part of the environment, and economy, on a scale appropriate to develop- ing cultures.
Imagine the exponential growth in commerce if the world could, with a few mechanical parts, transform them into fully-equipped vehicles that are simple to as- semble, immensely us- able, and totally within the economic realm of riders at any economic level around the world? This includes many sec-
boo is strong! It has more tensile strength per pound than steel. In many Asian mega-cit- ies, bamboo is the scaffolding material used to build the mighty towers of commerce ad- vancing skyward.
I mean, how cool is that?
As a non-rider, I don’t know all the technical aspects of what constitutes a bicycle, but there is an almost Buddhist sensibility in actually “growing” a piece of technology outside of what might come from a factory. People in the Bamboo Bike world talk about the innate craftsmanship and aesthetics that come from building a bike out of a natural material, (see “happy authentic bamboo bike” URL below) and about how it becomes more a reusable
tions of our own cities and neighborhoods. My friend, Homeless George has often men- tioned how useful it would be to have a bi- cycle to accomplish his daily rounds. He feels that it might even be instrumental in help- ing him get off the street. A bike made from bamboo would likely be a lot more afford- able than one made from the latest, high- tech carbon fiber, right?
I am always amazed at how China, or South- east Asian countries, have been able to con- struct economies based on simple, indig- enous products. The thousands – millions – of bicycle riders around the world who rely on them not as exercise or sport – but as a true, viable way to earn a living, is truly extraordinary. No reader of FreeWheelin’
doesn’t also have a car, but for the rest of the world, a solid bike is the top-drawer form of transport, and the cheaper Bamboo Bike is such a remarkable mélange of natural re- sources and economic need and solution that it’s tough to conceive of a better answer to many transportation and environmental is- sues in countless Third World economies.
So, here is the mission. Donate to these groups. They are doing the good work. As good Americans, we need the rest of the world to have access to the tools they need to keep our Target and Walmart’s filled with goods. Like the “One Laptop Per Child” movement (see also below), it’s also com- pletely important that we give the Third World enough basic equipment so that they can turn our production needs into reality at a fair price. Bamboo Bikes are key. Strong, reliable, renewable, they are a choice example of how past technologies (growing your own) melds with a few pieces of modern technol- ogy (the gears and stuff, which I don’t know about) into a literal economical vehicle that can help us all ride into the future.
http://www.bamboobike.org/Home.html http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/happy- authentic-bamboo-bike.htm
http://www.bicycletimesmag.com/content/ bamboo-bikes-green-and-growing
http://one.laptop.org/
May 2012
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