The second-hand bicycle made in China holds up the life and dream of African brothers

Wen dedee, imagine that you suddenly find a 28 bar with a speed of more than 70 yards per hour speeding on the road; What’s more, there was not only one cyclist on the 28 bar, but also hundreds of kilograms of bananas; The worst thing is that this bike is accelerating downhill between winding mountain roads, and the cyclist is still calm with a happy face…

Immortal? Monster? an indian? thank you! None of them.

He is just an ordinary African youth struggling on the food and clothing line.

In Africa, there are countless cyclists who are so indifferent to life and death.

Their daily work is to carry hundreds of kilograms of bananas, bricks and even human beings at the fastest speed, walking rapidly between mountains, villages and towns.

If they can, they will also use all the motor vehicles around them to achieve the fastest speed in the most labor-saving and dangerous way.

Yes, the 28 bars, which were once overwhelming in China 30 years ago, have now become a big treasure for African brothers to freely sweat and vent hormones.

A few years ago, Gordon Pirie, a professor at the African urban research center of the University of Cape Town in South Africa, released a survey and research, which mainly focused on various imported products from Africa to Asia in the past 20 years, mainly rice, palm oil, various household appliances and various transportation tools.

“In 2005, the total volume of finished goods transported from Asia to Africa was 187000 TEUs.

This figure tripled in the past decade and reached 605000 TEUs in 2014.

Among them, at least 200 containers were specially loaded with bicycles, which were transported by SAFA shipping through the port of Beira, Mozambique to African countries, especially some landlocked countries.

In only one year, Africa imported 100000 bicycles.” Most of these bicycles from Asia are second-hand goods, mainly from China, Japan and India.

More interestingly, most of the second-hand bicycles from Japan are also produced in China.

It is understood that there are also local brands of bicycles in Africa, but they are very rare.

In many countries and regions, nine out of ten bicycles common on the streets are produced in China and India.

In particular, the classic 28 bars of the generation of “forever” and “phoenix” of old domestic products are the favorite of local people.

Take Kisumu, Kenya’s third largest city, as an example.

The price of a bicycle ranges from 45 to tens of thousands of Kenyan shillings.

Among them, the local brand is the cheapest.

You can buy one for four or five thousand shillings (equivalent to more than 200 yuan); India takes the second place, with about 8000 shillings (equivalent to more than 400 yuan).

The most expensive ones are Phoenix and permanent brand, which require tens of thousands of shillings (equivalent to more than 500 yuan).

The reason why “forever” and “phoenix” are particularly popular is that in addition to their special ability to bear hardships and stand hard work, what is more important is that they are mostly classic 28 bars, and the special “head body ratio” is as suitable as tailored for African brothers with thin arms and long legs.

It’s no wonder that although second-hand bicycles made in China are the most expensive, they still can’t stop African brothers from yearning for them.

But for an ordinary African people, the cost of this car is equivalent to their wages for several months.

It is by no means the just need of life that everyone can easily own – quite similar to China half a century ago.

But the 28 bars are so fragrant that the African people are blessed to their hearts and minds.

In another way, they have completely turned them into an integral part of their lives – with a new look and state.

First of all, any second-hand 28 bar can not escape the fate of “cosmetic surgery”.

The primary transformation is to draw the favorite colors and patterns of local people, and decorate the handle with ribbons, Tassels and sequins; Intermediate transformation will be reinforced and installed with lamps and rearview mirrors; The advanced transformation is mainly aimed at the rear seat of the car, which is usually wrapped with thick sponge, coupled with dark velvet outsourcing, so that the rear seat looks wider, longer, luxurious and dirt resistant.

Generally, the cost of a complete set of transformation is about KSHS 1000 (equivalent to about RMB 50).

After the refitting, the African version of the 28 bar was officially put on the road for “business”.

Yes, it is literally “business”, becoming a taxi that can carry both people and goods.

Yes, if you look at Africa, you can see these special “taxis” in the busy markets of Kenya (except Nairobi), Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Malawi in East Africa, Senegal, C ô te d’Ivoire, Togo and other countries and regions in West Africa.

The business is very prosperous.

Kisumu, which connects Kenya and Uganda, is called border border; In Bujumbura, the economic capital of Burundi, they are called uwunguruzaabantun’ikinga…

But no matter what they are called, they all have the same fate: Bicycle taxis.

Most of these self-propelled taxi drivers are young and strong workers in their 20s.

During the day, I stayed at the intersection with dense traffic all day, and received more than 20 orders of business on average.

Their pricing is not expensive.

It is only 50 cents to 1 yuan per kilometer.

Usually, at the end of a day, it can reach about 10 yuan even if the business is bad, and it can exceed 50 yuan if the business is good.

There will also be many small African bosses who have a little spare money.

They will buy several 28 bars and rent them to some young people who have no money to buy cars every day.

They will charge 5-10 yuan per car every day.

Therefore, in some important cities in Africa, the number of self driving taxi drivers can exceed 10000, and the competition is extremely fierce.

A Chinese compatriot who once took such a taxi said he had talked to the driver.

At that time, it was a hot summer, and even he was hot as a dog in the back seat.

The African brother who pedaled the car said to him seriously: “I really hope the weather will be warmer, so that more people will take the car..