Matthias Kalla holds a hairdryer close to a long, narrow piece of bamboo, which is clamped to a worktop and bent upwards. When finished it will be a mudguard on an unusual bicycle made of bamboo.
German student Kalla and his flatmate Sabine Metzger are sending the bike around the world in aid of a charity drinking water project.
"It's not uncommon for a person to circle the globe on their own. We decided to do the same thing with a bicycle," says the geoinformatics student. Together with Sabine, Kalla founded the Global Bike Trotting project two months ago. They had the idea one evening while drinking wine in their apartment in the city of Wurzburg in southern Germany.
"We thought it would be a good idea to allow people to rent a bike for free in Wurzburg. Then we suddenly struck upon the idea of sending a bike around the world," recalls Metzger, a 26-year-old science education student.
They decided to use a bicycle with a bamboo frame because they wanted one made from a robust, sustainable raw material. "The bicycle symbolises the change in attitudes to raw materials. It's also something different. It's nice having such an unusual bike," Metzger says.
A short time after coming up with the concept, the pair received a grant from the Think Big initiative, which supports projects organised by young people. Wurzburg mayor Georg Rosenthal also lent his support. "Our mission is to draw attention in a humorous way to how precious water is and raise awareness for responsible management of resources," says Rosenthal.
The idea behind the bamboo bike project is simple: anyone who wants to ride the bike registers their interest online and sets out a route they want to travel. "It doesn't matter if the route has already been ridden or is close to an earlier one. The more people who take part, the more flexible planning will be," says Metzger.
Cyclists from the US, Africa and Australia have already registered to take part. "We're looking for even more people to ride the bike through Germany," says Metzger. The pair do not think they will run out of cyclists. "We have built up a very good network. Even if the bicycle is left somewhere over winter it's sure to be back on the road again." Money raised by the project is going to the Viva con Agua drinking water project.
Kalla and Metzger built the bamboo frame for the bike in a workshop in Berlin. "When we got back to our apartment we continued filing away and varnishing it," recalls Kalla. A local bicycle shop sponsored the tires, saddle, handlebars and other extras. "We get lots of requests for us to sponsor things. What interested me in this project was its social nature and its uniqueness," explains bike shop owner Felix Schmitt.
Schmitt's mechanics were posed with some big challenges. "Nothing we had in our storeroom would fit the bamboo frame. Everything had to be assembled individually and custom attached to the bike." The time they spent on constructing the bike paid off. It weighs 17 kilograms and has 26-inch wheels.
The bike is very robust and attracts attention from passers-by. Kalla and Metzger believe it's good enough to survive the trip. "The only thing that can destroy it is fire or a tank," says Kalla.
Their big worry, however, is that someone will steal it. The bike comes with a combination lock whose code is only known to its riders. "We trust the people who are going to be using the bike," says Metzger. India is the first country where the bike's route has been fully planned. "Perhaps we'll go there and have a look at how the bike is doing," says Kalla.
After India, Kalla and Metzger don't know when they will see the bike again. "Maybe in 20 years, maybe before that and then with completely different parts? Anything is possible."
Kalla has registered the bike with the Guinness Book of Records. "Who knows: maybe every one of the people who rides the bike will end up being a part of a world record."
Bamboo bike setting off on round the world journey
Matthias Kalla holds a hairdryer close to a long, narrow piece of bamboo, which is clamped to a worktop and bent upwards. When finished it will be a mudguard on an unusual bicycle made of bamboo.
German student Kalla and his flatmate Sabine Metzger are sending the bike around the world in aid of a charity drinking water project.
"It's not uncommon for a person to circle the globe on their own. We decided to do the same thing with a bicycle," says the geoinformatics student. Together with Sabine, Kalla founded the Global Bike Trotting project two months ago. They had the idea one evening while drinking wine in their apartment in the city of Wurzburg in southern Germany.
"We thought it would be a good idea to allow people to rent a bike for free in Wurzburg. Then we suddenly struck upon the idea of sending a bike around the world," recalls Metzger, a 26-year-old science education student.
They decided to use a bicycle with a bamboo frame because they wanted one made from a robust, sustainable raw material. "The bicycle symbolises the change in attitudes to raw materials. It's also something different. It's nice having such an unusual bike," Metzger says.
A short time after coming up with the concept, the pair received a grant from the Think Big initiative, which supports projects organised by young people. Wurzburg mayor Georg Rosenthal also lent his support. "Our mission is to draw attention in a humorous way to how precious water is and raise awareness for responsible management of resources," says Rosenthal.
The idea behind the bamboo bike project is simple: anyone who wants to ride the bike registers their interest online and sets out a route they want to travel. "It doesn't matter if the route has already been ridden or is close to an earlier one. The more people who take part, the more flexible planning will be," says Metzger.
Cyclists from the US, Africa and Australia have already registered to take part. "We're looking for even more people to ride the bike through Germany," says Metzger. The pair do not think they will run out of cyclists. "We have built up a very good network. Even if the bicycle is left somewhere over winter it's sure to be back on the road again." Money raised by the project is going to the Viva con Agua drinking water project.
Kalla and Metzger built the bamboo frame for the bike in a workshop in Berlin. "When we got back to our apartment we continued filing away and varnishing it," recalls Kalla. A local bicycle shop sponsored the tires, saddle, handlebars and other extras. "We get lots of requests for us to sponsor things. What interested me in this project was its social nature and its uniqueness," explains bike shop owner Felix Schmitt.
Schmitt's mechanics were posed with some big challenges. "Nothing we had in our storeroom would fit the bamboo frame. Everything had to be assembled individually and custom attached to the bike." The time they spent on constructing the bike paid off. It weighs 17 kilograms and has 26-inch wheels.
The bike is very robust and attracts attention from passers-by. Kalla and Metzger believe it's good enough to survive the trip. "The only thing that can destroy it is fire or a tank," says Kalla.
Their big worry, however, is that someone will steal it. The bike comes with a combination lock whose code is only known to its riders. "We trust the people who are going to be using the bike," says Metzger. India is the first country where the bike's route has been fully planned. "Perhaps we'll go there and have a look at how the bike is doing," says Kalla.
After India, Kalla and Metzger don't know when they will see the bike again. "Maybe in 20 years, maybe before that and then with completely different parts? Anything is possible."
Kalla has registered the bike with the Guinness Book of Records. "Who knows: maybe every one of the people who rides the bike will end up being a part of a world record."
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