Man-powered wooden scooters are everywhere

[bigtree]

Agence France-Presse ?@AFP 3h
Man-powered wooden scooters are everywhere in the DR Congo city of Goma http://u.afp.com/mNd




A local, but highly efficient tradition, the man-powered wooden scooters are everywhere on the paved highways and dusty side streets of Goma, holding their own with motorcycle taxis.

Their vehicles, pronounced chookoodoo, measure about 2m long, have wide handlebars and a raised front wheel.

They balance improbably large loads, as the tshukudeurs — as the drivers are known — push their vehicles along almost as much as they “drive” them.

“A decent tshukudu costs US$50 (RM160),” Firiki said, “but the cost of a beautiful one can be US$80-US$100? (RM256 – RM320) — quite a sum in DR Congo, where the majority of people live in extreme poverty.

But the boon is no fuel costs, and driver Sibomana says they can earn US$10 (RM32) on a good day . . .


read more: http://www.therakyatpost.com/features/2014/07/03/dr-congos-tshukudu-purpose-transport-scooter/

[Mnemosyne]

1. K&R for more visibility. nt

[DetlefK]

2. A basic, efficient, durable design, about to have its 200th birthday.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dandy_horse

What is this called? Parallel evolution? Some technologies just show up naturally and independently.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. Not indepedent - the article says the design, about 1973, was inspired by bicycles

which came from the dandy horse.

[frylock]

4. wide, low rise bars and coil suspension. just like a modern downhill bike!

joking aside, pretty darn cool.

here they are racing them!