Godrej & Boyce launches Bambusa bamboo frame bicycles

Are steel and aluminium no more in vogue?  Maybe yes, if you are aware of the fact that Godrej & Boyce, the holding company of the Godrej Group, has launched Bambusa, its premium range of bicycles built from bamboo.  These bicycles can be exclusively bought via the crowdfunding platform www.Fueladream.com.

The frames of the Bambusa bicycles are entirely bamboo, giving them a durability and lightness unmatched even by conventional steel and aluminum-frame cycles, says a company release. Moreover, they are more sustainable to make as bamboo is a fast-growing grass and therefore very sustainable. Their manufacturing process is not reliant on electricity from coal-burning power plants, and the economic benefits of their manufacture are spread along every step of the process, from sourcing-to-sale. Godrej Bambusa Bicycles are currently available in white and brown saddle options.

Vijay Crishna, Executive Director, Godrej Lawkim, A Godrej Group company specialising in electric motors for home appliances, commercial and industrial applications said that “bamboo has a greater tensile strength (or resistance to be pulled apart) than steel, while its attribute of being 4 times as absorbent as carbon fibre gives a smoother ride even on bad roads. Bamboo’s strength is its ability to bend – that’s its miracle! We selected a special bamboo species called ‘Pseudo-Oxytenanthera Stocksii’ which grows near our factory site and is particularly well-suited for building bamboo-frame bikes. No two bamboo stalks grow the same way, so each special, organically aesthetic frame is unique to your bike... Having travelled 4400kms across the length of India during the monsoons, the bike has proved its strength and sturdiness on the road under the toughest conditions!”