When I was looking at bikes for my tour I deliberately decided to get a cheap, second hand bike. I'd be lying if I said I didn't come close to splashing the cash; I drooled over Thorn Ravens with Rohloff hubs, and even specced a brand new Salsa Marrakesh for order. But these bikes were at least £1500, and I found that I kept making excuses not to take the plunge. One significant reason was the length of the tour as it didn't seem worth spending so much on a bike I was going to use for 3,5 months, and then probably not touch again.
But I think the real underlying factor holding me back was that I knew I would be cycling through some places that really don't have a lot in Western terms. I didn't want to be that guy coming into the village with a £2000 bike when everyone around is struggling. It would seem incongruous, and at the end of the day I want to meet people and develop some kind of rapport with the locals. Obviously we're different enough, and I'm not expecting it to be easy, but I came to think of an expensive bike as a bit of a white elephant, and a barrier to acceptance.
Tina cost me the princely sum of £250, and I'm very happy with her. I think that being able to spend not a lot and (hopefully) cycle up E Africa, carrying all my stuff, shows how empowering bikes can be. I know, I know, it sounds like something a Pinarello rider would say, but it is true. So imagine the difference it would make to a schoolkid who can't afford a bike, and has to spend 4 hours a day walking to and from school. On top of all the other daily chores, that means they're exhausted and end up being time, as well as disposable-come, poor. Or to take another example - remote villages in need of medical care, but it is too time consuming for healthworkers to walk there. Suddenly, with the provision of a Buffalo bike, the whole village benefits.
But I think the real underlying factor holding me back was that I knew I would be cycling through some places that really don't have a lot in Western terms. I didn't want to be that guy coming into the village with a £2000 bike when everyone around is struggling. It would seem incongruous, and at the end of the day I want to meet people and develop some kind of rapport with the locals. Obviously we're different enough, and I'm not expecting it to be easy, but I came to think of an expensive bike as a bit of a white elephant, and a barrier to acceptance.
Tina cost me the princely sum of £250, and I'm very happy with her. I think that being able to spend not a lot and (hopefully) cycle up E Africa, carrying all my stuff, shows how empowering bikes can be. I know, I know, it sounds like something a Pinarello rider would say, but it is true. So imagine the difference it would make to a schoolkid who can't afford a bike, and has to spend 4 hours a day walking to and from school. On top of all the other daily chores, that means they're exhausted and end up being time, as well as disposable-come, poor. Or to take another example - remote villages in need of medical care, but it is too time consuming for healthworkers to walk there. Suddenly, with the provision of a Buffalo bike, the whole village benefits.
World Bicycle Relief - The Power of Bicycles
Aside from funding a few buffalo bikes ourselves directly from the Sakaramenta Factory in Blantyre, Malawi, the rest of the sponsorship money will go to a fantastic charity called World Bicycle Relief. These guys started in 2005 and have provided around 350,000 Buffalo Bikes through charitable distribution, and social enterprise sales. You can read more about the work that they do on their 'Our Story' page.
They are very switched on in terms of recognising the vast potential that bikes can unlock, not just for the riders themselves, but for others who benefit from the multiplier effect of the bikes. For example, perhaps the farmer can get his produce to market quicker, with less spoilage. This means that he has more to sell, and doesn't have to factor in as much time-cost for delivery. It also frees up more of his time to produce more or get to new, previously too-distant, markets. This in turn leads to lower prices for the customers, enabling themselves to save or spend on other traders. But they also recognise that simply giving away free bikes isn't the answer. Rather, they focus on social enterprise, and generating skills and employment around the bikes themselves. It's an exciting, and entirely appropriate approach in my opinion; too often big charities get it wrong by providing what they think these people need, rather than listening and making an informed decision.
Buffalo Bikes are described as a miniature "Industrial Revolution" by their manufacturers. You'd expect an element of hyperbole from the creators, but is isn't a huge exaggeration to say that these bikes can be life-changing for those lucky enough to get them.
They are very switched on in terms of recognising the vast potential that bikes can unlock, not just for the riders themselves, but for others who benefit from the multiplier effect of the bikes. For example, perhaps the farmer can get his produce to market quicker, with less spoilage. This means that he has more to sell, and doesn't have to factor in as much time-cost for delivery. It also frees up more of his time to produce more or get to new, previously too-distant, markets. This in turn leads to lower prices for the customers, enabling themselves to save or spend on other traders. But they also recognise that simply giving away free bikes isn't the answer. Rather, they focus on social enterprise, and generating skills and employment around the bikes themselves. It's an exciting, and entirely appropriate approach in my opinion; too often big charities get it wrong by providing what they think these people need, rather than listening and making an informed decision.
Buffalo Bikes are described as a miniature "Industrial Revolution" by their manufacturers. You'd expect an element of hyperbole from the creators, but is isn't a huge exaggeration to say that these bikes can be life-changing for those lucky enough to get them.
The Education Multiplier Effect
I think that the most important impact that Buffalo Bikes make is on children in education. World Bicycle Relief explain it much better than me on their 'Education' page, but so much of the continuing presence of poverty can be put down to poor decision making due to lack of knowledge.
It's all very well providing schools, but if students can't get there easily, they arrive exhausted and don't learn as much as they should. Then you factor in stupid things that we wouldn't even think about, such as not getting home from school until it's dark because it takes 2 hours to walk it. If they aren't lucky enough to have electricity then it becomes impossible to do your homework, and the cycle repeats itself. Education is the key to getting people out of poverty as they can make more informed decisions.
It's all very well providing schools, but if students can't get there easily, they arrive exhausted and don't learn as much as they should. Then you factor in stupid things that we wouldn't even think about, such as not getting home from school until it's dark because it takes 2 hours to walk it. If they aren't lucky enough to have electricity then it becomes impossible to do your homework, and the cycle repeats itself. Education is the key to getting people out of poverty as they can make more informed decisions.
Why World Bicycle Relief?
The problem with poverty is that there's always a more worthy cause somewhere around the corner, and the more you look into things, the more confused and uncertain you become about where to start, or who to support. I originally decided that I just wanted to do this trip off of my own back, and keep things simple. However, as I got more into things, and started cycling about on Tina and blogging I realised that a lot of people are interested in what I'm doing, so it might be a good chance to raise some cash for a good cause.
I decided to keep things relevant and go down the cycling avenue as it felt natural trying to share something I enjoy with other people who can really benefit materially from owning a bike. I spent 20 minutes on the phone to the WBR UK guys and ended up convinced that they were doing some great work, and could direct the funds much more appropriately, and professionally than I would ever be able to.
I decided to keep things relevant and go down the cycling avenue as it felt natural trying to share something I enjoy with other people who can really benefit materially from owning a bike. I spent 20 minutes on the phone to the WBR UK guys and ended up convinced that they were doing some great work, and could direct the funds much more appropriately, and professionally than I would ever be able to.