Wheels4Life Providing Low Cost Quality Bikes for Third World Countries

The Bikes

California Bicycle is a brand that specially builds low cost quality bikes for Third World countries. These bikes are built sturdy, with parts that are easy to replace and cheap to fix. The bikes have 6 speed, fenders, bag rack, bar ends, water bottle and cage, sturdy tires, kick-stand, etc….

At the moment we try to buy the bikes in the country where we give the bikes away. Once we get bigger and deal with container loads, will be able to ship bikes direct from China. However, at this point it easier and cheaper for us to buy suitable bikes in the country. That not only supports the local economy, but it also will make it easier to find replacement parts, when needed. It also saves us shipping costs, import duties and taxes, as well as storage costs and keeps the logistics simple.

The bicycle in the photo below was bought from a wholesaler for $100 USD in the Philippines.

Bicycle prices range from $50 to $150 depending on the country and the type of bicycle model.

The California Bikes, which we give away in some of our African projects cost between $97 to $150 USD per bike. Those bikes are great, because they are very sturdy and specifically designed for this purpose, they have easy to replace parts and they have many useful accessories such as a rack to transport things.

This style of bike is the most common and affordable in the Third World, we can buy a bike like this or a similar model in most countries for under US$ 100.-

These bicycles are the workhorses of India, Africa and China. People often mount stronger racks to carry heavier loads. These type of bikes are also known as Phoenix, Avon, Black Mamba and other names.

Total number of bikes delivered worldwide: 540 (as of May 1, 2008).