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In 1987, directly after enduring a “spectacular” head-on collision in Boston, handyman and soon-to-be designer Craig Calfee was in dire need of a bicycle. Strapped for cash, and determined to find a bicycle that was as tough as possible, Calfee decided to build his own, by hand, out of materials he had gathered at a job making composite rowing shells. The rest, as they say, is history.

In 2005, eighteen years and several award-winning bicycle models later, Calfee’s company, now called Calfee Designs, released a bike that started to garner a lot of attention based on its unorthodox design concept: it was made entirely out of bamboo. Calfee had been toying with the idea of a bamboo bicycle for several years, but now, after making a short run of 12 bikes for employees, relatives and friends, the positive feedback was too good to ignore, and the bamboo bike was slated for production.

The bamboo bike, now available for purchase on the Calfee Design website, has rapidly become a staple of Calfee’s line. Weighing in at just four pounds, the bicycle is tough, durable, and crash tolerant. Bamboo, though very light, is a surprisingly strong and resilient wood. The bamboo is smoked and heat treated to prevent splitting, and coated with Tung oil for a sleek, protective seal. Further, because of the nature of the materials used, and the hand construction of the bike, the carbon footprint of the bamboo bicycle is remarkably low.

Appropriate for everyday riding, commuting and/or racing, the bamboo bike has received accolades at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show, winning the awards for Best Road Bike, Best Off-Road Bike and People’s Choice Award. Additionally, a Calfee Bamboo bike won 1st place in the open class at the Great Western Bicycle Rally’s Concourse d’Elegance show. Clearly, there is much more to this bicycle than an unusual design and stylish good looks.

The Calfee Bamboo Bike comes in road and mountain varieties. Frames start at $2,695.