3rd world (is that PC?) bikes
 

I like pictures of bikes used as transportation, and as trucks, in emerging economies.
What do you have?

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=132902http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=132909

According to the Road forum, everything in C&V.

-Kurt

Well, I certainly qualify with my daily rider, the India Hercules.
Guess I like exotic stuff, which means other-world, and since I don't travel...

:lol: Sadly true...if it's not a rolling billboard then it's not a bike.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/3362767...7622803003183/

Here's a great set of photos from a historical bicycle meeting in Surakarta, Indonesia.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2728/...0255f801_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2686/...0a2125e9_o.jpg

Photos like these make me thank God I am an American.

Living here in America, it's nice to have a bike as an option. However, I do not see a bike as my primary mode of transportation. I see it as a fitness routine/exercise. If I had only a bike I would feel poor/impoverished or I would be a habitual drunk driver stripped of his driver's license.


P.S. - Is it a trick of the camera, or does the black bike on the right front of the last photo have a HUGE chainwheel/chainguard? And is that a hand-cranked siren mounted on the top tube? If so, that is HILARIOUS!

I'd have to point out that at least in the photos I posted, the bicycles are collectors items, and not really everyday transport. While cars are uncommon, most people in the region do have motorcycles, scooters, etc. As you can see these old machines are kept in pretty good nick.

And yes, that chainring really is that big - I'm not entirely sure what the get up is though (home guard or something like that?). They are wearing period costumes.

I was reacting mostly to the first photo. I will state that the vintage bike collector rally implies a situation like the first photo in some earlier era. The costumes reflect the HEAVY British empire influence from that era.

In addition to the monster chainring, it appears the rear sproket is quite large. Even so, it looks like gearing for a land speed record, hence the siren. :-)

Rrrrrrrrr...rrrr! <here I come at 60 mph, I can't stop with these stupid rod brakes. Get out of my way!> Rrrrr...rrrr! :-)

I could see the Three Stooges or Laurel & Hardy on that back-to-back bike, too. THAT would be funny. Hey, Moe! :-)

Yeah, and that's definately a siren...it seems to share a mount with the canteen holder. That's frikken' awesome. I'll bet that bike weighs 45 pounds.

a Vintage club cool idea. great hats but CPSC would never allow them here LOL

I'd love to have a Chinese Flying Pigeon. $280 with shipping.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=132931

sure its PC

1st world = USA+allies
2nd world = Solviet Union + allies
3rd world = contries without ties to either

where does the "Axis of Evil" fit in here? *giggle*

Iran, Iraq, and North Korea

according to Gerorge W. Bush's 2002 state of the union

In Indonesia it is far more likely to be Dutch influence rather than British. The Dutch colonized much of what is now Indonesia for at least 200 years IIRC.

Not sure if I would call them third world but LOTS of interesting bikes originally from Japan in the following thread from the Commuting section. Lots of bike designs you will not find here in the USA.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ha-Philippines

I always thought it was this:

Old world = Europe, Russia

New World = USA, Canada

Third World = all the underdeveloped nations of the world (Africa, Asia, Middle East, Central & South America,...)

Actually, I'm tempted to get a pith helmet for riding now.

that is essentially what it means today but it is rooted (and originally based) in the cold war alliances

edit:

or lack of alliance...

Here's one I took in Arusha, Tanzania. I spent four months there and in Uganda where bikes serve every transportation purpose from taxi to pick-up truck. I especially like this picture because the cargo load completely obscures the rider. I really liked using the bike taxis while I was there (bicycle bodas), as I got to see citys/towns by bike which I love, but I didn't have to do any work! At first I was apprehensive to make another person pedal my hefty mass around town but it was quickly apparent that they could handle it easily enough and were happy to go any distance because that guaranteed a good fare at the end.
Most of the bikes were older Japanese single-speed models (same for the cars) that had been collected in Japan for cheap and then resold in Africa. If you want to support riders in Africa there are some great initiatives, for example http://africabike.konaworld.com/. I know that where I live there are several local groups who outfit donated frames with parts to make them suitable for use in third would countries as well. What I like about Kona Africa Bike is that it goes beyond simple charity and trains local mechanics to assemble and maintain bikes so as to stimulate the local bike economy. What we really need, in my mind, is some volunteers to train african frame builders so whole bikes can be produced and sold there. That would be awesome, I know I would ride an East African single speed around town if I could.

And that mindset is exactly the problem. It's an awful stigma.

A bicycle is a fantastic form of transportation and it doesn't destroy the planet like an automobile.

Yehuda Moon and I both frown upon your mentality.

The siren bike's rear sprocket is pretty big too. Maybe it was intended to cut chain wear by lowering tension.

It's only a "problem" in your mind, not mine. Options are a good thing. Remember, I said I saw it as a means of getting exercise and I use them that way. What's wrong with that?

Come on, fess up! You had your license taken away on a DUI, didn't you? ;-)

That tandem in the first photo you posted is phenomenal!
And that bike with the two cyclists back to back? What is that even called?

Dos-à-dos I suppose? I'm sure it had some official reason to be made, though I have no idea what. I'm also fairly certain that those bicycles are probably all of Dutch manufacture.