Alex Steffen blogs at WorldChanging on the Worldbike–a cargo-carrying bicycle designed for Africa, where most bikes are used by small entrepreneurs to transport goods for a living. Now, Steffen reports, the bike has appeared in the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum exhibit, “Design for the Other 90%.” According to WorldBike:
The Worldbike [is] a new platform for developing world bicycle entrepreneurs. With a lighter weight, stronger frame, V-brakes for stopping power, an ergonomic seat and riding position, a seven-speed drivetrain for hill climbing and integrated cargo racks, the Worldbike is the bike people are calling out for in developing countries. Why hasn’t it been built before? Because American recreational customers are the singular focus of the bicycle industry. But things are changing. The Design for the Other 90% is one example of a growing awareness of the importance of developing products that can assist the world’s poor.
In my perfect world: You could only shop at CostCo if you carried back what you bought on one of these… –JULIA WHITTY
