The Kona AfricaBike: A Great Bike Deal for a Big Humanitarian Cause

Kona’s AfricaBike has been deemed by Kona to be “the most important bicycle the company has ever developed.” This statement reveals that there’s more to the Kona AfricaBike (model Three) than just its features and specs. This bike is the vehicle behind the humanitarian cause of providing bikes to residents of sub-Saharan Africa, where adults and children oftentimes lack an efficient means to get to school, work, and to obtain vital medicines. Basic Needs, which is the non-profit group Kona established to foster the AfricaBike programs, notes how “In a person’s lifetime a bicycle can save years of time and effort doing the simplest tasks.” This is especially true in sub-Saharan Africa where distances between homes, schools, and workplaces are oftentimes a several-hour walk. In fact, the mission of the Kona Basic Needs non-profit group is “to provide transport, shelter, food and water to those with difficulty in attaining them.”

Launching their first AfricaBike program in 2006, Kona has developed program after program since then in order to meet the needs of specific groups in Africa, such as their 2008 project in Tanzania to donate 100 AfricaBikes for the Water User Association workers of the Great Ruaha River, who are tasked with patrolling entire the Rufiji River Basin to ensure that the Great Ruaha River does not run dry (again) due to illegal water use, lowered water levels, or violations of protected river areas. Considering that the Rufiji River Basin is approximately 68,500 square miles, which is about six times the size of Switzerland, the AfricaBikes provided to Water User Association workers are vitally integral to preserving the health of the Great Ruaha River and the villages that depend on it. In addition, 500 bikes were donated in early 2012 for students of the Kiprengwe Primary School that provides vital school lessons to children in the surrounding Kenya areas who, on average, had to walk up to 12 miles to school.

Having donated nearly 4,000 AfricaBikes since 2006, Kona has assisted not only water-monitoring officers, but also healthcare workers, schools, and goodwill organizations throughout Africa. In fact, the AfricaBike was first designed specifically for assisting healthcare workers who were treating HIV and AIDS patients in sub-Saharan Africa. Designed for durability and easy repairs, Kona’s AfricaBikes have tough rims, resistant tires, an internal rear hub to keep out the elements, and simple-to-fix components. Dan Gerhard, one of Kona’s founders, emphasizes what the AfricaBike (and its smaller counterpart, the AfriKid) truly means to Africans when viewed as “ a cost-effective solution to the transportation issues…throughout the world’s developing nations” with his insight that, “Bikes represent freedom, a way to move affordably and efficiently between places separated by large distances. The Kona AfricaBike is all about offering that freedom to people whose lives can be dramatically improved by it.”

The AfricaBike itself is built for the elements, meaning that even if bought for recreational or commuter riding in the US or Europe, you can leave this bike outside in the rain or dust and not worry about it rusting or developing non-working components. The internal, Shimano Nexus three-speed rear hub with Revo Twist shifter is purposefully enclosed to keep parts sealed and protected, such as the hub’s singlespeed coaster brake, which means that, just like bikes you may have had as a kid, you simply backpedal slightly to get the rear brake to engage. Built around a double cromoly steel, step-through, Kona 6061 aluminum-butted frame, the AfricaBike features an integrated rear rack (that another child could ride on if needed), a folding front wire basket, an integrated rear wheel lock with an included key, a chain cover, a Kona bell, a front steering stabilizer spring, and 26” Kenda Komfort tires. Its color-matched fenders give it a classic look while its matt-sand paint color accented by burnt orange logos make this bike blend in with dirt trails and desert landscapes.

At an impressive price point of $499 USD, the AfricaBike Three is a long-lasting, upright-style bike that makes a fun and effective addition to any household—no matter the country. Even better—for every three AfricaBikes Kona sells, two are donated to Kona’s non-profit, Basic Needs, which facilitates the bike donations to sub-Saharan families in Africa. And while some bike reviews have been picky enough to be disappointed with features like the upright stance causing increased effort of the quadriceps, or the kickstand being unruly, or the front basket sometimes making a squeaking sound, these gripes pale in comparison to the quality of the overall bike in contrast to its surprisingly low price and highly humanitarian mission.