But my family talked me out of it. They thought it was shameful for me to ride a bicycle. But almost all cyclists are male. A headcount on a stretch of road between Asmara and the nearby village of Kushet found that at peak traveling time, from 6.30 to 7.30 a.m., an average of 90 cyclists rode to work or school - and not a single one was female. This is a standard bike with a padded seat on the rear carrier.
Ladies sit side-saddle, gents sit astride.
This is a well established industry and is spreading throughout the flatter areas of Uganda. Almost every street corner and outlying hamlet has a stand of Borda-bordas. Or they can be hailed just like a London taxi as they ply for hire. At a distance, hand clapping is the recognized call for a Borda-borda. There are also specialists who collect children, take them to school and return in the afternoon to take them home with as many as five children riding on various parts of the bike.