Bike Tools for Africa

[Hilldodger]

Cyclemagic has teamed up with Re-Cycle in Essex and we have begun developing Bike Tools for Africa.

There's always unused space in each container in between the bikes and we want to fill that up with tools for the workshops being set up all across Africa.

So, we want all your old bike tools - we've all got them! - and we'll be collecting at cycle shows across the UK. Details of which ones will follow.

Or they can be dropped off/ sent to Cyclemagic, Unit 6, 62 Friday Street, Leicester. LE1 3BW.

We don't currently have any funding for this project and until we do Cyclemagic will cover limited costs. You are of course welcome to chuck a few quid in as well

 

[mickle]

I'll bring a few to the show Rog.

 

[Hilldodger]

Ta, I'll have a collection bucket there and will be asking everyone to visit the show, too.

 

[Dave5N]

Old bikes, I understand. But who has spare tools that are any good?

 

[Globalti]

Waste of time I'm afraid, no self-respecting African wants to ride a bicycle, which is a symbol of poverty and a peasant life. Africans want at worst a Peugeot and at best a Honda Accord or a Mercedes V boot. When an African gets really big he wants a Hummer.

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

..it's still better than walking 100km

 

[Hilldodger]

Waste of time I'm afraid, no self-respecting African wants to ride a bicycle, which is a symbol of poverty and a peasant life. Africans want at worst a Peugeot and at best a Honda Accord or a Mercedes V boot. When an African gets really big he wants a Hummer.

Why do the Africans ask for more and more bikes, then? Why are they setting up more and more repair shops to give employment and skills training? Why is it the Africans themselves who are driving these projects along?

(!!

 

[Hilldodger]

Old bikes, I understand. But who has spare tools that are any good?

We've already had some donated and pledges of lots more. Often, when people donate bikes for recycling they bring old parts and tools along with them and ask if they're any good.

People have old tools in sheds and garages, cone spanners, dumb bells etc.

 

[Hilldodger]

The events we'll be collecting at so far are;

Get Cycling in Nottingham on 25/26 May

Chaddesden Carnival in Derby on June 8th

CTC York Rally

Celebration Event in Derby Market place on July 5th

Big Cycle Weekend in Derby on August 2nd

 

[Globalti]

I've travelled all over Africa and I've never seen a bicycle repair shop. However I've seen plenty of informal mechanics set up by the roadside repairing the thousands of cheap Chinese-made motorcycle taxis that are clogging up the city streets and killing people with frightening regularity.

In Lagos we share our compound with some really annoying Indians who are importing Chinese motorcycles in CKD form, building them and distributing them all over Nigeria. They are bringing one 20' sea container a day with hundreds of motorcycles and they are just one of many importers bringing the damned things into the country. In Nigeria they are called Okadas and they're a menace.

Read Wikipedia on Okada. (Can't get the link to work)

 

[Hilldodger]

I've travelled all over Africa and I've never seen a bicycle repair shop. However I've seen plenty of informal mechanics set up by the roadside repairing the thousands of cheap Chinese-made motorcycle taxis that are clogging up the city streets and killing people with frightening regularity.

In Lagos we share our compound with some really annoying Indians who are importing Chinese motorcycles in CKD form, building them and distributing them all over Nigeria. They are bringing one 20' sea container a day with hundreds of motorcycles and they are just one of many importers bringing the damned things into the country. In Nigeria they are called Okadas and they're a menace.

Read Wikipedia on Okada. (Can't get the link to work)

And that has got what to do with education projects teaching people skills?

Projects that are turning people away because of a lack of tools and equipment? Tools and equipment we have unused in sheds.

 

[Globalti]

Throughout Africa there is a massive informal workforce of unemployed people desperate for any work. If you want a generator mechanic or a plumber or electrician you can call the expensive official mechanic or you call the informal one. He turns up, looks at the job, demands a cash deposit then goes away for several days while he begs or hires the tools and finds the parts, sometimes "tukunbo" or second-hand. Then he comes back, fixes your problem and disappears never to be seen again when it goes wrong a few days later. Ask anybody who has lived in Africa and they will tell you the same story. I would suggest that these are the people who are being "trained" and who are desperate for any kind of tool; that we are told we are giving to bicycle mechanics who are repairing bicycles is merely pandering to our impeccably green and environmentally-aware egos.

 

[Hilldodger]

Wow, what a generalization for a whole continent! Unbeliveable.

And what an insult to everyone - including myself - involved in the projects both here and abroad.

I'm not going to argue with you or post on here agin. Thanks for ruining the thread

 

[hubgearfreak]

I've travelled all over Africa

Throughout Africa

i thought it was a huge continent with a billion people.
obviously i was wrong and it is only actually the size of the lake district with a similar population.

that or you're utterly full of shoot

 

[Globalti]

Sorry I spoiled your day Hilldodger - maybe one day you'd like to jump on a plane and see for yourself how Africa really works and how much damage the do-gooders have done. If you don't fancy that, go and buy Dark Star Safari by Paul Theroux, of if you don't fancy that just read this: http://www.alexwright.org/blog/archives/000880.html

As for travelling, how does over 70 visits of 2 weeks each to around 20 different African countries sound to you? Okay it's not as many or as long as that German bloke who cycled all round Africa but it's a start.