Who Says Bamboo Fly Rods Are Weak? You Could Drive a 16-Ton Truck On One
By Tom Chandler on Jan 3, 2008 in Underground Entertainment
We all know the drill; bamboo fly rods are fragile things, fit to be viewed only in a controlled atmosphere where no loud noises are made and soft, pre-warmed gloves are worn.
Ha! In another major Underground coup (sent to us by Alert Underground Reader WeForgotHisName), we discover they’re building bridges from bamboo — so how weak could it be?
Bridges built from bamboo instead of steel could provide a cheaper, more environmentally sustainable engineering solution in China, a recent experiment suggests. A novel type of bridge with horizontal beams made from a bamboo composite proved strong enough to support even heavy trucks in tests. The bamboo beams are cheaper and more environmentally friendly to make than steel or concrete, yet offer comparable structural strength.
You can read all about it here: Bamboo road bridge can support 16-tonne trucks
kbarton10 | Jan 3, 2008 | Reply
…and after the rainy season, the “spinal curvature” makes you replace it with the second tip?
Tom Chandler | Jan 4, 2008 | Reply
No. Plus they simply feel better when you drive across them.
Fishing | Jan 5, 2008 | Reply
Ive never heard that bamboo fly fishing rods were fragile, in fact I have been abusing a bamboo fly rod for years now that was passed down to me from my father, which was also passed down to him from his.
Thats three generations of abuse by, fishing all seasons in PA, packing and stacking during moves and so on… Bamboo fishing rods rock! Tougher than any synthetic composite crap that is pushed our way these days. I must say though the forearm gets a little sore after casting for hours straight!
Jer