THERE is a routine that Chamim Marka pursues every Sunday morning. He rides his velocipede around, and soon, people on the road stop him to ask about his extraordinary vehicle. “Every Sunday I am always mobbed,” exclaims Chamim, a painter and sculptor, and owner of the Artcha plastic arts studio.

Indeed, Chamim’s bicycle is anything but ordinary. Unlike the usual bicycle made of steel, one of his trademarks is built out of 85 percent bambo