Lifecycle

Can you take us through the beginnings of Bambike and where it is today?

Megan Calbalcar and Joshua Gan: Bambike’s focus for its first few years snce it began in 2007 was to provide a sustainable livelihood program to the Bambuilders through bamboo bikes (Bambikes).

Come 2014, Bryan (McLelland, co-founder) started a bike tour in Intramuros called Bambike Ecotours. Bambike Ecotours was mostly for potential clients to be able to try out the Bambikes.

Now, in 2019, Bambike Ecotours is a significant component of Bambike’s business model. The success of the ecotours doesn’t only maintain the demand for bikes for our Bambuilders’ livelihood program, but it also allows Bambike to employ individuals from diverse backgrounds to complete the Manila team. Aside from ecotourism, Bambike is also currently involved in CSR projects through bamboo agroforestry, whole bamboo pole processing, and engineered bamboo production and construction.

Aside from obvious environmental benefits, what makes bamboo a better material than steel or carbon fiber for building bike frames?

Each Bambike is handcrafted by our Bambuilders from our partner Gawad Kalinga community in Victoria, Tarlac. As the process isn’t industrialized and no two bamboo poles are alike, each piece is truly one-of-a-kind.

While Bambikes are a piece of handcraft, they are also functional and sturdy. Bamboo has natural vibration dampening capabilities that allows for a smoother ride.

What was the community like in Victoria, Tarlac before Bambike came? How has Bambike impacted the community for the better?

Most Bambuilders were farmers or pedicab drivers. They didn’t hold regular jobs and had no stable source of income. Because of the livelihood program of Bambike, they now have steady income. Today, the Bambuilders are even able to send their kids to college. A great example of Bambike’s impact to the community is the success of Lander, more commonly known as Luis. He was a Bambuilder who is now a college graduate. He’s currently working with the Manila team as the shop assistant manager.

What are your most best-selling frames?

The Luntian 2.0 is the best selling Bambike frame. The Luntian 2.0 can be built up as an all-terrain bike for those who prefer off-road adventures, as well as a touring bike for those who need two-wheels for more leisurely biking in the city. It boasts of our double top tube bamboo innovation.

It’s safe to say that sustainability is at the heart of everything Bambike does. However, the irony of the sustainability movement is that it’s now become a trend and, by design, most trends are unsustainable. How can both businesses and individuals navigate sustainability in a way that it becomes more than just a fad?

Overconsumption is one of sustainability’s most common undoing, which tends to happen with trends. Bambike does not promote overconsumption; instead, we promote responsible production and resource use that will be beneficial for the environment and the people as a whole. At Bambike, we make sure we are—and remain to be—sustainable by lessening our environmental impact from material sourcing to our products’ end of life.
We replace the need for resource-intensive hardwood with bamboo. Bamboo is a grass; it grows easily with little resource input! Our production is also small-scale, with as little waste generated as possible. Bamboo cuttings that can’t be used on our bamboo bikes are used for bike stands, flyer stands and more!

Making sustainability a norm, and not just a fading fad, is a tough, multifaceted challenge. Two of the solutions Bambike is currently working on are to be cost-competitive and to constantly improve processes to be more efficient.

What’s in the near future for Bambike?

New Bambike models to suit more needs, widespread Bambike Ecotours and more projects that engage communities to deliver a diverse portfolio of bamboo products. •

Originally published in Kanto No. 4, 2019. Edits were made to update the article.