Wheels of change: Handmade, eco-friendly bicycles take country by storm
Noman Shaikat was facing a dilemma common to thousands of others. He had earned his credentials as an engineer from Dhaka Polytechnic Institute at his parents' insistence but his heart tugged him towards fine arts or architecture.
One day, a year or so into his studies, a crisis emerged. Perhaps unbeknownst to him at the time, this crisis would turn into an opportunity and a chance to pursue a part of his dream.
"Around 2011, I discovered that my bicycle – a longtime companion of mine – was stolen," Noman recalls.
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"When I went to buy a new one, I realised that the market did not offer bicycles for all sizes. See, for bicycles, geometry is a big thing. The size of a bicycle is as important as the size of your clothes or your shoes. A wrong size means you could have many health complications. That's the day I decided it was time to make customised bicycles for myself," he says.
Noman identified a gap in the market, a glaring one given that Bangladesh is currently the third largest bicycle exporter to the European Union and eighth in the world, according to Eurostat data.
The domestic market of bicycles has also been estimated at around Tk1,200 crore a year and demand has been rising constantly.
Struck with the realisation, Noman continued with his education for a while, although the seeds of the idea had been planted.
After completing his four-year diploma in engineering, he was admitted to the University of Asia Pacific, but he dropped out to take care of his family and start his business, Bikesmith.
Now a well-known name among bicycle aficionados, Bikesmith began its journey with a starting capital of Tk3 lakh. Currently, through Noman's efforts, the capital stands at Tk30 lakh.
"Like many others, I developed a fascination with bicycles early on. The artist in me also drove me to make my own bicycle. I thought if I could do it, then why not? I started working on it thinking it would be easy, but after a few days I realised how difficult it was to actually make a bicycle," Noman said.
In its early days, Bikesmith focused more on repairing bicycles and its various parts. Now it makes cycles as per customers' requirements at its Mohammadpur factory, which employs five people.
"All bicycles in our country are actually made according to European standards. Our body measurements do not match with that. Europeans can be categorised as large, XL, medium or small, but we do not fit those categories. That's why we make bicycles according to the customers' needs and their size," he said.
"Many customers come to me, those who have been told by doctors that they cannot ride any two-wheeler. This is because the two-wheelers are of the wrong size."
Tailoring cycles as per customer specification means that each one made by Bikesmith is unique. As they are also carefully made by hand, Noman cannot mass produce. But a unique selling point is each customer can rightfully claim that there is no other bicycle in the world like theirs.
So how does the customisation process work?
"First, we measure a customer's size from the lower part of the navel to the upper part. I also note the distance of the feet from the ground, how long their arms are, how wide the shoulders are and what kind of riding style the person has," Noman explained.
How and why a person bicycles – whether it's fast, relaxed, over long distances or short, for commuting, carrying cargo – matters in the final design.
Once a customer agrees with the specification, the second part begins.
Noman is directly involved in everything – from designing the bicycles on computer to welding and painting the cycle. The colour and final design also reflect the needs of customers.
The whole process takes about a week and customers get delivery within 25-30 days of ordering.
Aside from existing orders, Noman and his team also engage in repair works.
Another thing that makes Bikesmith's bicycles stand out is Noman's use of jute fibres, which are durable and a lightweight material for making bicycle frames.
Noman began experimenting with jute fibre at the very beginning and met with success in 2016. His focus on the golden fibre had two reasons – the use of jute made the cycles eco-friendly, while it also demonstrated the potential of the material.
After overcoming numerous adversities, Noman began commercial production of bicycles made using jute using his own funds and with some help from the government.
Made from indigenous raw materials, his eco-friendly bicycle is 75% to 80% biodegradable, has a 70-80 year lifespan and is priced at around Tk17,000.
Of course the price of any cycle at Bikesmith depends on the specifications. The price can be anywhere between Tk12,000-Tk 1 lakh.
Once a cycle is old, Noman's work doesn't end. Bikesmith also provides lifetime after-sales service.
"We keep some extra parts with us while making a cycle, so that we can provide support if there is any problem later. We also give a minimum 10 years to a maximum of lifetime guarantee on the bicycle frame."
Apart from the main structure, Noman has to import various parts of the bicycle, which entails dependence on countries like China, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and America.
Noman intends to change that as well as it will cut the overall cost of the cycle.
To reduce this dependence, he is planning to make parts, including bicycle disc rotor, rim and seat, at his own factory.
Noman's business philosophy is based on his two understandings of the business world. One is to give a customer what they want and the other is to create demand for a brand new product.
According to Noman, his greatest success has been in the latter since his nine-year journey with Bikesmith.
There are, however, other issues, aside from the business side, that are still a worry for Noman.
"I have met many customers who do not want a 'Made in Bangladesh' bicycle. They do not want domestic brands. This makes me feel bad. I am trying to convince them and I don't change my stance. I am not interested in working with those who do not want to promote Bangladesh and domestic brands."
Bikesmith's entire marketing campaign has been done through Facebook. Apart from the domestic market, Noman's bicycles have also reached India, France, Germany, Indonesia, America, and the Netherlands.
For now, the sky is the limit and the theft of Noman's bicycle so many years ago has possibly turned into a blessing for the entire country.
