A tribe native to the Philippines known as the Igolot, are very gifted with the ability to carve bicycles from trees. The ability to do so has been passed on as a tradition through multiple generations of the tribe. Igolot tribal traditions profess that the gods inhabit the mountains and trees of nature. This fact is no surprise to anyone that has witnessed one of these hand-carved bicycles.
Owning a bike is considered a status symbol for people of a humble background. Since most of them do not earn enough money to afford a real bike, they would just have to make one (or something like it) with whatever materials they have.
Photographer Richard Haw captured the moment when a group of ingolot riders pulled into the town of Batad in the Philippines.
Each of these scooters is hand made by the tribesmen completely out of a tree. The vehicles are all two-wheeled and have been carved into incredible images including dragons, lions and even cowboys. The scooters began with simple designs but as they attempted to outdo each other their designs became more extravagant. Sometimes competition can be good because people try harder to make the best thing that they possibly can.
Mr. Haw said:
When they race though the town it is a chance to show off their scooters which is a source of pride for the carver.
The scooters can reach speeds up to 25 MPH when they race each other downhill. They are a little tricky to ride since they don’t have advanced braking systems. The scooters are slowed when the rider presses down on a wooden petal that is connected to a piece of tire. The friction slows the bicycle down until the rider can use his feet. Many of their feet are calloused and thick from doing this a lot.
The riders don’t use any type of gear to protect their head or any other part of their bodies. It is a tribal event for drivers to show-off their bicycles to other tribe members while they wear their traditional highlander g-string called a bahag and a dyed red robe which distinguishes the tribe they are from.
Haw has lived in the area for quite some time and is pretty familiar with the culture. He does not believe the wooden bicycles have caused many accidents or fatalities but he notes that there are many deep scars on the legs of the riders.
