BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Kwabena Danso, CEO of Ghana’s Booomers International, is to visit London to talk about his social enterprise’s bamboo cycle frames, including childrens’ models. Booomers trains rural Ghanaian communities how to make bamboo cycle frames. Booomers grew out of the Yonso Project development organisation. Danso is the executive director of this project, which majors on climate-change mitigation and rural poverty-alleviation
Bicycle frames were first made from bamboo in the 1890s, but were re-popularised in the 1990s by US cycle designer Craig Calfee. Calfee went on to form Bamboosero, a Californian company promoting the manufacture of bamboo bicycles.
Bamboo’s tensile strength and environmental sustainability makes it an attractive alternative to composites for some consumers.
In 2009, Booomers partnered with Bamboosero to train rural youth in bamboo bike manufacturing. The bikes were originally branded as Calfee. Booomers International was created in 2014.
The company’s current frame portfolio includes road, city and mountain bikes, and childrens’ bikes including a trike and a balance bike. Booomers also makes bamboo bicycle stands and baskets.
The social enterprise provides bicycles for 150 rural school girls, and 400 rural school children get support through a scholarship program and eight communities are provided with access to libraries and computer labs.
"We are looking for UK partners who will share our commitment both to customer delight with our products, and to achieving commercial, social and environmental benefits," said Danso.
He will be in London between 13th and 19th June, and can be contacted at kwabena.danso@booomers.com
