[sustran] Bamboo bikes on BBC

Todd Edelman, Green Idea Factory edelman at greenidea.eu
Wed Jul 1 19:05:12 JST 2009


<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8125274.stm>

 From bush to bike - a bamboo revolution

By Kieron Humphrey
Lusaka

* On the outskirts of Lusaka, Zambia, next year's crop of bicycles is 
being watered by Benjamin Banda. *

"We planted this bamboo last year," he says, "and now the stems are 
taller than me. When it's ready we'll cut it, cure it and then turn it 
into frames."

Mr Banda, is the caretaker for Zambikes, a company set up by two 
Californians and two Zambians which aimed to build bikes tough enough to 
handle the local terrain.

Co-founder Vaughn Spethmann, 24, recalls how it all started with a game 
of football.

"We were here on a university field trip and we organized a match 
against some locals. Afterwards we asked them what they did, and they 
said: 'Nothing'. They didn't have jobs.

"So we decided to come up with a business which would be a source of 
employment and provide a useful product."

That product was the rugged, bright yellow Zambike, assembled at the 
firm's smart red-brick workshop set in sun-browned farmland.

Other projects followed as the mechanics' skills improved: a sturdy 
cargo bike, a bike trailer and a bike-drawn "zambulance", now in use at 
10 clinics around Lusaka.

* Good vibrations *

Meanwhile Santa Cruz-based bike designer Craig Calfee was experimenting 
with bamboo as a material for bike frames.

His prototypes proved that the strength and lightness of the plant made 
it a great substitute for metal.

As a bonus it had excellent vibration-dampening properties, making it 
comfortable for riding over long distances.

It was eye-catching too - Mr Calfee's stand was besieged when he 
unveiled his first bamboo frame at a bike show.

Mr Calfee hatched a plan to manufacture the frames in developing 
countries, distribute them in the US and share the profits.

He had already set up a workshop in Accra, Ghana, and started looking 
for more bike producers, nicknamed "bambooseros".

The industry telegraph started humming and soon he was talking to Zambikes.

"We were so excited," says Mr Spethmann. "The thought of Zambian-made 
products being sold in the USA. That just doesn't happen."

There are many reasons why it's so unusual: capital is difficult to 
raise in Zambia; tools and raw materials - if available - are expensive; 
skilled labour is in short supply; and bureaucracy isn't.

In this context having a low-cost raw material on the doorstep is a 
godsend.

"And of course there's very little impact on the environment," says 
Dustin McBride, the other American on the Zambikes management team.

* Growth market *

Inside the workshop, bike mechanic Elastus Lemba is setting up treated 
bamboo pieces on a jig made from plumber's pipes and bicycle parts.

It looks low-tech, but that's intentional.

Mr Calfee wanted a production process that did not require sophisticated 
machinery.

With wood glue holding the frame in place, Mr Lemba binds the joints 
using sisal - tough cord made from plant fibre soaked in epoxy.

Hand-making the frames in this way takes at least a week.

After a final sanding and coat of varnish, each batch of bamboosero 
bikes will be shipped to the USA, tested, fitted with wheels, pedals, 
handlebars and brakes, and put on sale.

So will the bike be a success?

Mr Calfee thinks so, based on all the enquiries and advance orders he 
has received.

"Hundreds of people have asked when they can buy one. From a bike 
messenger who wants an affordable fixie to a wealthy collector who wants 
one from each bamboosero location."

" * It was never just about bikes. We want to change lives * "
Mwewa Chikamba, Zambikes co-founder

He is convinced the price tag - $475 (£290) for road or mountain bike 
frames, and more than $900 (£550) for a finished bike - won't put people 
off.

"The only criticism I've had is that they might be too cheap.

"After all, buyers are helping to get self-sustaining businesses off the 
ground in developing economies, and they're getting a unique bike into 
the bargain."

The mood is optimistic at Zambikes too.

Operations co-ordinator Divilance Machilika, watches company cook Fabian 
Mumba taking a finished bamboo bike for a spin around the yard.

"I can see these selling well in America. They'll like them because 
they're natural," he says.

Mr Machilika lived in a tent on the site for a year while the workshop 
was being built.

A quick learner, he soon mastered construction skills and bike 
mechanics. Now he oversees day-to-day running of the workshop.

* Benefit to the community *

One of the founders, Mwewa Chikamba, says Mr Machilika is an example of 
what Zambikes wanted to achieve.

"It was never just about bikes. We wanted to give our workers practical 
skills and reward their dedication. We want to change lives," he says.

Assistance is also offered in the form of business coaching or 
discretionary loans - Mr Machilika used one such loan to buy a plot of 
land.

"I want to build three houses there. I'll use the rent money to start 
other businesses and employ people myself."

Instead of charging interest, Zambikes asks staff to demonstrate that 
the investment made in them is benefiting their community.

Perseverance and an innovative approach to product design and working 
practices have helped Zambikes put down strong roots.

But in a business environment that leaves much to be desired, it is no 
surprise that they have not yet seen a profit.

If the bamboo bike shoots out of the shops as fast as Mr Calfee 
predicts, that may be about to change too.


-- 
--------------------------------------------

Todd Edelman
Green Idea Factory

Urbanstr. 45
D-10967 Berlin
Germany

Skype: toddedelman
Mobile: ++49 0162 814 4081
Home/Office: ++49 030 7554 0001

edelman at greenidea.eu
www.greenidea.eu
www.facebook.com/toddedelman
www.flickr.com/photos/edelman

CAR is over. If you want it.

"Fort mit der Autostadt und was Neues hingebaut!" 
- B. Brecht (with slight modification)

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