Roses are red, violets are blue, and who needs metal-when you have bamboo! This is the idea that underpins a remarkable fusion of engineering and creativity, otherwise known as Erba cycles. Since opening its doors in October 2010, Erba’s beautiful bicycles have been set apart by the fact that their frames are made entirely of bamboo, the specific subtype which takes three years to grow to reach its full maturity.
Founder Randall Levere’s passion for cycling started when he was young and having raced professionally he is as concerned about the strength and durability of his bicycles as he is about aesthetics. The bikes not only look beautiful, but are extremely strong. Bamboo is made of thousands of vertical strands and the particular species can be described as stronger than steel in tension. The name Erba means “grass” in Italian, as bamboo is technically a kind of grass.
The only bad news is they are not available in South Africa; the good news is there is a local manufacturer that makes a very similar product which can be viewed here: http://www.bikeandsaddle.com/products/view/27.
For more information on Erba, please visit: http://www.erbacycles.com/
