I’m back! I have spent the past month packing, moving and then on a trip to North Carolina. Now that I am getting settled, I hope to have more time to write.
I recently read about an initiative in GOOD Magazine that really struck me: The Bamboo Bike Project. Columbia University’s Earth Institute has been putting research dollars into producing more sustainable bikes for people in the developing world.
The problem they are trying to solve: Many people in Africa and other parts of the developing world cannot afford cars and so travelling by bike is the best and most affordable way to travel. Unfortunately, many of their bikes are made out of steel that is so weak, you can bend it with your hands. The bikes don’t stand up to the rough dirt roads in the region.
Their solution: The researchers have found a way to create sturdy and sustainable bikes for people in Africa; they are using African-grown bamboo as the main building material. Bamboo grows plentifully in Ghana and Kenya as well as in many countries worldwide (including the US). This makes it a possible for people in Africa to produce their own bikes from resources that are abundant in their region. Bamboo is also stronger than steal and lends itself nicely to bike frames.
Through Bamboo Bike Studio, an off-shoot of the Bamboo Bike Project, you can become a part of this project. This group is selling bamboo bikes for $1250. It sounds like a hefty price tag, but it also covers a weekend spent with the Bamboo Bike Studio team as they show you how to assemble your bike. Half the revenue also helps to fund continued research on how to produce these bikes cheaply in Africa.
I was excited to read about Bamboo Bike Project because the project aims to create a bike that can be easily replicated by Africans. If the industry catches on, Kenyans and Ghanians will be using their own resources to create a product that is really needed in the region.
Bamboo Bike
