See more objects with the tag travel, transportation, live, bicycle, prosperity.

Object Timeline

  • We acquired this object.

2002

  • Work on this object began.

2005

  • Work on this object ended.

2016

2024

  • You found it!

Big Boda Load-Carrying Bicycle

This is a Project. It was designed by WorldBike, Adam French (first phase design), Ed Lucero with contributions from Paul Freedman, Matt Snyder, Ross Evans and manufactured by WorldBike and Moses Odhiambo's workshop. It is dated 2002–05. Its medium is mild steel, woven papyrus passenger cushion.

The Big Boda is able to carry hundreds of pounds of cargo or two additional passengers easily, at a substantially lower cost than other forms of human-powered utility vehicles. It was designed to transport goods to and from market for entrepreneurs and consumers in developing countries. WorldBike originally designed a low-cost frame extension called the Longtail to be compatible with the low-cost Chinese-made single-speeds ubiquitous in East Africa. In 2005, it was redesigned to be more suitable with the Western Kenyan Boda Boda bicycle-taxi operators and for easier manufacturing in small workshops.

Our curators have highlighted 2 objects that are related to this one.

  • Poster, Public
  • digital offset lithograph on paper.
  • Gift of Paula Scher.
  • 2013-25-10

Its dimensions are

H x W x D: 213.4 × 121.9 × 61 cm (7 ft. × 48 in. × 24 in.)

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If you would like to cite this object in a Wikipedia article please use the following template:

<ref name=CH>{{cite web |url=https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/420778837/ |title=Big Boda Load-Carrying Bicycle |author=Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum |accessdate=19 April 2024 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref>