On a bicycle made from bamboo

Wang rides through a Beijing hutong on a bicycle made from bamboo.[Photo by Shen Bohan/Xinhua]

He searched online, and after three months of research and experimentation, contacting factories and experts, he made his first bamboo bicycle. "It was amazing," he recalled. "Everybody asked questions about it."

Since then, Wang has become convinced that bamboo is better than steel for safety, performance and sustainability. He traveled to Taiwan, where bamboo craftsmanship goes back centuries, consulted local technicians, visited bamboo cultural centers, and asked advice from experts on how to choose, keep and connect bamboo pieces.

Returning to Beijing, he became more confident and his bamboo bicycles have won acclaim in the cycling community and many followers.

"Bicycles are misunderstood as a low-end mode of transport," Wang said. "I want to make a difference."

Mobility culture

Wang quit his job in 2014 to launch his career in bicycles. Two years on, he has a website and a community that organizes picnics, rides and other gatherings.

He rejects mass production and its potential profits. He believes the beauty of the bamboo bicycle is that everyone can make their own, and a self-made bicycle will encourage its maker to ride more.

"We are not just teaching people to make their own bicycles out of bamboo, but, more importantly, we're encouraging a lifestyle and mobility culture that express our hope for a sustainable city," Wang said.

Most of the participants in his workshops were expats at first, but more young Chinese are joining in.

Before joining the workshop last year, Xiao Luo was a repairman at a bicycle shop in Guangzhou, Guangdong province. When he first saw Wang's bamboo bicycles, he was exhilarated, not only because they were made of bamboo, but also because they were handcrafted.

He said the workshop has given him a sense of pride that making a bicycle is a craft that deserves respect. "I never imagined I would make a bicycle myself. It seems that a little technician has grown into a craftsman," Xiao said.