Sustainable Bicycles
All bikes are sustainable transport, but some are more sustainable than others.
The cheap bicycle shaped object bought from a non-specialist retailer, used once, put in a shed for 5 years then thrown away isn't sustainable.
The mid price bike bought on the "cycle to work" scheme, ridden into the ground and replaced after a year is a bit better.
A truly sustainable bike is bought once, looked after, and will literally last a lifetime.
At Common Wheel, we try to make sustainable bikes. Some bikes we sold 10 or 15 years ago come back regularly for maintenance and I expect them to outlive their owners.
The ideal recipe for a sustainable bike is:
This isn't that difficult to make. However, it's very hard to sell to non-enthusiast bike riders as it will be expensive (about £500), and magazine reading cyclists will think it old-fashioned.
Click here for a good example.
You can find bikes like this on sale new if you search, and we can make one for you from an old frame.
The cheap bicycle shaped object bought from a non-specialist retailer, used once, put in a shed for 5 years then thrown away isn't sustainable.
The mid price bike bought on the "cycle to work" scheme, ridden into the ground and replaced after a year is a bit better.
A truly sustainable bike is bought once, looked after, and will literally last a lifetime.
At Common Wheel, we try to make sustainable bikes. Some bikes we sold 10 or 15 years ago come back regularly for maintenance and I expect them to outlive their owners.
The ideal recipe for a sustainable bike is:
- A steel frame made in a very conventional, conservative way. This used to mean a 1 inch headset, but the standard is changing and 1 1/8 is more futureproof. Horizontal dropouts are good.
- A rigid steel fork
- Proper mudguards
- Caliper brakes
- Chain drive
- A square taper bottom bracket like the Shimano UN55
- Some gears, either hub or up to 8 speed derailleur
- Ideally a chaincase
This isn't that difficult to make. However, it's very hard to sell to non-enthusiast bike riders as it will be expensive (about £500), and magazine reading cyclists will think it old-fashioned.
Click here for a good example.
You can find bikes like this on sale new if you search, and we can make one for you from an old frame.
