Hi Everyone.
As a follow up to the development blog post… I graphed some of our building time logs.
*This is not 100% accurate* but you can see how we’ve progressed over the past couple years in terms of building speed and efficiency. The y axis is value added build time. It only includes finish work up to having a ridable bike, but not necessarily making a custom museum piece or show bike… that takes a LOT more time and patience.
This translates to lower labor costs for the factories (a big step towards making cheaper, more accessible bikes), and it translates to better experiences for people taking the workshops.
Value Added Build Time vs. Number of Bikes Built
Each of the drops in build times is the result of a combination of big and small innovations adding up… sometimes it’s better organization, or a new tool, or a new process, or just plain getting better…
It’s far from perfectly objective measure, but I thought it was interesting, and its one way to show how all the hard work and focus on improvement is paying off.
I wish we had an objective measure of frame quality, because we’ve really made some incredible leaps.
And yes, I’m aware that I am a total nerd.
My name is Marty Odlin, I am the cofounder of the Bamboo Bike Studio.
I also do work on the Bamboo Bike Project and at the Center for Sustainable Engineering at Columbia University.
I like surfing, skiing, camping, fishing, and building things with my friends.
The Studio is about sharing our experiences and passion for building with like minded and interested people.
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