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Renovo crafts bike frames made from Glenmorangie casks

Road machines made from American oak that once held high-end tipple

In one of the more novel ways to make a bike, Portland, Oregon’s Renovo Hardwood Bicycles has teamed up with Glenmorangie Distillery in the Scottish Highlands to handcraft road machines comprised of used Scotch casks of American oak. Before anyone gets too excited about the prospect of wheeling about town smelling like two-fingers of top shelf tipple, Renovo founder’s Ken Wheeler admits, “the scent has now diminished.”

Made from American oak second-fill cask staves that once contained The Original single-malt Scotch whisky, the bikes are designed with the curve on the barrel staves in mind. Wheeler says Renovo’s craftsmen design the machines so that they would, “celebrate that curve in the downtube – the largest tube of the bicycle, which carries the most load.” Each bike takes 15-staves and 20-hours to make.

Glenmorangie’s Director of Distilling and Whisky Creation, Dr. Bill Lumsden points out, “Renovo shares our uncompromising approach to craftsmanship and, like Glenmorangie, is known for its pioneering work with wood.” Renovo has been making hollow frame hardwood bikes for a decade.

Numbered woods staves ready for reassignment.

The Glenmorangie, with its road-dampening “longbow” seat stays, can take up to 40-mm wide tires and comes in a Launch version outfitted with Shimano Ultegra and a Prestige edition kitted with Dura-Ace.

Canadian Cycling Magazine would like to remind you not to drink and pedal.