A worthy charity and some interesting bike tech!

[J.R.]

2 speed bike.

 

[lnanek]

Could be a simpler way to do retro-direct gearing. One chain could be a lower gear, only engage when going backwards, and help pulling cargo uphill. It does look like one is on a bigger chain ring than the other. Subs seem broken, so I couldn't read what the guy was saying myself.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I wonder what happens when the cogs on the freewheel get worn. Where those people in Africa get the replacement from?
Add the cost of replacing as many as two chains, and the pain of maintaining two chains. The thing is going to a landfill soon imho.
Isn't it the same guy who bought a spokeless e-bike, bashed it but still rides it?

There are many thousand of single speed old bike riders in the Polish countryside. Yes, the rider would walk the bike when necessary. I do not think any of them would even consider a bike similar to Buffalo. A utility bike has to be the simplest possible.

 

[Chargeride]

Yup, just more complcation leading to sacrifices in other areas of the original reliability.
A two cog freewheel, simple chain tensioner and a rod operated shifter would be a lot better.
His example of quick shifting over changing terrain suits mtb, not transporting heavy goods.
I would also add that this western perception of rural Africa is increaingly out of touch, its far more likely they would have access to cheap chinese motorbikes.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

In related news,

SRAM co-founder's global bicycle philanthropy

Frederick Day, SRAM co-founder, has been donating tens of thousands of (non-electric) bikes to tsunami survivors in Indonesia and Sri Lanka and to the rural poor of Africa for basic transportation. For recipients, his philanthropic work has freed up many hours a day that were previously lost in...

forums.electricbikereview.com

Pooh-pooh this two-wheeled philanthropy all you want, makes great sense to me.

 

[Chargeride]

Well let them ride surrons!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Pooh-pooh this two-wheeled philanthropy all you want, makes great sense to me.

I thought you said "two-cogged"

 

[m@Robertson]

Pooh-pooh this two-wheeled philanthropy all you want, makes great sense to me.

Seems like there is a lot of fault-finding going on here from people who didn't take the time to watch the vid - or think through their answer.

The drivetrain was designed for purpose (which includes simplicity and longevity) by SRAM. Spare parts are available at 100 local Buffalo shops, and the number of those shops is growing. Also the tools needed to remove the freewheel come with the bike.

I guess the engineers who gave it the German Design Award should have joined an internet forum and asked what to do.

I subscribe to the Berm Peak channel and saw this yesterday. Brilliantly simple. Too much so for the gentry, though.

 

[Chargeride]

Im not buying it, and you can tell he isnt either.
Having to fit rim brakes and alloy rims, two chains, one of them slack.
Serious reliability issues of a switching freewheel.
Heres a spoke key because rims need to be very straight at all times.
Take the back wheel off?
Yeah, heres the tightening instructions and a chain wear guide.
Weve made the seat tougher because youll be putting it upside down a lot.
It has one purpose to be simple and reliable.
Designers..
Lets make it more complicated.

 

[m@Robertson]

Im not buying it, and you can tell he isnt either.

It seems impossible that you watched the video. His very first sentence is praising it (and says you have to understand what its for). Quite literally the first one minute of the video categorically - point by point - says exactly the opposite of what you are claiming. The written synopsis which came from that guy who you think isn't buying it is categorically opposed to your characterization as well:

The Buffalo Bicycle S2 is a robust, utilitarian, and serviceable bicycle made to help the most remote communities on the planet. What makes it unique is that it has two chainrings, chains, and two freewheels. Today, we will closely examine the S2 and show how its revolutionary engineering makes it even more reliable and useful than the original Buffalo Bicycle with its one-of-a-kind drivetrain.

 

[Chargeride]

It seems impossible that you watched the video. His very first sentence is praising it (and says you have to understand what its for). Quite literally the first one minute of the video categorically - point by point - says exactly the opposite of what you are claiming. The written synopsis which came from that guy who you think isn't buying it is categorically opposed to your characterization as well:

Yes he praises it, for a whole host of obvious, dont dis this selfless effort to further improve the lives of poor people reasons, but as he goes through the contortions to complete the task you can see his prempting the obvious concerns that its something that has a few too many sacrifices to be justified.
The hub brakes are superb, now gone.
The simple , ultra reliable transmission..gone.
The abiltity to work with out of true wheels..gone
The rest is just a normal bike.
Obviously my opinion, I did watch it.

A discussion here.
Theres a diagram of the mechanism on the second page.

SRAM AK2 freewheel - Cycling UK Forum

 

[Mr. Coffee]

Those chains and that freewheel will probably last forever on that bike.

Keep in mind that the Buffalo is designed to be ridden fairly short distances at slow speeds. You'd be cruising right along at 12km/hour on those.

 

[m@Robertson]

In Africa. Growing on the trees.

Racist comments? WTF is wrong with you?

 

[J.R.]

@Stefan Mikes @Chargeride

I've gone by one simple rule here on the forum, going on 11 years, I don't offer advice to threads that ask "what bike should I buy". I have replied to direct questions about something I have direct experience with. These people in small villages in Africa cart around everything from 10 gallons of milk (86 pounds) to family members, probably weighing up of 150 pounds. They need as bullet-proof a bike as they can get. They also need a hill climbing gear. Otherwise, they have to push the loaded bike. A charity that has bicycle designers and engineers came up with a solution. Why shouldn't they have another gear? Most of us would scoff at a fixie for transportation and utility.

I spent years commuting on a bicycle, then ebike. I rode in snow, rain and heat of summer. More than 30 miles roundtrip. I cannot comment on the design; I have no experience or knowledge of the kind of utilitarian bike these hard-working people need. I don't know what it's like to not have parts available to me. I think sometimes we I have to accept, with humility, that experienced designers and engineers, volunteering their time and hard-earned money might know better than us I.

My only reasons for posting this was I thought it a good cause and an interesting solution to a problem.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Racist comments? WTF is wrong with you?

I wonder where in an African village (where these bikes are delivered to) Buffalo bike stores are growing in number.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

My only reasons for posting this was I thought it a good cause and an interesting solution to a problem.

I think people of that village would appreciate getting any solid utility bikes. Not something that is a novelty, not tested, and not used anywhere in the world.

Why not just IGH bikes?

 

[J.R.]

I wonder where in an African village (where these bikes are delivered to) Buffalo bike stores are growing in number.

I don't think you understand what Buffalo Bicycle is. There are no stores.

Designed by World Bicycle Relief, the Buffalo Bicycle isn’t your typical bike. While most of the world’s bicycles are lightweight, complex and made for recreation, the Buffalo Bicycle is designed to serve the needs of people who travel long distances over rugged terrain with heavy cargo.

The Utility S2 | World Bicycle Relief

Meet the award-winning new Buffalo bicycle with a ground-breaking 2-speed, 2-chain drivetrain. Where innovation meets impact.

worldbicyclerelief.org

It is a charity, not a for-profit endeavor. Both models cost under $200 each. People, companies and organizations donate the 200 to give a bike to a person in need. An IGH isn't durable or cost effective.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I don't think you understand what Buffalo Bicycle is. There are no stores.

Spare parts are available at 100 local Buffalo shops, and the number of those shops is growing.

Well?

 

[Chargeride]

@Stefan Mikes @Chargeride

I've gone by one simple rule here on the forum, going on 11 years, I don't offer advice to threads that ask "what bike should I buy". I have replied to direct questions about something I have direct experience with. These people in small villages in Africa cart around everything from 10 gallons of milk (86 pounds) to family members, probably weighing up of 150 pounds. They need as bullet-proof a bike as they can get. They also need a hill climbing gear. Otherwise, they have to push the loaded bike. A charity that has bicycle designers and engineers came up with a solution. Why shouldn't they have another gear? Most of us would scoff at a fixie for transportation and utility.

I spent years commuting on a bicycle, then ebike. I rode in snow, rain and heat of summer. More than 30 miles roundtrip. I cannot comment on the design; I have no experience or knowledge of the kind of utilitarian bike these hard-working people need. I don't know what it's like to not have parts available to me. I think sometimes we I have to accept, with humility, that experienced designers and engineers, volunteering their time and hard-earned money might know better than us I.

My only reasons for posting this was I thought it a good cause and an interesting solution to a problem.

Yes obviously, I subscribe to his channel and already watched it and formed my own opinion on the tech, its not a critique of you posting it.
It was a response to accusations that we didn't watch it or our opinions were worthless.

Anyway ,I've just had a filling and bitten my cheek while numb, so there's my karma.

 

[PCeBiker]

A two cog freewheel, simple chain tensioner and a rod operated shifter would be a lot better.

Im not buying it, and you can tell he isnt either.

Lets make it more complicated.

I agree !!

I had a two-speed IGH bicycle when I was 11 years old.
It worked exactly the same way as the Buffalo bike, but I only had one chain .

They've been around forever,..
They may even have coaster brakes as well ?
(I can't remember if mine did, but there's no reason a cable operated drum brake can't be added to the hub.)

All they need to do is beef up the ancient 2-speed IGH to be more durable, and it would work fine on a Buffalo ,..

The guy in the video said that they experimented with IGH's and they weren't reliable.

Just insert this thing inside the hub and connect the original heavy-duty chain to it,..

There's no reason why they can't build a durable, reliable 2-speed IGH !!

Make the hub larger in diameter to reduce the strain/torque on the gears.


An Old Buffalo bicycle could be upgraded to a 2-speed bicycle with a simple rear wheel replacement.