Most of us use our bikes for recreation. We own bikes that are designed to be ridden in a certain way or used on certain kinds of trails. We keep our bikes for a few years and then upgrade to the latest model.
For some, though, a bike is more than just recreation. It is the only thing that can give them access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunity.
That’s where the Buffalo Bike comes in. This bike is the creation of the engineers at World Bicycle Relief (WBR) and is a game-changer for people who live in places like Southeast Asia and Africa. Singletracks spoke to Christine Raymo, the Product Development Team Leader for World Bicycle Relief, to find out more about this unique and innovative bike.
WBR was created in 2005 after Indian Ocean Tsunami
In late December of 2004, a massive earthquake in the Indian Ocean triggered a tsunami that hit the coastal areas of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand. The 30m (100ft) high waves killed an estimated 227,898 people in 14 different countries and severely disrupted living conditions and commerce, according to Wikipedia.
The areas affected by the tsunami were also places where a lot of bike components were produced. Leah Missbach Day, documentary photographer, and F.K. Day, the co-founder of SRAM, felt compelled to help this area in some way. In 2005, they launched WBR to provide bicycles for those in need, since having a bike can be a game changer for quality of life in these places, especially since bicycles were one of the few vehicles that could successfully navigate the terrain after the tsunami.
Starting in Sri Lanka, WBR worked with bike industry suppliers to use existing frames and components to build affordable bikes that could be distributed to people. They initially distributed 24,000 bicycles to people in Sri Lanka, giving them access to education, healthcare, and livelihoods, while reconnecting entire communities.
As WBR grew it saw the need to develop a bike that could properly address the needs of the people using it
Raymo told Singletracks that, as WBR grew and started distributing bikes to more countries, it quickly realized the bikes it was distributing weren’t designed to do the things that people were using them for. “For example, WBR originally offered the option of a traditional roadster-style step-through frame to accommodate smaller riders. However, those frames were unpopular despite having a better fit because they were unstable under heavy loads.”
Raymo explained that people in these countries needed a versatile bike that could be used by every member of a family for different purposes. As WBR grew during the 2000s and into the 2010s, its staff got closer to the end users by creating distribution centers and training mechanics in the countries where it served the people. Doing so allowed WBR to get more feedback on what people needed bikes to do.
Based on what it learned, WBR decided to develop its own bike and created an in-house design team headed by Raymo, who had worked for SRAM since the late 1990s as an engineer.
WBR created its own bike and an ecosystem for it
Raymo told Singletracks that WBR released the first version of its Buffalo Bike in 2010. Along with providing the bikes, WBR trained mechanics in the areas where the bikes would be distributed, and strategically located bike shops where people could buy the bike.
The bike was designed to serve people who travel long distances over rugged terrain with heavy cargo. It had to be strong, reliable, and easy and cheap to maintain. Once the Buffalo Bike was put into use, WBR began gathering feedback from users, along with as well as an extensive group of test riders who used the bikes in a wide variety of scenarios and worked with the product team to develop the bikes into what they are today.
For example, Raymo said that WBR enlisted test riders who worked for a dairy co-op in Africa. “If the bike breaks down for them, they aren’t just delayed in getting their goods to market, they lose their income for the day.”
Raymo said the engineers drew some inspiration from mountain bikes, and the bike they created meets or exceeds mountain bike test standards. It is a 50lb bike with a steel frame and steel wheels that can carry up to 100kg (220lbs) of cargo. The bike uses components that are low-cost and easy to maintain.
The bike also shows some very inventive engineering ideas
Raymo explained to Singletracks that it was very different designing the Buffalo Bike than designing mainstream market bikes, like mountain bikes. “There is a lot more freedom in the design work. We can explore different ideas that might be crazy in the mainstream market.”
One area that shows the creativity of the engineers is the drivetrain. Raymo told Singletracks that “by nature, multi-geared drivetrains are more complicated and have more moving parts. People who were using them inevitably made the bikes singlespeed after drivetrain parts broke or wore out.”
But having only one gear can be a challenge when going up hills. So, the engineers came up with an ingenious two-speed drive train that has two cogs, two chains, and two chainrings. There is one speed with a 27-tooth ring and an 18-tooth cog (1.50:1 ratio) that can be used for climbing or starting off when carrying a heavy load, and a second speed with a 45-tooth ring gear and a 19-tooth cog (2.73:1 ratio) that can be used for pedaling at a faster speed. Shifting between the gears is accomplished by backpedaling between 110 and 180 degrees.
The engineers also tweaked the cargo rack of the bike, lengthening the platform for a more usable area and modifying construction with bolted modular sections that simplify service and repair. They also modified the stand on the bike after learning that a lot of users sit on the bikes while the stand is engaged. The current stand resembles a motorcycle stand but tucks out of the way and stays secured to the frame when not in use.
But WBR’s impact is about what the bike can do for its users
Raymo stressed that WBR is not just about the bike. “It’s about making people’s lives better. We took a typical design process and applied it to a problem no one else has taken the time to solve.”
In Zambia alone, WBR found that its bikes delivered a 14.7-to-1 return on investment, placing them among the most impactful development interventions. For households that received bikes, they generated an average of $3,188 in economic benefits over five years. That might not seem like a lot, but it can make all the difference to families in that country.
“In so many ways, bicycles are life-changing,” said Raymo. “When walking is the only option, people are limited by the hours in a day and how much they can carry. We’re trying to optimize their time and energy.”
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