading Nick. It does indeed look to be an excellent material for cross, touring and mtb.
What of the problems Calfee had with their carbon joints? Now abandoned to hideous but even less man made joints?
Glad you’re mind is open now
We have had problems with prototypes, believe me. However, separation between the bamboo and carbon joint is NOT one of them. Ever.
The keys are two: 1) extremely long, careful, exacting treatment of the tubes, and 2) proprietary carbon lay-up technique. We have been at it for over three years now, and the body of research and testing behind our frames is immense.
From the outset, Calfee was my inspiration, but I knew a “bamboo bike” didn’t need to be confined to the realm of novelty and/or sustainable bicycles. Bamboo is a high-performance composite, NOT a wood. It is absolutely different from any other material in nature, and has been refined through millennia of typhoons and natural selection. Its Young’s modulus is higher than most metals and even approaches that of carbon fiber.
We actually ripped the head tube right off our first [and last] hemp-jointed prototype. The simple truth is that carbon fiber joints MAKE Boo what it is, the highest performance bamboo bike on the planet. As a professional, I value the performance of racing bikes, but I also recognize the real-world usage of 99% of retail bikes. This is why Boo makes stiff, fast bikes that are comfortable and have sublime feel.
Wow sounds like the ideal material . i remember when carbon fiber was introduced, bikers were quick to form an opinion, Hats off to you!
So what’s the carbon footprint of a handmade custom frame versus a frame from an efficient production line? I’m guessing any carbon footprint savings in raw material is easily overcame by a loss of efficiency in production.
It’s not only the footpring of the raw material that counts, but also the footprint of the people needed to fabricate it.
JB, thanks for bringing this up. Before I answer, I need to make something clear: I don’t sell Boo bikes because they are green. ALL bikes are green, relative to pretty much anything else, but I also believe we should concentrate on the BIG issues, such as mass transit, large-scale alternative energy powering cities, etc. Of course, think globally, act locally, but I don’t believe in looking at your bike before you live in a green house and drive a green car and never fly on airplanes.
All that said, Boo bicycles are in fact very “green” relatively to any other bicycle from any other material. Bamboo sequesters carbon dioxide more efficiently than just about any plant or man-made method, just Google it. The bamboo grows back once it’s cut, does not create soil erosion or depletion, etc. It’s a miracle material.
Seventy percent of a Boo frame is bamboo. The other thirty percent is, yes, carbon fiber and aluminum and epoxy. I have made a weak effort at analyzing the carbon footprint of those materials, without much success. However, the bamboo that sequestered a large amount of CO2 likely offsets much if not all of the footprint of the carbon/Al/epoxy involved.
The frames are made without large machinery, unlike carbon frames which require HEAVY metal presses and giant factory spaces. Our factory is basically an outdoor bamboo building with special sealed rooms (framed with bamboo) for treating the bamboo poles and wrapping the carbon joints. While I have not focused on making our company green or sustainable, it simply is because we are efficient and keep our costs low and waste nothing.
Yes, we ship our frames from Vietnam to both Europe and the US on a plane. And yes, that is not very friendly to the environment. Like I’ve already said, I don’t preach the green aspects because, quite simply, I feel that we make incredible bikes and that sustainability is not the main selling point. Our frames, compared to any other large manufacturer, ARE in fact creating less of an impact on the environment. If this appeals to you, then take it to the bank. But I am wary of simply greenwashing, like so many other companies are currently, in order to sell bikes.
The bikes are high-performance works of art, made to order and absolutely unique, with significant advantages over other frames and other materials. Yes, they are greener as well.
I hope this helps clarify my position for you, JB. Thanks for putting us to the test, I wish other companies would be honest and frank like I am being with you.
Nick thanks for chiming in. I was going to say something along the lines of that the facility, machines, and all the metals, minerals, etc. that went into manufacturing those machines and factories also needs to be considered.
JB, I take your statement to point out that large manufacturers should be using Bamboo, too. They’ve already got these efficiencies you speak of, imagine if they also used more-sustainable materials!
Nick, do they go air freight or passenger plane? Air freight is less friendly than ship, train, etc. BUT on a per-passenger basis an airplane is actually better emissions-wise than passenger cars, buses (except peak-hour), some trains, etc.
Jimmy, they go air freight. UPS has a cool Carbon Neutral shipping option that adds like $2 to each shipment, so we obviously do that, although I have no clue how much that helps in the burgeoning carbon trading market. Like I said, bigger fish to fry than sending over a few bike frames a month!
All, check out exactly what goes into making a Boo Bicycle here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EILBxSTlvis
Nick, it appears that your design technologies would lend themselves quite well to a recumbent frame. Have you ever considered exploring that market? I would love to see what you could do with a triangulated long-wheelbase model similar to the Rans Stratus XP found here: http://www.ransbikes.com/Stratus_XP-N.htm