What kind of bike would you choose if you were going to ride the entire length of South America, a distance of around 5,000 miles? Something lightweight and comfortable. And something strong enough to carry all that luggage. Kate Rawles is undertaking the journey on a bicycle made of bamboo.
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It’s not just any bamboo bicycle either. It’s the first British home-grown bicycle – literally! The bamboo with which the frame is constructed was grown at the Eden Project, a botanical garden and environmental education attraction, and has been transformed into a bicycle by the experts at the Bamboo Bicycle Company.
But why choose a bike made of bamboo for such an epic ride? The reason is partly due to the second purpose of the trip – to highlight the issue of biodiversity and the impacts we have on the environment – but there are also other advantages.
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“It's a really, really comfortable ride!” Rawles told BikeRadar. “It's smooth but not too flexy, a bit like steel. Of course there are advantages in having built the bike myself. Apart from the huge satisfaction I've gained from doing this, I know it inside it and will be much better placed to fix things on the road if needs be as a result.”
“And in terms of repairs to the bamboo itself, super unlikely though this is — bamboo is very strong, as evidenced by its use by many countries around the world as scaffolding — all I will need is some hemp, which I'll be carrying, and epoxy resin, which you can get more or less anywhere. And possibly a splint!”
It’s also likely to be an excellent conversation starter, which is another benefit as Rawles is keen to meet and chat with people as she pedals her way south.
From commuter to long-distance cycle adventurer
The Life Cycle
The build details: USB charging device plus dynamo-power lights
Follow the adventure
You can read more at BikeRadar.com
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