Cyclist and eco-activist Sievituo Solo to attempt longest distance
travelled on a bamboo frame bicycle across Europe and the USA
Morung Express News
Kohima | April 12
Cyclist and eco-activist Sievituo Solo has set sight on new frontiers to circumnavigate on his bicycle - and attempt to set a new world record at the same time.
The latest epic challenge for the young adventurer is to bicycle the length and breadth of Europe, and the United States within a span of 180 days, which is six months time. He is expecting to crisscross 20 countries starting with France.
For this expedition, Solo is going solo. His partner of previous cycling expeditions across South East Asia on ‘Re-Cycling for Greener Environemnt’ and ‘Cycling for sustainable world: Wheels of Change,’ Ruokuo Kire, is on a break to devote time to family, and other responsibilities.
Solo, who is gearing up to hit the road by last week of April, or first week of May, said he would be pedaling under the theme ‘Innovative, Eco-Friendly, and Healthy Lifestyle.
For this, he will particularly address awareness on the versatility of the Bamboo plant which are abundant in Nagaland and try to harness investors or companies for its production.
To prove the limitless possibility of the eco-friendly bamboo which can be used and made into almost anything, Solo has his own bicycle framework - harvested and assembled out of bamboo - which sounds very practical and sustainable, of course, if one is not travelling thousands of miles on the thing.
While bicycle frames crafted out of bamboo is not a new concept, bamboo plant is not as easily available in countries outside Asia and therefore its production is expensive.
Besides, hi-tech carbon fiber bicycles have firm stamp of popularity in the west. Which is one reason why Solo will be flaunting his Nagaland crafted bamboo bicycle on the highways of Europe and the United States while underscoring the importance of eco-friendly travel.
Business is also another agenda. “I want to take this bamboo product from Nagaland, advertise it to the world, and see if I can find business for export of its production,” Solo said.
The components of the bamboo cycle have been sponsored by Theja Meru’s Dream Corp while Richard Belho, founder of Zynorique, an architecture firm will build the bamboo bicycle. Chief Minister TR Zeliang is the chief patron for the expedition.
Solo will also be attempting to set a world record in the Limca Book of Records on the ‘Longest distance travelled on a bamboo bicycle.’
The expedition will be like a fact finding mission of sorts to test the endurance of the bamboo bicycle; whether it can last the whole length of the journey.
This evidently means Solo is undertaking a chancy expedition. But these are concerns Solo seems least bothered about. “I go with my gut. When you have the thing (opportunity) in your hands, just put it on the road,” is his mantra.
According to the young cyclist adventurer, Nagas are so cautious about readiness- which is obviously one reason why “we start so late in our careers or never start at all.”
So what happens if something goes wrong with the bamboo bicycle while out there? It’s a question which Solo is not fussy about - “Whatever happens, I will figure it out when or if it happens.”
