bamboo bicycle by spedagi wins japan GOOD DESIGN gold award

bamboo bicycles are not something new; they have been produced since the early development of the bicycle in the 19th century. but, along with the industrial development, new materials like metal became more popular for their durability and ease of reproduction. that was until the green movement emerged and bamboo was reconsidered for bike manufactures as it offers a great combination of stiffness (for power efficiency) and compliance (for vibration dampening).

today, the spedagi rodacilik/ minivelo, gowesmulyo/ joybike by indonesia-based spedagi has won the g-mark japan GOOD DESIGN gold award not only for the use of bamboo, but for generating a symbol that comprises craftsman’s skills, and a village’s industry and local characteristics, able to attract outside companies with the aim of revitalizing an entire region.

model ‘rodacilik’ (minivelo)
images © spedagi

‘through the spedagi bamboo bike, spedagi founder singgih s kartono discovered that a good design/product can be a powerful tool for a movement. spedagi believes that a village is a future that is still lagged behind, and the bamboo bike is the metaphor of its effort to fetch that future. metaphorically, like a village that is considered as a past, bamboo, which is a cheap, underestimated, and old-fashioned material, can make a valuable product,’ commented the good award committee.

the rodacilik is a minivelo-type bike — an adult bike with 20’’ tires. the use of small size tires in an adult bike creates a unique proportion of the frame. rodacilik uses spedagi pringtelulas 0.1 frame, which is the adaptation of pringrolas 0.1 frame. it has a much longer head-tube than other types of spedagi bamboo bikes. this bike uses a 46 t single chainring cranck with 7 speed level on the rear gear, comfortable and agile enough to surf the busy traffic or even go through small streets in urban areas. moreover, the small wheels make it light enough when riding through an uphill road. rodacilik uses a rigid fork with long steer-tube and flat handlebar. for safety reason, it is equipped with a disc brake on the rear wheels and v-brake on the front wheel. although the design is different, pringtelulas 0.1 frame has the same characteristics with other types of spedagi frame.

‘I wanted to use bamboo on a bicycle because it’s a metaphor — bamboo is usually seen as a cheap material but I know that bamboo is a fertile material. I think bamboo is a treasure and by making a bamboo bicycle I want to symbolize that the treasure is not far from us, it’s actually close,’ said singgih s kartono, founder of spedagi.

for the bicycle frame, spedagi uses bamboo from the dryer places as this one results to be the strongest one. ‘for example, when the land is too fertile, the bamboo will be bigger but not hard enough for a structure like this one,’ commented spedagi. ‘we also treat it with a common balm where the bamboo is boiled in boric acid – a procedure done to bamboo that’s used in architecture. it’s important to treat and cut the bamboo so it will be protected from water.’

model ‘gowesmulyo’ (joybike)

the gowesmulyo (joy bike) is designed for those who use bicycle as a short distance transportation. it uses pringrolas 0.2 frame in which the angle of the seat-stay and head-tube tilts to the back, creating relaxed expression. the handlebar that arched back keeps the body upright while riding, a comfortable position for a short distance and flat track. despite having a flat top bar position, the use of 24” wheels makes it relatively not too high, comfortable enough for both men and women rider. pringrolas 0.2 frame has similar characteristics with other types of spedagi frame. the combination of 46 t single chainring crank and 7 speed level on the rear gear makes it easy to ride, light and comfortable. this bike is equipped with a disc brake on the front and back wheels for the safety and comfort of braking.

‘I had a project before where i wanted people to go to the village, to stay there and work there. I wanted to make a wide impact everywhere. the bamboo bike has a magnet – people want to try it. this product is not only for transportation but also for social movement. we deal with young people, and young people need something cool. its a metaphor for revitalisation. it’s not about designing a product but designing something big that will impact social mobility.’

good design award best 100 exhibition at tokyo midtown
image © designboom

designer singgih s kartono
image © designboom

the GOOD DESIGN award was founded in 1957 by the japanese ministry of international trade and industry and is hosted by the japan institute for design promotion. the ‘g mark’ emblem reflects comprehensive design values and principles that aim to enrich lives, industries and society.

info:

http://www.g-mark.org/award/describe/48338

award-winning item: bamboo bicycle [spedagi rodacilik/ minivelo, gowesmulyo/ joybike]
business owner: cv piranti works
category: personal mobility, bicycle
company: cv piranti works (indonesia)
award number: 18gas1342
outline of good design award winners

outline:

spedagi project marks a shift in singgih’s works. previously, with magno (g-mark awarded, 2008), he would like to show that village can produce a good product in earnest. now, through spedagi bamboo bike, he discovered that a good design/product can be a powerful tool for a movement. spedagi believes that village is a future that is still lagged behind, and bamboo bike is the metaphor of its effort to fetch that future. metaphorically like a village that is considered as a past, bamboo, which is a cheap, underestimated, and old-fashioned material, can make a valueable product.

producer: cv. piranti works
director: tri wahyuni
designer: singgih s kartono

already on the market: 2017/3

more information: https://www.spedagi.com

evaluation:

it is not merely that bamboo was used to make a bicycle, but by using a bicycle as an easy-to-understand symbol, the craftsman’s skills, the village’s industry, and local characteristics were exhibited to attract companies from outside of the village in the aim of the revitalization of the entire region. “this approach” is well thought out in terms of its indirect effects, which was praised. additionally, even when it comes to the bicycle itself, it is finished beautifully and to a high standard of quality, seen in the texture of the bamboo, the precision of the joints, and finish of the metal parts.