Post #466069 by 54 house of bamboo on Wed, Jul 1, 2009 10:08 AM

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8125274.stm

On the outskirts of Lusaka, Zambia, next year's crop of bicycles is being watered by Benjamin Banda.

"We planted this bamboo last year," he says, "and now the stems are taller than me. When it's ready we'll cut it, cure it and then turn it into frames."

Mr Banda, is the caretaker for Zambikes, a company set up by two Californians and two Zambians which aimed to build bikes tough enough to handle the local terrain.