Bamboo serves many purposes. It is the tallest known grass. It can be used for various purposes and not just constructing homes in the villages. Two innovative Germans have come up with another useful application of bamboo. Making bicycles out of them is not something that would have been an inspiration for any villager. However, they have made hand-built bicycles in Zambia, an African country, out of locally sourced bamboo.

These bamboo-made bicycles are just as strong as those made conventionally. They can be used for city commutation as well as for mountain biking. Bamboo has an advantage of being light weight as well as durable. These two Germans have made bikes out a bamboo which has been harvested for three years. Then for two months, they dry the bamboo in an incubator. The strongest bamboo tubes get to make the final cut for the bikes. Their innovative bamboo use and bicycle-making has earned them the ISPO BrandNew Overall Winner Award.

They are now selling these bamboo-made bikes to others too. The prices start at €2,490 (approx. US$3,020) and are available in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland at the moment. They may become more popular and get a world market for them. They certainly are cheaply sourced, which saves for such useful material as aluminum and steel, which then can be utilized to manufacture other stuff. The bamboo-made bicycles can also open an industry for those countries, like India, where bamboo can be found in large quantities and serve the local population in employment.