I agree with some points, and the decreasing compatibility is really annoying as a consumer and I'd like to see it addressed. I'm not sure I agree that miles used on a bike for recreation aren't...
I agree with some points, and the decreasing compatibility is really annoying as a consumer and I'd like to see it addressed.
I'm not sure I agree that miles used on a bike for recreation aren't replacing a car though.
Maybe 25-50% of my miles directly replace a journey I would have otherwise made by car, with the other 50-75% being for recreation but it doesn't mean it's not replaced any car miles.
If I decide on a Sunday to go on a 30 mile bike ride the alternative isn't that I sit at home twiddling my thumbs, I live in a rural village so to do anything other than walk around the village involves me driving 10-20 miles round trip. My hobbies being what they are though, It's much more likely that a 30 mile bike ride has replaced a 100 mile drive.
Even if I do stay at home and watch tv it isn't technically carbon free. Back of an envelope calculation based on this article suggests that going for a bike ride is 4x higher carbon over my whole bike life cycle compared to vegging on the sofa (although I don't think it includes a LCA of my TV, or sofa for that matter). I still expect over a lifetime of Saturdays, going for a bike ride is one of the lowest carbon footprint activities I can do. I also wonder what the impact of fitness is on life time carbon footprint (eg impact on medical care, or just keeping active longer reducing need for car journeys in later life. Perhaps 4 hours in front of the telly every Saturday instead of being active isn't so carbon friendly after all).
Here in the Netherlands you tend to see a lot of pre-80s bikes in daily use. I think the frame of my daily driver is from the 60s and I see a lot of students using similar bikes.
Here in the Netherlands you tend to see a lot of pre-80s bikes in daily use. I think the frame of my daily driver is from the 60s and I see a lot of students using similar bikes.
There is definitely areas to improve the environmental impact of bicycling but it really does seem like it's kind of letting perfect be the enemy of good. Yes different materials have different...
There is definitely areas to improve the environmental impact of bicycling but it really does seem like it's kind of letting perfect be the enemy of good. Yes different materials have different impacts and some bikes will last 30+ years but those 30 yo bikes are not as good as a modern bike. There have and will continue to be major advancements in bicycles that will make old bicycles obsolete for competing. If you are buying new bikes regularly for commuting then yeah of course thats wasteful. A heavy 30 year old clunker will do just fine for commuting but it is significantly slower and more inefficient than even modern steel bikes. I do agree compatibility is a huge issue and there is a ton of ways that the industry should improve but old bikes really aren't comparable to a modern bike built for sport.
Bike theft is so unavoidable in my city that I don't think it's even possible to commute by bike without replacing it regularly for that reason. My wife had to buy a second bike after only a few...
Bike theft is so unavoidable in my city that I don't think it's even possible to commute by bike without replacing it regularly for that reason. My wife had to buy a second bike after only a few months because it was stolen from our apartment's parking garage.
yeah I've experienced a similar level of paranoia about that to the point that I just have a 90's rockhopper that I use as a rat bike for commuting/groceries. No way i'm locking up my nice...
yeah I've experienced a similar level of paranoia about that to the point that I just have a 90's rockhopper that I use as a rat bike for commuting/groceries. No way i'm locking up my nice road/gravel bike for even a second. If I need to use the bathroom I take it into the bathroom with me lol.
oh yeah neither of us bikes for sport but if we did there's no way we'd let them leave our sight. I'd keep a closer eye on it than I would a child -- at least a kid can scream if it's stolen!
oh yeah neither of us bikes for sport but if we did there's no way we'd let them leave our sight. I'd keep a closer eye on it than I would a child -- at least a kid can scream if it's stolen!
This article highlights the modern changes in a standard Bicycle and how its reducing the long life of the popular environment friendly vehicle. Published in Feb 2023.
This article highlights the modern changes in a standard Bicycle and how its reducing the long life of the popular environment friendly vehicle. Published in Feb 2023.
I agree with some points, and the decreasing compatibility is really annoying as a consumer and I'd like to see it addressed.
I'm not sure I agree that miles used on a bike for recreation aren't replacing a car though.
Maybe 25-50% of my miles directly replace a journey I would have otherwise made by car, with the other 50-75% being for recreation but it doesn't mean it's not replaced any car miles.
If I decide on a Sunday to go on a 30 mile bike ride the alternative isn't that I sit at home twiddling my thumbs, I live in a rural village so to do anything other than walk around the village involves me driving 10-20 miles round trip. My hobbies being what they are though, It's much more likely that a 30 mile bike ride has replaced a 100 mile drive.
Even if I do stay at home and watch tv it isn't technically carbon free. Back of an envelope calculation based on this article suggests that going for a bike ride is 4x higher carbon over my whole bike life cycle compared to vegging on the sofa (although I don't think it includes a LCA of my TV, or sofa for that matter). I still expect over a lifetime of Saturdays, going for a bike ride is one of the lowest carbon footprint activities I can do. I also wonder what the impact of fitness is on life time carbon footprint (eg impact on medical care, or just keeping active longer reducing need for car journeys in later life. Perhaps 4 hours in front of the telly every Saturday instead of being active isn't so carbon friendly after all).
Here in the Netherlands you tend to see a lot of pre-80s bikes in daily use. I think the frame of my daily driver is from the 60s and I see a lot of students using similar bikes.
There is definitely areas to improve the environmental impact of bicycling but it really does seem like it's kind of letting perfect be the enemy of good. Yes different materials have different impacts and some bikes will last 30+ years but those 30 yo bikes are not as good as a modern bike. There have and will continue to be major advancements in bicycles that will make old bicycles obsolete for competing. If you are buying new bikes regularly for commuting then yeah of course thats wasteful. A heavy 30 year old clunker will do just fine for commuting but it is significantly slower and more inefficient than even modern steel bikes. I do agree compatibility is a huge issue and there is a ton of ways that the industry should improve but old bikes really aren't comparable to a modern bike built for sport.
Bike theft is so unavoidable in my city that I don't think it's even possible to commute by bike without replacing it regularly for that reason. My wife had to buy a second bike after only a few months because it was stolen from our apartment's parking garage.
yeah I've experienced a similar level of paranoia about that to the point that I just have a 90's rockhopper that I use as a rat bike for commuting/groceries. No way i'm locking up my nice road/gravel bike for even a second. If I need to use the bathroom I take it into the bathroom with me lol.
oh yeah neither of us bikes for sport but if we did there's no way we'd let them leave our sight. I'd keep a closer eye on it than I would a child -- at least a kid can scream if it's stolen!
This article highlights the modern changes in a standard Bicycle and how its reducing the long life of the popular environment friendly vehicle. Published in Feb 2023.