Growing up, six bucks felt like a fortune. Honestly, it still does. Call me frugal, thrifty, or just someone with alligator arm (most candid photos would agree). It’s not that I’m stingy; I just don’t find much worth buying. My hobbies? Disc golf, tweezing rogue beard hairs, and consuming boxed foods. This lifestyle lets me survive on about five dollars a day. But after 35 years of avoiding any purchase that requires more than a single bill (excluding plane tickets), I finally decided to splurge on an artisanal bamboo bike from my friend Abu.
I first met Abu on a school camping trip to West Sichuan, near Tibet's foothills. Abu grew up in Tibet and knew the locals well. He was a fantastic tour guide, catering to our every need. Besides being the best ultimate frisbee player in Sichuan, he handcrafts bamboo bikes. One day, I visited his shop and witnessed an artist in his zone, passionately explaining his craft.
In the back of my mind, I thought, "Wow, I wish I could be as half as passionate about something as Abu is about bamboo bikes." At that time, I was gearing up for the Chengdu marathon. I asked if he could create a bamboo running stroller, knowing he'd crafted specialty items like unicycles before. Abu said he loved the challenge but admitted it would take too long to design. Still, he promised to support our Hope In Motion campaign in any way he could.
True to his word, Abu promoted our campaign on social media, cheered us on during the marathon, and even brought a special gift for Lionel at the end.
After the marathon, I felt accomplished…for about two weeks. Then, the hunger for a new adventure kicked in. I wanted to find a way to train inclusively with Lionel. That’s when it hit me, it was time for another challenge.
Abu set me up. I took measurements not recorded since senior prom. He even branded our Hope In Motion logo onto the bamboo. The bike took five weeks to create, as the bamboo needed proper heat and oil treatment. It's held together with a mix of welding and yak hair ties. The result? Stunning. The ride? Smooth as ever.
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