Calfee Design is working towards assisting entrepreneurs in the developing world to make their own bicycles out of locally sourced bamboo. The reasons to do this are so strong that it would be foolish not to try:
- Bicycles are in great demand as a major labor savings device. Transporting water, people, food and other items is six times more efficient.
- Bamboo bikes cost less than inferior imported steel bikes.
- Bamboo is plentiful and does not need to be imported as a raw material. Bamboo is easy to grow and can be cultivated in dry areas with minimal irrigation.
- Bamboo bikes require a significant amount of labor to produce, providing skilled employment and an apprenticeship model that helps youth find opportunity.
- Bamboo bicycle production is not easily done in large factories. This keeps large industrialized countries from getting into the business and competing on an unfair level.
- Making Bamboo bikes does not require electricity or a large investment in equipment.
This bike was made in Ghana in June of 2007 as part of a feasability study funded by The Earth Institure at Columbia University. The rear wheel was reinforced with bamboo after testing found the bike could carry a lot more load than average bicycle parts were designed for.
This group of young men learned how to make bamboo bikes during a return trip by Craig Calfee in February 2008. The skills were learned quickly and the enthusiasm for starting a viable business was extraordinary. Detailed research was done to identify the people, places and items needed to launch a program for setting up microbusinesses.
For further information and a detailed funding proposal, please contact craig@calfeedesign.com.
Links: Ghana 2008 blog and Video