06/08/2020
Learning Bamboo Bikes and Crafts for A Better Future
By I Nengah Lama, East Bali Poverty Project Pengalusan School Graduate Student
My name is I Nengah Lama. I come from Pengalusan sub-village, located on the slopes of Mount Agung, and graduated from East Bali Poverty Project Pengalusan School in 2018. I really like all bamboo handicrafts because since childhood our parents already have bamboo weaving skills to make various types of baskets.
I feel very lucky, because since February 2020, two of my fellow graduates and I were given the opportunity to join a special training for three full months by East Bali Bamboo Bikes (social enterprise), on how to process bamboo to make various types of products that can be sold with more expensive price. At the beginning of the training, we had orientation. East Bali Bamboo Bikes artisans explained all the special tools/equipment that we’d use to process bamboo, including special chisels and knives, sanding machines, saws, grinders, drills, etc. that I’d never used before. In the training I learned to make various types of bamboo handicrafts, such as balancing dragonfly, laminated snake, several animals, marine biota and toy vehicles. Most importantly we’ve learned how to build various bamboo bike frames and laminated bamboo mudguards.
At the end of March, we suddenly had to stop due to the COVID-19 pandemic! We resumed training at the beginning of July and will be completed on 7th August.
For bike frames, I learned to make three different types: MTB, Fixie and City Bike. It’s quite complicated to build a bike frame, because I’ve to learn about geometry first! Geometry is very important and must be studied carefully. The shape and size of a bicycle is largely determined by its geometry. After that, I learned to make the drawings which will be used to make settings in a special place called the JIG. Setting bamboo in JIG must be done very carefully because a little mistake can produce imperfect frames. After the settings are correct, then tack-glue it so that the bamboo frame doesn’t move. It’s special glue which takes about 4 hours to dry. After the glue has dried, the frame joints are wrapped around with h**p rope which has been soaked in epoxy resin and then contour the joints with the epoxy. The next day after the epoxy has dried, we carve/chisel and sand it so that the joints are correct and smooth, then finish with melamine clear gloss. After the frame is complete, I immediately learned how to install the components. Before installing the components, the trainer explains all the names, type and function of each component on the bicycle. During the training period, my friends and I felt there were many difficulties in learning, and everything I learned was very new to me. Luckily, all the East Bali Bamboo Bikes trainer team was very patient, so I could learn very well even though it was a little slow.
Thanks to all East Bali Bamboo Bikes staff and donors who have given me the opportunity to learn, now I have new expertise in processing bamboo to be used as a variety of skills, and this expertise is very useful for my future. We will also teach the surrounding community to make bamboo crafts as we have learned for the past three months.
