Remember the Paper Jet Delivery Bikes from yesterday, they were made by this awesome company Starling & Hero
This is what they do: Changing this:
Into this!
They scour markets and second hand stores for classic steel bicycles and don’t recycle but ‘upcycle’ them to create these gorgeous unique bicycles! Each bicycle is given a unique name and is one of a kind.
I’ve been chatting to Emile, from S&H for a few weeks now, because I own a plain black cruiser which I feel needs a bit of paint & character : ) anyway we’ve been chatting about bicycle culture especially in South Africa and this is what he had to say:
“I think South Africans in general are outdoorsy by nature and we know there are many cyclists in Cape Town and Johannesburg (and all over South Africa for that matter) that ride their mountain or racing bicycles on a daily basis. So people are willing to ride bicycles for great distances when it comes to sport or weekend recreation. So what seems to be the problem? Why can’t we accept the bicycle as a tool for everyday transportation and a general increase in the quality of life?
The list of reasons include our lack of infrastructure, our irregular topography and lack of readily available city bicycles. I completely agree with all of these reasons, but I think the main reason is that we are unwilling to ditch our cars. We are not saying sell your car, get a bicycle and cycle to work if it is not a viable option. We just think you could easily get on a bicycle and replace all trips under 5 km. The benefits of this seemingly insignificant action is more than you think.
Johannesburg, specifically, is a difficult city to cycle in, but it is completely feasible. I think there should be Critical Mass and car-free Friday rides similar to the ones in Cape Town. And we should really implore the public to replace all trips under 5 km with a bicycle.
Basically, I think we need to change our mindset about the bicycle and I also believe we need more comfortable, practical, affordable and good-looking city bicycles in South Africa.
His comments made me so happy! I’ve had a few negative people basically tell me that it’s a completely impractical project, but I just think we’ve become lazy and our minds are set on ‘car alone’ and only ‘poor people’ walk or cycle. come on!
Emile also referred me to an awesome article on their blog about this – please read it and leave some comments. I really want to know what you think? even if you completely disagree I want to know : )
I’ll leave you with a few more Starling & Hero creations.
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Into this!
Just found your blog, and am thoroughly enjoying it. I don’t have a bike, but I didn’t have a car for years either, and tend to use public transport or simply walk everywhere.
I wonder how many small local businesses would have a better chance of surviving if people didn’t rely on their cars so much? When our local pharmacy closed down, I found that many of my neighbours had never used it, because there was no parking. This pharmacy is just about visible from our street! It takes perhaps 7 minutes to walk there, if you stroll.