The California Bike Coalition Comes of Age

Posted: 01 Jan 2005

Related to: California Bike Project, Strengthening Bicycle and Rickshaw Industries,
Contributed by: Bradley Schroeder, ITDP

The shipping last August of 2,000 high visibility, good quality “California Bikes” to Ghana, Senegal and South Africa, was a watershed in NGO-bike industry collaboration.

While motor vehicle manufacturers have found a ready market in Africa for $40,000 sports utility vehicles, until recently the international bicycle industry was convinced that Africa was too ‘poor’ to buy good quality bicycles. But that is beginning to change, thanks to the success of ITDP’s California Bike project. The shipping last August of 2,000 high visibility, good quality “California Bikes” to Ghana, Senegal and South Africa, was a watershed in NGO-bike industry collaboration. Today, most of the bicycles have been sold, proving that there is a market for stylish, higher quality bicycles in Africa’s rapidly growing cities.  Read the full story in Sustainable Transport #16.

Photo: The CBC helps small bicycle dealers access better quality bicycles.