They say money doesnB次元官网网址檛 grow on trees, but bikes do.
Bamboo bikes are the newest product being sold in Greater Victoria, specifically at Green Man Bikes in Langford.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e looking to do start a new trend on the Island,B次元官网网址� says Eric Bushell, the bike shop owner. B次元官网网址淢y brother [who co-owns the shop] was very skeptic about it, but I really wanted one, so here we are.B次元官网网址�
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Green Man Bikes is the first shop on the Island to offer bamboo bikes, which comes directly from Boomers, a company in Ghana.
Boomers produces bamboo bicycle frames for mountain bikes, city bikes, road bikes, and electric bikes. They source their bamboo from sustainable forests in Ghana and provide employment in many rural communities.
A Boomers bamboo bike has B次元官网网址渁 zero carbon footprint, is lighter than steel B次元官网网址� and isnB次元官网网址檛 fragile like carbon fibre,B次元官网网址� according to the Boomers website.
The bamboo frame has been tested in Germany, Taiwan, and Australia to receive quality certifications and is placed through a rigorous process for crash resistance. Then, itB次元官网网址檚 coated with a varnish.
Bamboo bikes at Green Man are made custom so each order is shipped directly from Ghana.
Bamboo frames start at $630 through the Langford bike shop. In comparison, Bushell says steel frames can set shoppers back $800 and titanium can go as high as $2,000. Customers can choose to customize as they please, adding bamboo wheels and handlebars too.
Bushell says it takes two to three weeks on average between placing an order and riding in Greater VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 bike lanes. Green Man took their first order for a bamboo bike this summer.
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B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 crazy to think that they grew my bicycle in Africa,B次元官网网址� says Todd Litman, an avid cyclist who hasnB次元官网网址檛 owned a car in the past decade. B次元官网网址淏amboo bikes are structured in a way that absorbs the shocks in the road. Just like someone having multiple shoes for different occasions, I have several bikes for different uses.B次元官网网址�
Litman says he paid $2200 for his custom build and itB次元官网网址檚 a price heB次元官网网址檚 comfortable paying for a B次元官网网址榞ood quality bikeB次元官网网址�.
B次元官网网址淚 think local bike shops are being cautious, just like a customer who doesnB次元官网网址檛 want to be the first one to try something new,B次元官网网址� says Bushell. B次元官网网址淏ut someoneB次元官网网址檚 gotta be the first one. And itB次元官网网址檚 us.B次元官网网址�
Fall Bike to Work Weeks runs Oct. 21 until Nov. 3 across B.C.
aaron.guillen@goldstreamgazette.com
@iaaronguillen
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