Normal Bikes began in 2017. Engineer Chris Kudha had experience creating products for major corporations, but his passion for cycling and the support of his wife, Jess, pushed him to begin building and selling bicycles made of wood. The bikes provide a sturdy foundation for cyclists and are lightweight for better speed and travel time. The science as to why is fairly common in everyday life. Wood materials greatly absorb the shock and pressure that come naturally from force. As wooden bike manufacturer Connor Wood Bicycles explains, wooden-handled tools, like an ax or a hammer, absorb the force of a user’s swing in the handle and metal of the tool. Likewise, on a wooden bike, the force produced by pedaling is easily absorbed by the bike’s wooden frame, making it lightweight and powerful. days before the first Thanksgiving, the colony’s governor put four men in charge of hunting for birds for the feast, and they very likely returned with some turkey. However, as far as mashed potatoes are concerned, in the early 1600s, most Europeans and the Wampanoag had no idea what a potato was. They weren’t cultivated in North America until the 1700s. Likewise, cranberries were still very new to the pilgrims, and they didn’t yet use them for food — instead, they used them to make dyes for fabrics! For dessert, pumpkin pie was not yet a thing either. Although the Pilgrims liked pumpkins, they didn’t have the butter and wheat flour needed to make pie crust. Instead, they hollowed out the pumpkins and filled them with milk
When you think of a durable, reliable bike, does a wooden frame come to mind? Perhaps not, but according to some bike manufacturers, it should. Bike companies are starting to understand why early bike-makers were so fond of using wood to create bicycles — other than the fact that wood was easier to mold and shape than steel or metal in those days. The first bicycle is said to have been created in 1418 by Italian engineer Giovanni Fontana, and after centuries of a complex history, which saw the bike downgraded to two wheels instead of four and wooden frames becoming metal, the classic bicycle many people know today was born. However, companies like Normal Bikes are now re-imagining the way cyclists ride back into its earliest forms. Every Thanksgiving, we gather with our families and friends. Turkey, cranberry sauce, and stuffing, oh my! But did the pilgrims actually eat all the same foods we do today? When we sit down at the Thanksgiving table, we are blessed with mashed potatoes, candied yams, green bean casserole, turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. However, if we wanted to be historically accurate, we would need to change up that dinner spread a bit. Historians know of a few foods on the table that Pilgrims and Wampanoags shared at Plymouth Colony in 1621. Wildfowl, corn (in grain form for porridge), and venison were sure to be served at the first Thanksgiving. Wild turkey was also a common and abundant food source but wasn’t likely the main course as it is today. A few
and honey to make a custard and then roasted them.
Although our Thanksgiving meals have changed over the years, it still is a fantastic time to get together and celebrate. In the spirit of evolving traditions, don’t be afraid to innovate to add your own personal traditional twist to the holiday as well!
According to Connor Wood Bicycles, wooden bike frames are typically made from American white ash and black walnut. These wood types are both visually appealing and easy to mold, shape, and craft into a bike frame. However, don’t assume the wood type or engineering feats make these bikes easy to produce. Because of the precision required to create a strong, light frame out of wood, each bike from Normal Bikes typically takes more than two months to complete, and Connor Wood Bicycles reports a three-month time frame. Still, as the science and the skill set of these craftsmen show, nothing can compare to the durability, strength, and customization of a wooden bike.
2 • THE SWISS CRAFTSMAN
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