Bamboo for Bicycles

bike commuting, cycling | dlacord | Monday, December 28th, 2009 at 8:33 am

If you know bikes, you know bike materials – aluminum, steel, titanium, carbon fiber. But you might not have considered bamboo a worthy alternative.

The Bamboo Bike Project did just that. Sponsored by scientists and engineers at The Earth Institute at Columbia University it was formed to examine the feasibility of cargo bikes made of bamboo to be used as a sustainable form of transportation in Africa and to stimulate a bike building industry in Africa.

Bamboo is a strong material that is regularly used for scaffolding in building projects and bridge projects throughout Asia. It grows throughout Africa, and in this project, it is used for the main tubing elements in the bikes.

The group has determined steps to take in the project: design and build a bamboo bike suitable for the local terrain, find cost-effective and technological feasible ways to produce the bikes in rural Africa, engage local people to determine the potential for adoption of the bike, and develop a plan to make production and distribution of bamboo bikes a sustainable micro-business.

Check out the project’s web site for information and details on how to help.

– Deb Acord

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