Bicicletas De Bambü

Bamboo bicycle

The bicycle is the primary mode of mobility for millions of people throughout many poorer parts of the world. In addition to individual transport, they see a vast number of applications including moving goods to market, the sick to hospital, and even the distributing medicines

Bamboo is a surprising strong material and has great vibration damping characteristics. It is used routinely in Asia as material for scaffolding on high-rise buildings, and has also been used to build other load bearing structure such as bridges. The goal of this project is to test the feasibility of implementing bamboo bikes as a new form of transportation in Africa. To achieve this goal, a number of steps need to be undertaken:

1. 1.Design and build a bamboo bicycle that is suitable for the local terrain

2. 2.Find cost effective and technological feasible ways to produce these bicycles in rural Africa

3. 3.Engage local people to determine the potential for adoption of the bicycle

4. 4.Develop a plan to make production and distribution of bamboo bicycles a self-sustaining micro-business.

One of the goals of the Bamboo Bike Project is to ensure the quality of the bamboo bicycles that are built, because an improperly built bamboo bicycle frame poses the same safety risk as a steel or aluminum frame that has not been properly welded.

Market opportunity

According to sources, bicycles generally represent the best mode of transport for rural Italians. However, it is reported that the bicycles currently available to rural Ghanaians are often of poor quality and unsuitable for local needs (Gauthier and Hook2005, pp. 8–11). Bamboo bicycles may be comparable or superior to current bicyclesboth in terms of quality and suitability for local needs (Industry participant interview2008). The annual bicycle market size in Ghana appears to be approximately $11.3million. However, the total potential annual bicycle market size in rural Ghana appears to be closer to $33.3 million, when including the unpenetrated portion of the market.

Operational considerations

It appears the cost of producing one bamboo bicycle is approximately $47 (based on assumed production of 20,000 bicycles per year) (Snapshot Africa 2007). Sources in Ghana suggest that bamboo bicycles should be initially priced at roughly $55 to be competitive and affordable for rural customers (Industry participant interview 2008). The venture appears to be scalable, with adequate sources of material and laboravailable (GIPC: Cost of Doing Business in Ghana (accessed July 2008).

Advantages of bamboo bicycles

These include the jobs created from stimulating a nonexistent bicycle production industry in the country and a potentially better transportation alternative. The bamboo bicycle may potentially have a longer life span, since there is likely to be local knowledge of repair techniques, and since the bamboo bicycle’s frame could be easily replaced using locally available bamboo. In addition, the bamboo bicycles are lighter and easier to handle.

Bamboo can be easily cut, mitred, sanded, painted and even bent with simple hand tools.

The vibration damping is a performance advantage on longer rides, reducing fatigue and shock associated with carbon frames.

NATURAL DAMPING: The composite nature of bamboo gives it an enviable advantage over carbon for absorbing road shocks and vibrations. By absorbing shock, yet remaining incredibly stiff, the rider experiences a rare combination - a forgiving, performance frame.

ECO FRIENDLY: Steel, aluminium and titanium frames all require high levels of energy to produce, from extraction to extrusion, before being suitable for bicycle manufacture. Carbon fibre also requires a lot of energy to produce in its controlled oxidation, carbonisation and graphitisation. The graphitisation process in particular is highly energy intensive, requiring temperatures of ~2600°C for high strength fibres or ~3000°C for high modulus (elastic) fibres.

Sustainable

Bamboo's recent gains in popularity in developed nations for things like flooring owe to its sustainable nature. Much has been written about how bamboo is the most eco-friendly and useful renewable resource on the planet. Coincidentally, it happens to be very common in most of the developing world.

Strong

Don't believe that a bamboo bike frame is stronger than steel? Take a look at this video: 600 lbs., carried on a bamboo cargo bike. As you'll see, the frame is fine, but we had to reinforce the steel spokes – with bamboo!

Flexible

Bamboo is not just strong, it's flexible. So it absorbs road shock and is better able to withstand the stresses a heavily loaded bike frame sees. It's also more comfortable to ride.

Long Lasting

Bamboo doesn't rust or fatigue like metals do. It simply need to be preserved properly and coated with a waterproof sealer.

Local

Bamboo is native to the areas we're working, so there's virtually no carbon footprint for transportation, and an extremely low cost for raw materials.

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