summaryrefslogtreecommitdiff
path: root/saved_articles/Can_We_Make_Bicycles_Sustainable_Again.txt
diff options
context:
space:
mode:
Diffstat (limited to 'saved_articles/Can_We_Make_Bicycles_Sustainable_Again.txt')
-rw-r--r--saved_articles/Can_We_Make_Bicycles_Sustainable_Again.txt627
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 627 deletions
diff --git a/saved_articles/Can_We_Make_Bicycles_Sustainable_Again.txt b/saved_articles/Can_We_Make_Bicycles_Sustainable_Again.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 247391b..0000000
--- a/saved_articles/Can_We_Make_Bicycles_Sustainable_Again.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,627 +0,0 @@
-Feed: Low-Tech Magazine
-Title: Can We Make Bicycles Sustainable Again?
-Author: kris de decker
-Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2023 03:19:58 -0500
-Link: https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2023/02/can-we-make-bicycles-sustainable-again.html
-
-Cycling is the most sustainable form of transportation, but the bicycle is
-becoming increasingly damaging to the environment. The energy and material used
-for its production go up while its life expectancy decreases.
-
-[image 1: Imagenweb (link #2)][1]
-
-Illustration: Diego Marmolejo[3].
-
-Cycling is sustainable, but how sustainable is the bicycle?
-
-Cycling is one of the most sustainable modes of transportation. Increased
-ridership reduces fossil fuel consumption and pollution, saves space, and
-improves public health and safety. However, the bicycle itself has managed to
-elude environmental critique. [1] [2] Studies that calculate the environmental
-impact of cycling almost always compare it to driving, with predictable results:
-the bicycle is more sustainable than the car. Such research may encourage people
-to cycle more often but doesn't encourage manufacturers to make their bicycles
-as sustainable as possible.
-
-For this article, I have consulted academic studies that compare different types
-of bicycles against each other or focus on the manufacturing stage of a
-particular two-wheeler. That kind of research was virtually non-existent until
-three or four years ago. Using the available material, I compare different
-generations of bicycles. Set in a historical context, it becomes clear that the
-resource use of a bike's production increases while its lifetime is becoming
-shorter. The result is a growing environmental footprint. That trend has a clear
-beginning. The bicycle evolved very slowly until the early 1980s and then
-suddenly underwent a fast succession of changes that continues up to this day.
-
- The bicycle evolved very slowly until the early 1980s and then suddenly
- underwent a fast succession of changes that continues up to this day.
-
-There are no studies about bicycles built before the 1980s. Life cycle analyses,
-which investigate the resource use of a product from “cradle” to “grave,” only
-appeared in the 1990s. However, the benchmark for a sustainable bicycle stands
-in the room where I write this. It’s my 1980 Gazelle Champion road bike – now 43
-years old. I bought it ten years ago in Barcelona from a tall German guy who was
-leaving the city. He had tears in his eyes when I walked away with it. I have a
-second road bike, a Mercier from 1978. That is my spare vehicle in case the
-other one breaks down and I don't have the time for immediate repairs. I have
-two more road bikes parked in Belgium, where I grew up and where I still travel
-a few times a year (by train[4], not by bike). These are a Plume Vanqueur from
-the late 1960s and a Ventura from the 1970s.
-
-The main reason why I have opted for old bicycles is that they are much better
-than new bicycles. Most people don’t realize that, so they are also much
-cheaper. My four bikes cost me just 500 euros in total. That would buy me only
-one low-cost new road bike, and such a vehicle surely won’t last 40 to 50 years
-– as we shall see. Of course, it’s not just old road bikes which are better. The
-same goes for other types of bicycles built before the 1980s. I ride road
-bicycles because I cover relatively long distances, usually between 35 and 50 km
-round trip.
-
-[image 2: P2200841 (link #6)][5]
-
-Image: The bicycle I use most often, a Gazelle Champion from 1980. It has
-covered at least 30,000 km since I bought it in 2013.
-
-What bicycles are made of
-
-The first significant change in the bicycle manufacturing industry was the
-switch from steel to aluminium bicycles. Before the 1980s, virtually all bikes
-were made from steel. They had a steel frame, wheels, components and parts.
-Nowadays, most bicycle frames and wheels are built from aluminium. The same goes
-for many other bike parts. More recently, an increasing number of cycles have
-frames and wheels made from carbon fibre composites. Some bike frames are built
-from titanium or stainless steel. All of these materials are more energy
-intensive to produce than steel. Furthermore, while steel and aluminium can be
-recycled and repaired, composite fibres can only be downcycled and have poor
-repairability. [3]
-
-Several studies have compared the energy and carbon costs of bicycle frames and
-other components made from these different materials – which all have different
-strength-to-weight ratios. That research has some limitations. Scientists use
-crude methods because they lack detailed energy data from bike manufacturing
-processes, and some studies come from manufacturers who pay researchers to
-review the sustainability of their products. Nevertheless, all put together, the
-results are pretty consistent. For the sake of brevity, I focus on emissions
-(CO2 = CO2-equivalents) and ignore other environmental impacts.
-
- Before the 1980s, virtually all bicycles were made from steel.
-
-Reynolds, a British manufacturer known for its bicycle tubing, found that making
-a steel frame costs 17.5 kg CO2, while a titanium or stainless steel frame costs
-around 55 kg CO2 per frame – three times as much. [4] Starling Cycles, a rare
-producer of steel mountain bikes, concluded that a typical carbon frame uses 16
-times more energy than a steel frame. [5] (That would be 280 kg CO2). An
-independent 2014 study – the first of its kind – calculated the footprint of an
-aluminum road bike frame with carbon fork from the “Specialized” brand and found
-the cost to be 2,380 kilowatt-hours of primary energy and over 250 kg of carbon
-– roughly 14 times that of a steel frame (without fork) as calculated by
-Reynolds. [2]
-
-A bicycle is more than a frame alone. Life cycle analyses of entire bikes show
-that the carbon footprint of all the other components is at least as large as
-that of a steel frame. [6] Scientists have calculated the lifetime carbon
-emissions of a steel bike at 35 kg CO2, compared to 212 kg CO2 for an aluminum
-bicycle. [7] [8] The most detailed life cycle analysis sets the carbon footprint
-for an 18.4 kg aluminum bicycle at 200 kg CO2, including its spare parts, for a
-lifetime of 15,000 km. The main impact phase is the preparation of materials
-(74%; aluminum, stainless steel, rubber), followed by the maintenance phase
-(15.5% for 3.5 new sets of tires, six brake pads, one chain, and one cassette)
-and the assembly phase (4.96%). [9]
-
-Where & how bicycles are made
-
-My steel bicycles date from a time when most industrialized countries had
-long-established domestic bicycle industries serving their national market. [3]
-These industries collapsed in Europe and North America following neoliberal
-globalization in the late 1970s. China opened to foreign investment and quickly
-became the largest bicycle manufacturer in the world. During the last two
-decades, China has made two-thirds of the world’s bicycles (60-70 million of 110
-million annually). Most of the rest come from other Asian countries. Europe is
-back to producing ten million bikes annually, but the US only manufactures
-60,000 bicycles per year. [3]
-
-Throughout the twentieth century, manufacturing bicycles required substantial
-inputs of human labor. [3] According to the Routledge Companion to Cycling,
-“wheels were spoked and trued manually; frames were built by hand; saddle making
-was laborious; headsets, gear clusters (blocks), brake cables and gears were
-physically bolted on.” Since the 2000s, automation has considerably reduced the
-need for human labor. The largest Chinese bike manufacturer, which builds
-one-fifth of the world’s bicycles, has 42 bicycle assembly lines making 55,000
-bicycles a day – almost as much as the US in a year. [3]
-
- Domestic bicycles industries in Europe and North America collapsed following
- neoliberal globalization in the late 1970s.
-
-The globalization and automation of the bicycle industry make bikes less
-sustainable. First, they introduce extra emissions for transportation (from raw
-materials, components, and bicycles) and for producing and operating robots and
-other machinery. Second, producing steel, aluminum, carbon fiber composites, and
-electricity is more energy and carbon-intensive in China and other
-bike-producing countries than in Europe and North America. [10] Most
-importantly, however, is that large-scale automated production represents sunk
-capital that needs to be working most of the time to spread overhead costs,
-driving overproduction. [3]
-
-How long bicycles last
-
-How much energy and other resources it takes to build a bicycle and to deliver
-it to a cyclist is just half the story. At least as importantly is how long the
-bike lasts. The shorter its lifetime, the more vehicles need to be produced over
-the lifetime of a cyclist, and the higher the resource use becomes.
-
-For a long life expectancy, some parts of a bicycle need replacement. These are
-typically smaller parts such as shifters, chains, and brakes. [11] Until a few
-decades ago, component compatibility was a hallmark of bicycle manufacturing.
-[12] My bicycles are a perfect example of this. Most components – such as
-wheels, gear set, and brakes – are interchangeable between the different frames,
-even though every vehicle is from another brand and year of construction.
-Component compatibility allows for easy maintenance and repairability, thereby
-increasing the lifetime of a bicycle. Bike shops in even the smallest villages
-can repair all types of bicycles using a limited set of tools and spare parts.
-[12] Cyclists can do minor repairs at home.
-
-Unfortunately, compatibility is hardly a feature of bicycle manufacturing
-anymore. Manufacturers have introduced an increasing number of proprietary parts
-and keep changing standards, resulting in compatibility issues even for older
-bicycles of the same brand. [1] [3] For example, if the shifter of a modern bike
-breaks after some years of use, a replacement part will probably no longer be
-available. You need to order a new set from a new generation, which will be
-incompatible with your front and rear derailleur – which you also need to
-replace. [12] For road bikes, the change from cassette bodies with ten sprockets
-(around 2010) to cassette bodies with eleven, twelve, and most recently thirteen
-sprockets have made many wheelsets obsolete, and the same goes for the rest of
-the drivetrain including shifters and chains. [12] [1]
-
- Before the 1980s, most bicycle components were interchangeable between frames
- of different brands and generations.
-
-Disc brakes, which are now on almost every new bicycle, all have different axle
-designs, meaning that every vehicle now requires proprietary spare parts. [1]
-Disc brakes also required new shifters, forks, framesets, cables, and wheels,
-making such bicycles incompatible with earlier designs. [12] The rise of
-proprietary parts makes it increasingly hard to keep a bike on the road through
-maintenance, reuse, and refurbishment. As the number of incompatible components
-grows, it becomes impossible for bike shops to have a complete stock of spare
-parts. [12] If a manufacturer goes bankrupt, proprietary spare parts will no
-longer be available.
-
-Component incompatibility is accompanied by decreasing component quality. An
-example is the saddle, which hardly ever outlasts a frameset because it cracks
-at the bottom of the shell. [12] A little extra material would make it last
-forever – as proven by all saddles of my 40 to 50-year-old road bikes. Low
-quality affects some parts of expensive bicycles but is especially problematic
-for cheap bicycles made entirely of low-quality components. Cheap bicycles –
-bike mechanics refer to them as “built-to-fail bikes” or “bike-shaped objects” –
-often have plastic parts that break easily and cannot be replaced or upgraded.
-These vehicles typically last only a few months. [13, 14]
-
-[image 3: Bike-manufacturing-factory-diego-marmolejo (link #8)][7]
-
-Illustration: Diego Marmolejo[3].
-
-How bicycles are powered
-
-So far, we have only dealt with entirely human-powered bicycles, but bikes with
-electric motors are becoming increasingly popular. The number of e-bikes sold
-worldwide grew from 3.7 million in 2019 to 9.7 million in 2021 (10% of total
-bike sales and up to 40% in some countries like Germany). Electric bikes
-reinforce both trends that make bicycles less sustainable. On the one hand,
-electric motors and batteries require additional resources such as lithium,
-copper, and magnets, increasing the energy use and emissions of bike
-manufacturing. Researchers have calculated the greenhouse gas emissions caused
-by manufacturing an aluminum e-bike at 320 kg. [8] This compares to 212 kg for
-the production of an unassisted aluminum bicycle and 35 kg for an unassisted
-steel bicycle.
-
-On the other hand, the life expectancy of an electric bicycle is shorter than
-that of an unassisted two-wheeler because it has more points of failure. The
-breakdown of the extra components – motor, battery, electronics – leads to a
-shorter lifecycle due to component incompatibility. An academic study on
-circularity in the bike manufacturing industry observes a significant increase
-in defective components compared to unassisted bicycles and concludes that “the
-great dynamics of the market due to regular innovations, product renewals, and
-the lack of spare parts for older models make the long-term use by customers
-much more difficult than for conventional bicycles.” [15]
-
- Electric bikes reinforce both trends that make bicycles less sustainable.
-
-On top of this, electric bicycles require electricity for their operation,
-further increasing resource use and emissions. This impact is small when
-compared to the manufacturing phase. After all, humans provide part of the
-power, and the electricity use of an electric bike (25 km/h) is only around 1
-kilowatt-hour per 100 km. The average greenhouse gas emission intensity of
-electricity generation in Europe in 2019 was 275 gCO2/kWh. [16] If an e-bike
-lasts 15,000 km, charging the battery only adds 41 kg of CO2, compared to 320 kg
-for producing the (aluminum) bicycle. Even in the US and China, where the carbon
-intensity of the power grid is 50-100% higher than the European value, electric
-bicycle production dominates total emissions and energy use.
-
-Cargo cycles
-
-Combining energy-intensive materials, short lifetimes, and electric motor
-assistance can increase lifecycle emissions to surprising levels, especially for
-cargo cycles. These vehicles are larger and heavier than passenger bicycles and
-need more powerful motors and batteries. There are very few life cycle analyses
-of cargo cycles. However, a recent study calculated the lifecycle emissions of a
-carbon fiber electric cargo cycle to be 80 gCO2 per kilometer – only half those
-of an electric van (158 gCO2/km). [17] The researchers explain this by the
-difference in lifetime mileage – 34,000 km compared to 240,000 km for the van –
-and the carbon fiber composites in many components, including the chassis of the
-vehicle. The lifecycle emissions of the cargo cycle, including the electricity
-used to charge its battery, amount to 2,689 kg. That is almost 40 times the
-lifecycle emissions of two steel bicycles (each with a 15,000 km lifecycle
-mileage).
-
-Extending the useful life of electric bicycles has less impact on lifecycle
-emissions when compared to unassisted bikes. That’s because the battery needs to
-be replaced every 3 to 4 years and the motor every ten years, which adds to the
-resource use of spare parts. [11] This is demonstrated by a life cycle analysis
-of an electric steel cargo cycle with an assumed life expectancy of 20 years.
-[18] During its lifetime, the vehicle uses five batteries (each weighing 8,5
-kg), two motors, and 3.5 sets of tires. Most lifecycle emissions are caused by
-these spare parts, with the batteries alone accounting for 40% of the total
-emissions. In comparison, the emissions for the steel frame are almost
-insignificant. [18] This particular cargo cycle was built for African roads and
-is not entirely representative of the average cargo cycle, mainly because of its
-heavy tires.
-
-Cargo cycles have another disadvantage. Passenger bicycles and cars usually
-carry only one person, meaning that one passenger kilometer on a bike roughly
-equals one passenger kilometer in an automobile. However, for cargo, the
-comparison of ton-kilometers is more complicated. If the load is relatively
-light – usually up to 150 kg – the electric cargo cycle will be less
-carbon-intensive than a van. However, heavier loads require several cargo cycles
-to replace one van, which multiplies the embodied emissions. [18] Switching to
-electric cargo cycles without significantly reducing the cargo volume is
-unlikely to save emissions. Obviously, cargo cycles with steel frames and
-without electric motors and batteries -- for now still the majority -- will have
-much lower carbon emissions over their lifetimes.
-
-How bicycles are used
-
-In recent years, many cities have introduced shared bicycle services. In theory,
-shared bicycles could lower the number of bikes produced and thus decrease the
-environmental impact of bicycle production. However, building and operating
-bike-sharing services adds significant energy use and emissions. Furthermore,
-shared bicycles don’t last as long as privately owned bicycles. Consequently,
-shared bike services further reinforce the trends that make bicycles less
-sustainable.
-
-A 2021 study compares the environmental impact of shared and private bicycles
-while including the infrastructure that each option requires. It concludes that
-personal bikes are more sustainable than shared bicycles. [8] The research is
-based on the Vélib system in Paris, France, which has 19,000 vehicles, roughly
-half with an electric motor. Vehicle manufacturing and bike-sharing
-infrastructure cause more than 90% of emissions and energy use. The remaining
-emissions are due to the construction of cycle lanes (3.5%), the rebalancing of
-the bicycles to keep all stations optimally supplied (2%), and the electricity
-used for charging the batteries of the electric bikes (0.3%). Altogether, a
-shared bicycle from the Vélib system has an emissions rate of 32g CO2/km, which
-is three to ten times higher than the rate of a personal bike (between 3.5
-gCO2/km for a steel bicycle and 10.5 g CO2/km for an aluminum bicycle. [8]
-
- Building and operating bike-sharing services adds significant energy use and
- emissions
-
-The scientists found that the bike-sharing service led to a 15% drop in bike
-ownership. However, they also calculated that the average lifespan of a shared
-bicycle is only 14.7 months, with an average lifetime mileage of 12,250 km. In
-comparison, the average lifetime of a personal bike in France, based on a 2020
-survey, is around 20,000 km – almost 50% higher than for shared bicycles. The
-Vélib system includes 14,000 bike-sharing stations with a total surface of
-92,000 m2 and an estimated lifetime of ten years. Each of the 46,500 docks
-consists of 23 kg steel and 0.5 kg plastic. The power consumption of each
-bike-sharing station is around 6,000 kWh per year. Due to the high impact of the
-infrastructure, the lifecycle emissions of shared electric bikes are only 24%
-higher than those of shared non-electric vehicles. [8]
-
-The environmental footprint of bike-sharing systems can vary significantly
-between cities. A life cycle analysis of bike-sharing services in the US found
-carbon emissions of 65g CO2/km – twice as high as in Paris. [19] This is largely
-because the US systems rebalance the bicycles using diesel vans, while the
-French service employs electric tractors. The US study also looks at the newer
-generation of “dockless” bike-sharing services, which score even worse. Dockless
-shared bikes can be parked anywhere and located through a smartphone
-application. Although this removes the need for stations, each bicycle requires
-energy-intensive electronic components, and the system also generates emissions
-through communication networks. [19] [10] Furthermore, dockless systems require
-more bicycles and involve more rebalancing.
-
-A life cycle analysis of Chinese bike-sharing services, many dockless systems,
-shows high damage rates and low maintenance rates for bicycles. The annual
-damage rate is 10-20% for reinforced bicycles and 20-40% for lighter vehicles
-which have become more common. In practice, a shared bicycle becomes scrap when
-the bike part with the worst durability breaks down. Repair is virtually not
-happening. [10] Finally, when the companies go bankrupt, bike sharing creates
-mountains of waste – including bicycles in good condition. [10] [1]
-
-[image 4: Lifecycle-carbon-emissions-per-kilometre-of-riding-bicycle (link
-#10)][9]
-
-Image: Lifecycle carbon emissions per kilometre of riding a bicycle. Data
-sources: [8] [17] [19] [26] Graph: Marie Verdeil.
-
-Not every bicycle replaces a car
-
-None of this should discourage cycling. Even the most unsustainable bicycles are
-significantly less unsustainable than cars. The carbon footprint for
-manufacturing a gasoline or diesel-powered car is between 6 tonnes (Citroen C1)
-and 35 tonnes (Land Rover Discovery). [20] Consequently, building one small
-automobile such as the C1 produces as many emissions as making 171 steel
-bicycles or 28 aluminum bicycles. Furthermore, cars also have a high carbon
-footprint for fuel use, while bikes are entirely or partly human-powered. [21]
-Electric cars have higher emissions for production but lower emissions for
-operation (although that depends entirely on the carbon intensity of the power
-grid).
-
-The bicycle even holds its advantage when its much shorter lifetime mileage is
-taken into account. [22] Gasoline and diesel-powered cars now reach more than
-300,000 km, double their lifetime in the 1960s and 1970s. [23] If a bicycle
-lasts 20,000 km, it would take 15 bikes to cover 300,000 km. If those are steel
-bicycles without an electric motor, the total carbon footprint for manufacturing
-is still six times lower than for a small car: 1,050 kg of CO2. If the bikes are
-made from aluminum and have electric motors, then emissions grow to 4,800 kg
-CO2, still below the manufacturing carbon footprint of the small car.
-
-However, not every bicycle replaces a car. That is especially relevant for
-shared and electric bikes: studies show that they mainly substitute for more
-sustainable transport alternatives such as walking, using an unassisted or
-private bicycle, or traveling on the subway. [19][24] In Paris, shared bikes
-have three times higher emissions than electric public transportation. [8] In
-addition, many carbon-intensive bicycles are bought for recreation and are not
-meant to replace cars at all – they may even involve more car use as cyclists
-drive out of town for a trip in nature. In all those cases, emissions go up, not
-down.
-
-How to make bicycles sustainable again?
-
-In conclusion, there are several reasons why bicycles have become less
-sustainable: the switch from steel to aluminum and other more energy-intensive
-materials, the scaling up of the bicycle manufacturing industry, increasing
-incompatibility and decreasing quality of components, the growing success of
-electric bicycles, and the use of shared bike services. Most of these are not
-problematic in themselves. Rather, it's the combination of trends that leads to
-significant differences with bicycles from earlier generations.
-
-For example, based on data mentioned earlier, manufacturing an electric bicycle
-made from steel would have a carbon footprint of 143 kg. Although that is four
-times the emissions from an unassisted steel bicycle, it is below the carbon
-footprint of an aluminum bicycle without an electric motor (212 kg). Especially
-if the battery is charged with renewable energy, riding an electric bike can
-thus be more sustainable than riding one without a motor. Likewise, an aluminum
-bicycle with a long life expectancy – for example, through component
-compatibility – could have a lower carbon footprint than a steel bicycle with a
-more limited lifespan.
-
-Many researchers advocate switching back to producing bicycles from steel
-instead of aluminium and other energy-intensive materials. That would bring
-significant gains in sustainability for a relatively low cost – slightly heavier
-bicycles. Steel frames would also make electric and shared bikes less carbon
-intensive. Some researchers promote bamboo bike frames, but the benefit compared
-to old-fashioned steel or even aluminium frames is unclear. [27] A “bamboo
-bicycle” still requires wheels and many other parts made out of metal or carbon
-fibre composites, and the frame tubes are usually held together by carbon fibre
-or metal parts. [6] Furthermore, the bamboo is chemically treated against decay
-and becomes non-biodegradable. [1]
-
- Reverting to domestic and less automated bike manufacturing is a requirement
- for sustainable bicycles.
-
-Better component compatibility would increase the life expectancy of bicycles –
-also electric ones – through repair and refurbishment. It would bring no
-disadvantages for consumers, even on the contrary. However, unlike a switch to
-steel frames, better component compatibility would hurt the sales of new
-bicycles. A study concludes that “the abandonment of standardization is a
-profitable business model because it ensures that bicycles can only be ridden
-for so long.” [1] The decreasing sustainability of bikes is not a technological
-problem, and it’s not unique to bicycles. We also see it in manufacturing other
-products, such as computers[11]. One bike mechanic observes: “The problem here
-is capitalism; it’s not the bikes.” [14]
-
-Reverting to domestic and less automated bike manufacturing is a requirement for
-sustainable bicycles. The main reason is not the extra energy use generated by
-transportation and machinery, which is relatively small. For example, shipping
-from China adds around 0.7 to 1.2 gCO2/km for shared bicycles. [8] More
-importantly, domestic and manual bike manufacturing is essential to make repair
-and refurbishment the more economically attractive option. By definition,
-repairing is local and manual, so it quickly becomes more expensive than
-producing a new vehicle in a large-scale, automated factory. [10] Locally made
-bicycles would increase the purchase price for consumers. However, better
-repairability would allow for a longer life expectancy and a lower cost in the
-long term. Addressing bike theft and parking problems is also essential because
-they are often a reason for buying cheap, short-lasting bicycles. [25]
-
-Finally, shared bicycle services can have their place, and we will probably see
-further improvements in their resource efficiency – the newest bike-sharing
-stations in Paris have reduced their power consumption by a factor of six. [8]
-However, shared bicycles are unlikely to become more sustainable than private
-bicycles because they always require rebalancing and a high-tech infrastructure
-to make the service work. Furthermore, getting attached to your bike can be a
-strong incentive to take care of it well and thus increase its life expectancy,
-as I can testify.
-
-Kris De Decker
-
- * Read Low-tech Magazine offline[12].
- * Subscribe to Low-tech Magazine's newsletter[13].
- * Support Low-tech Magazine via Paypal[14] or Patreon[15].
-
-SOURCES
-
-[1] Szto, Courtney, and Brian Wilson. "Reduce, re-use, re-ride: Bike waste and
-moving towards a circular economy for sporting goods." International Review for
-the Sociology of Sport (2022): 10126902221138033.
-https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/10126902221138033[16]
-
-[2] Johnson, Rebecca, Alice Kodama, and Regina Willensky. "The complete impact
-of bicycle use: analyzing the environmental impact and initiative of the bicycle
-industry." (2014). https://dukespace.lib.duke.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/10161/
-8483/Duke_MP_Published.pdf[17]
-
-[3] Norcliffe, Glen, et al., eds. Routledge Companion to Cycling. Taylor &
-Francis, 2022. https://www.routledge.com/Routledge-Companion-to-Cycling/Norcliff
-e-Brogan-Cox-Gao-Hadland-Hanlon-Jones-Oddy-Vivanco/p/book/9781003142041[18]
-
-[4] Cole, Emma. “What’s the environmental impact of a steel bicycle frame?”
-Cyclist, November 7, 2022. https://www.cyclist.co.uk/in-depth/11003/steel-bike-f
-rame-environmental-impact[19]
-
-[5] Mercer, Liam. “Starling Cycles publishes environmental footprint assessment
-and policy.” Off-road.cc, July 2022. https://off.road.cc/content/news/starling-c
-ycles-publishes-environmental-footprint-assessment-and-policy-10513[20]
-
-[6] Chang, Ya-Ju, Erwin M. Schau, and Matthias Finkbeiner. "Application of life
-cycle sustainability assessment to the bamboo and aluminum bicycle in surveying
-social risks of developing countries." 2nd World Sustainability Forum, Web
-Conference. 2012. https://sciforum.net/manuscripts/953/original.pdf[21]
-
-[7] Chen, Jingrui, et al. "Life cycle carbon dioxide emissions of bike sharing
-in China: Production, operation, and recycling." Resources, Conservation and
-Recycling 162 (2020): 105011.
-https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0921344920303281[22]
-
-[8] De Bortoli, Anne. "Environmental performance of shared micromobility and
-personal alternatives using integrated modal LCA." Transportation Research Part
-D: Transport and Environment 93 (2021): 102743.
-https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S136192092100047X[23]
-
-[9] Roy, Papon, Md Danesh Miah, and Md Tasneem Zafar. "Environmental impacts of
-bicycle production in Bangladesh: a cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment
-approach." SN Applied Sciences 1 (2019): 1-16.
-https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42452-019-0721-z[24]
-
-[10] Mao, Guozhu, et al. "How can bicycle-sharing have a sustainable future? A
-research based on life cycle assessment." Journal of Cleaner Production 282
-(2021): 125081.
-https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959652620351258[25]
-
-[11] Leuenberger, Marianne, and Rolf Frischknecht. "Life cycle assessment of two
-wheel vehicles." ESU-Services Ltd.: Uster, Switzerland (2010). https://treeze.ch
-/fileadmin/user_upload/downloads/Publications/Case_Studies/Mobility/leuenberger-
-2010-TwoWheelVehicles.pdf[26]
-
-[12] Erik Bronsvoort & Matthijs Gerrits. “From marginal gains to a circular
-revolution”. Paperback (full-colour): 160 pages, ISBN: 978-94-92004-93-2, Warden
-Press, Amsterdam. https://circularcycling.nl/product/from-marginal-gains-to-a-ci
-rcular-revolution/[27]
-
-[13] US petition that calls for end o built to fail bikes gaining support in BC.
-https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/u-s-petition-that-calls-for-end-of-buil
-t-to-fail-bikes-gaining-support-in-b-c[28]
-
-[14] Aaron Gordon. “Mechanics Ask Walmart, Major Bike Manufacturers to Stop
-Making and Selling ‘Built-to-Fail’ Bikes”, Vice, January 13, 2022. https://www.v
-ice.com/en/article/wxdgq9/mechanics-ask-walmart-major-bike-manufacturers-to-stop
--making-and-selling-built-to-fail-bikes[29]
-
-[15] Koop, Carina, et al. "Circular business models for remanufacturing in the
-electric bicycle industry." Frontiers in Sustainability 2 (2021): 785036.
-https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsus.2021.785036/full[30]
-
-[16] https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/indicators/overview-of-the-electric
-ity-production-3/assessment[31]
-
-[17] Temporelli, Andrea, et al. "Last mile logistics life cycle assessment: a
-comparative analysis from diesel van to e-cargo bike." Energies 15.20 (2022):
-7817.. https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/20/7817[32]
-
-[18] Schünemann, Jaron, et al. "Life Cycle Assessment on Electric Cargo Bikes
-for the Use-Case of Urban Freight Transportation in Ghana." Procedia CIRP 105
-(2022): 721-726.
-https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212827122001214[33]
-
-[19] Luo, Hao, et al. "Comparative life cycle assessment of station-based and
-dock-less bike sharing systems." Resources, Conservation and Recycling 146
-(2019): 180-189.
-https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0921344919301090[34]
-
-[20] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/green-living-blog/2010/sep/23/carbo
-n-footprint-new-car[35]
-
-[21] Bicycles are entirely or partly powered by food calories. Some people argue
-that the life cycle energy requirements of bicycles are higher than other modes,
-when one considers the impact of food require to provide additional calories
-that are burned during the bicycle use. However, the majority of people in
-car-centered societies take in more calories than their sedentary lifestyle
-requires. Increased cycling would lead to lower obesity rates, not to higher
-calorie intakes.
-
-[22] This a purely theoretical calculation, because cars encourage much longer
-trips than bicycles.
-
-[23] Ford, Dexter. “As Cars Are Kept Longer, 200,000 Is New 100,000.” New York
-Times, March 16, 2012. https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/automobiles/as-cars-ar
-e-kept-longer-200000-is-new-100000.html?_r=2&ref=business&pagewanted=all&[36]
-
-[24] Zheng, Fanying, et al. "Is bicycle sharing an environmental practice?
-Evidence from a life cycle assessment based on behavioral surveys."
-Sustainability 11.6 (2019): 1550. https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/6/1550[37]
-
-[25] Larsen, Jonas, and Mathilde Dissing Christensen. "The unstable lives of
-bicycles: the ‘unbecoming’of design objects." Environment and Planning A:
-Economy and Space 47.4 (2015): 922-938. https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/131
-212/1/M%20Christensen%202015%20the%20unstable%20lives%20of%20bicycles%20ver2%20p
-ostprint.pdf[38]
-
-[26] Calão, Júlio, et al. "Life Cycle Thinking Approach Applied to a Novel
-Micromobility Vehicle." Transportation Research Record 2676.8 (2022): 514-529.
-https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/03611981221084692[39]
-
-[27] A comparison of the life cycle emissions of a bamboo versus an aluminium
-bicycle showed little difference (233 vs. 238 kg CO2). [6]
-
-Read Low-tech Magazine Offline
-
-Read Low-tech Magazine with no access to a computer, a power supply, or the
-internet. The printed archives amount to four volumes with a total of 2,398
-pages and 709 images[12]. They can be ordered in our Lulu bookstore[40].
-
-[image 5: NEWbook016 (link #42)][41]
-
-[43]
-
-Links:
-[1]: https://krisdedecker.typepad.com/.a/6a00e0099229e8883302b75197a7b7200c-pi (link)
-[2]: https://krisdedecker.typepad.com/.a/6a00e0099229e8883302b75197a7b7200c-800wi (image)
-[3]: https://www.instagram.com/ddidak/ (link)
-[4]: https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2013/12/high-speed-trains-are-killing-the-european-railway-network.html (link)
-[5]: https://krisdedecker.typepad.com/.a/6a00e0099229e8883302b75197d1bc200c-pi (link)
-[6]: https://krisdedecker.typepad.com/.a/6a00e0099229e8883302b75197d1bc200c-800wi (image)
-[7]: https://krisdedecker.typepad.com/.a/6a00e0099229e8883302b6852a8ae5200d-pi (link)
-[8]: https://krisdedecker.typepad.com/.a/6a00e0099229e8883302b6852a8ae5200d-800wi (image)
-[9]: https://krisdedecker.typepad.com/.a/6a00e0099229e8883302b6852aacfa200d-pi (link)
-[10]: https://krisdedecker.typepad.com/.a/6a00e0099229e8883302b6852aacfa200d-800wi (image)
-[11]: https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2020/12/how-and-why-i-stopped-buying-new-laptops.html (link)
-[12]: https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/low-tech-magazine-the-printed-website.html (link)
-[13]: https://d69baa34.sibforms.com/serve/MUIEAJWIw9w82Dl4ua6FQArPaI-3Qb-zVTwPNabHQgFH51MiGF69Smy9LOC_HPoUmBj0emaXsXT87gcQXDPvtu-AZsJCHWhkkv21CdrcQu4GdnYAhZ-MrIPhwGDecagLzYxqfvkaqXg2ODcbJU4ByoDmzJK3ZTczDo2jcWtfn-En0MGKLVkgxx9TgdHqYoPabMJCMF-agLEclEwv (link)
-[14]: https://www.paypal.me/lowtechmagazine (link)
-[15]: https://www.patreon.com/lowtechmagazine (link)
-[16]: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/10126902221138033 (link)
-[17]: https://dukespace.lib.duke.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/10161/8483/Duke_MP_Published.pdf (link)
-[18]: https://www.routledge.com/Routledge-Companion-to-Cycling/Norcliffe-Brogan-Cox-Gao-Hadland-Hanlon-Jones-Oddy-Vivanco/p/book/9781003142041 (link)
-[19]: https://www.cyclist.co.uk/in-depth/11003/steel-bike-frame-environmental-impact (link)
-[20]: https://off.road.cc/content/news/starling-cycles-publishes-environmental-footprint-assessment-and-policy-10513 (link)
-[21]: https://sciforum.net/manuscripts/953/original.pdf (link)
-[22]: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0921344920303281 (link)
-[23]: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S136192092100047X (link)
-[24]: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42452-019-0721-z (link)
-[25]: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959652620351258 (link)
-[26]: https://treeze.ch/fileadmin/user_upload/downloads/Publications/Case_Studies/Mobility/leuenberger-2010-TwoWheelVehicles.pdf (link)
-[27]: https://circularcycling.nl/product/from-marginal-gains-to-a-circular-revolution/ (link)
-[28]: https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/u-s-petition-that-calls-for-end-of-built-to-fail-bikes-gaining-support-in-b-c (link)
-[29]: https://www.vice.com/en/article/wxdgq9/mechanics-ask-walmart-major-bike-manufacturers-to-stop-making-and-selling-built-to-fail-bikes (link)
-[30]: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsus.2021.785036/full (link)
-[31]: https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/indicators/overview-of-the-electricity-production-3/assessment (link)
-[32]: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/20/7817 (link)
-[33]: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212827122001214 (link)
-[34]: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0921344919301090 (link)
-[35]: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/green-living-blog/2010/sep/23/carbon-footprint-new-car (link)
-[36]: https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/automobiles/as-cars-are-kept-longer-200000-is-new-100000.html?_r=2&ref=business&pagewanted=all& (link)
-[37]: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/6/1550 (link)
-[38]: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/131212/1/M%20Christensen%202015%20the%20unstable%20lives%20of%20bicycles%20ver2%20postprint.pdf (link)
-[39]: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/03611981221084692 (link)
-[40]: https://www.lulu.com/search?adult_audience_rating=00&contributor=Kris+De+Decker&page=1&pageSize=10&sortBy=PRODUCT_SALES_30_DAYS (link)
-[41]: https://krisdedecker.typepad.com/.a/6a00e0099229e8883302788070a5b5200d-pi (link)
-[42]: https://krisdedecker.typepad.com/.a/6a00e0099229e8883302788070a5b5200d-800wi (image)
-[43]: https://krisdedecker.typepad.com/.a/6a00e0099229e8883302b6852a8a55200d-pi (link)
-