Bamboo Bike
There are some interesting alternatives being tested in Africa for bike delivery and sales. One option here in Zomba, Malawi is offered by Africycle. This is an organization run by a great group of Canadians, using bike donations mostly from the Toronto area.
This article in The Economist presents an interesting twist on bike offerings. By constructing bike frames from bamboo and imported parts, one organization in Ghana plans to begin sales of a new style of bike.
Great initiative. My main concern is the durability, number of gears and the price level. The article puts the cost at $55, sounds like a good price, but low quality bikes are already available at similar prices. Can a bamboo bike fill the quality gap?
