the 07/24/2008

Giant's EnergyPak lithium ion batteries are lighter, smaller andprovide more power and convenience than traditional batteries foundin powered bicycles, ultimately creating a lighter, betterperforming,

But of recent producers of Raleigh, Africa's biggest bicyclemanufacturers has come up with more fashionable, affordable anddurable types of bicycles with the hope of encouraging its usageespecially both in the urban and rural areas. With this developmentthe company hopes to reclaim its preeminence as the most popularmeans of transportation and pleasure in the country.

The company is said to be the biggest bicycle manufacturing companynot only in Nigeria, but in sub Saharan Africa with marketpenetration reaching beyond the African continent and to Europe andAmericas.

Its workforce before recent development was over 500 directlabourers, with indirect employment running into hundreds ofthousands including sales representatives, spare parts dealers andtechnicians.

In order to boost it market and face the new challenges facingbicycle manufacturers, the company has introduced new methods thatinclude fashion bicycles, juvenile, female bicycles as well asseveral others designed to attract buyers and renew the use ofbicycles by the people.

Although the bicycle is considered an inferior technology to mostother modes of transportation, its production like any other ishowever, as complex and time consuming.

When Daily Trust visited the production unit of the Raleigh Companyit was observed that there were more than 30 processes followedbefore a single bicycle is assembled.

In addition, the bicycle itself has more than 50 differentcomponents that are processed and assembled before a single bicyclecan be produced.

These parts through a complex processes are done in steps withcareful technical ruggedness before the final stage of bicycleproduction is achieved.

When the assembling reaches the final stages, the various styles ofbicycles are separated during these stages so that each style isassembled based on its peculiarity.

At Raleigh for example there are various types of bicycles made,and these include Rooster 001, and 002, LSR, BMX, ATB, Ladies 101,Motorized bicycles for disabled, Juvenile bicycles and severalothers.

Alhaji Sani Maikekuna disclosed that even-though the market forbicycles is growing, the new challenge by buyers for morefashionable bicycles has changed the direction of bicycle sellersto foreign made ones.

He said most of the Nigerian bicycle manufacturers are stillproducing old model bicycles, and this is a challenge they mustovercome in order to face the market adequately.

He described Raleigh's approach to production as a welcomedevelopment that is making bicycle buyers more attracted to itsproducts.

A farmer, Malam Kabiru Garba told Daily Trust that although thepopularity of bicycles unlike before is diminishing even amongfarmers, the fact is that more and more people are buying and usingbicycles especially in the rural areas where accessibility isdifficult.

'We are still using bicycle because even motorcycles cannot accesssome difficult areas in villages especially when it rains, thebicycle can be shouldered and rivers crossed unlike the motorcycle,this is why it is still popular with rural people' he said

A check at other shops and markets in Kano revealed that more andmore foreign bicycles now adorn their stalls with fewer and nearabsence of made in Nigeria bicycles.

Investigation revealed that the trend is becoming alarming becausemade in Nigeria bicycles are more expensive than imported ones.

For example, Raleigh bicycles sold between N15.000.00 or more whileHero brand sold at N10.000.00 and above, foreign bicycles of thesame size and style are sold for less than N8000.00.

Further investigations showed that this is so because most of theforeign bicycles are either smuggled into the country or are highlysubsidized by their countries that they can be brought into thecountry cheaper.