BEN Bikes

"He pushes bikes as an alternative way to travel, but he's battling a reverence for cars that he blames partly on the lavish lifestyle South African kids see in American movies."

By Nishat Kurwa

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In South Africa's Western Cape region, bicycles are one of the most efficient and inexpensive ways to get around. But rapid development over the last few decades has led to more roads and more cars making cycling more dangerous and less attractive. Youth Radio's Nishat Kurwa visited one Cape Town program trying to combat the social stigma that surrounds bicycling and convince teenagers that two wheels are the way to go. (December 15 on Marketplace)

SIBUSISO
This is the bike I got from BEN bikes. It’s got a comfortable seat and it's also got a bell and brakes that hold quickly. It’s nice and suitable.

NISHAT
Before 15-year-old Sibusiso Tshaka got a bike, he walked to school, like many kids living on the outskirts of Cape Town, in areas like the Khayelitsha township and Mitchell's Plain. Most of the families in these low-income areas don't have cars, and for some it can be a four-mile trip to school.

The Bicycle Empowerment Network, known as BEN, is the nonprofit program that's donated more than 100 bikes to ten schools in the Cape Town area. It didn't take long for success stories to start rolling in - like students on time for classes more often. But it's still far more common for kids to get to school in a minivan taxi like this one, with it's radio blasting.

The taxis usually carry more than a dozen people, and can easily make that many stops. Not to mention, they can be expensive. Eight South African rand a day per child at 7 rand per dollar times two kids family, times five days a week, okay here's some help with the math. It's about 15 percent of a typical single mother's income. If a kid rides a bike, that keeps the money in mom's pocket.

Mom might be sold - but it's more difficult to convince teenagers. Cycling is seen as an indication that you can't afford a car, and don't have money to travel by taxi. Sixteen-year-old Abigail Peters says when kids like her roll up to school in their bright orange safety vests and bike helmets, they're a natural target for teasing.

ABIGAIL
It's kind of like, you're not cool, you're not one of the in group. I think they'd rather be dropped off by great cars with music booming and everything. They just like to be cool and be known, but not by the bicycle of course.

NISHAT
BEN program officer Victor Sables says he pushes bikes as an alternative way to travel, but he's battling a reverence for cars that he blames partly on the lavish lifestyle South African kids see in American movies.

VICTOR
The heroes are always seen driving away in their fancy cars, their fancy four by fours or something. You'll never see the hero get into his bike and away he goes off into the sunset.

NISHAT
Sables wants local celebrities to help promote biking in Cape Town. His plan centers on the Cape Argus cycle tour -- one of the biggest in the world -- in which tens of thousands of competitive cyclists come here each year to race. Sables wants to sign up five hundred black and biracial kids, to change the perception that competitive cycling is only for whites.

VICTOR
Because competitive cycling is extremely expensive. The bikes are ten thousand rand plus. For these people who can't even afford to pay 850 rand for a bike, 10 thousand just seems like a dream.

NISHAT
But when kids start down the path to that dream it's infectious. Once they're riding a bike for transportation, they're turned on to it as a sport. Many cruise the lush coastline together on Fridays, training for the big race. They give each other moral support when their schoolmates make jokes about bicycles being for babies. The program is a confidence builder for kids like Abigail Peters.

ABIGAIL
My dad and I were watching the Cape Argus cycle tour and we saw this Guy Lance Armstrong, something like that? I thought, this is what I want to do, this is my dream. We went to Argus Cycle Tour, I was like, "Oh! I gotta do this." I was so proud of myself, I finished even though my legs were so sore. But it was good.

NISHAT
Who knows? Maybe the next great cyclist to cross the finish line first will come from right here, on the outskirts of town.