Andy Davey (TTL'09) on August 3rd, 2009Tom, an iLEAP board member, suggested I write a bit about bicycles in Cameroon. Unfortunately, I don’t have too much to say so let me first highlight Tom’s own great blog about bikes: http://www.bikejuju.com See especially the beautiful photos and descriptions of bikes in Ethiopia.
Bikes are not particularly common here in Cameroon. In wealthier parts of cities you’ll see a few kids and teenagers riding around on them. Occasionally you’ll see someone on the highways huffing along somewhere. Most of the bikes I’ve seen are pretty beat up, older ones. The reason for the paucity of bikes, I’ve been told, is people simply can’t afford them. If they do have some money, they buy a motorbike or car first, or just use the money to hire transport rather than get a bike. Now, these next two points are purely speculative, but I think also people do so much manual labor that I don’t think they see the point in doing extra exercise when they can use a motor; secondly, most of the roads are pretty damn bad (huge divots, giant rocks, slick mud) that even with mountain bike tires the road would be quite rough.
Personally though, I’m looking forward to getting back on my leg powered bike when I return to the USA!
Tags: Andy Davey, Bikes, Cameroon, Tom F.
Tom F Says:
I think this absence is fascinating – in other parts of Africa bikes fill a crucial gap where motorized transport cannot be afforded, and you see huge loads of silage, or big water containers, etc being transported on tough old Chinese “black mamba” bikes.