Wooden Bicycles in East Africa
Two kids lugging eucalyptus poles up a mountain road in western Uganda, one with a wooden
bicycle. Which of the two is having a more difficult time? |
A close-up of a wooden bicycle with a load of eucalyptus poles in western Uganda. |
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People returning to the eastern Congolese town of Goma and nearby villages, use wooden bicycles
to carry their belongings across cooling lava, Tuesday. |
Congolese residents in the devastated town of Goma push makeshift bikes bearing food supplies,
January 23, 2002. The Nyiragongo volcano near Goma erupted on January 17, killing an unknown
number of people and sending hundreds of thousands into neighboring Rwanda. |
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Boy with wooden 'bicycle' and woman headloading in Tanzania |
Tanzania, central region, locally made wood bicycle (note yellow plastic light on front) |
It's not in East Africa, but this photo is of a small wooden bicycle
designed for children on display in a museum in Chiloe, Chile. |
A Few Links
Travelling in western Uganda in 2000, I stumbled across very clever wooden bicycles being used to transport goods. These locally-made bikes had axles, steering columns, brakes (quite necessary for controlling descents in this mountainous region), and rubber tires. I was recently reminded of them when I saw the above photographs of similar bicycles being used by residents in the nearby eastern Congo (Democratic Republic of) city of Goma, to transport their belongings in the aftermath of a devastating volcanic eruption. Please email me if you have any additional information, references, or sitings of similar hand-crafted bicycles. |