I'm a DIY kinda guy so this is a cool story to read.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121628758&sc=nl&cc=es-20091227Someday soon, i plan to make my own frame. Likely steel though as it's always been a dream of mine. But a mostly biodegradable bike out of bamboo? That is pretty cool.
This is a quandary for me in most things I do - what is the least impactful way to go? Obviously, using less stuff is a good start, but when you do buy a bike, what is the most environmentally sound material? If I knew my steel or aluminum bike was going to be recycled into another one, like the biodegrading bamboo getting composted into soil to grow more bamboo, then I'd be a happier cyclist. I don't think I'm alone on that because many cyclists care about the air they breathe and the resources they use. It's worth some research into the tubing manufacturers to see where they get their materials and if any of it could be considered recycled and if so how much? NPD commented earlier here that steel is one of the more recycled materials around. I wonder if it's known at what % - in that I mean could a bicycle frame be said to be 0.01% or 5% or 50% recycled steel? Oskar Blues has many claims about Aluminum being a superior material for beer distribution as well as it's environmental benefits over other materials. Does anybody know if such tubing manufacturers as Reynolds, True Temper, Columbus use any recycled products? A quick Google search returned nothing. I'm going to dig in and look.
3 comments:
It was said already, but steel is the largely recycled. who knows, the tubing on your hunter might have recycled old autos, buildings from 9-11 and schwinn letours of years past. Some years ago, I found a great article on how steel is recycled. I'll try to relocate it and email it to you. The process is fascinating!
That studio in NYC is very cool, and the process is not that hard. I just put bamboo flooring in my house. It's inexpensive, easy to grow and can be used for anything from bicycles to clothing to food. I know a certain clothing company that graces my small frame in a regular basis is launching a line of bamboo baselayers and wool/bamboo blended clothing and baselayers in 2011.
The question is, my friend, which frame do you build?
I would love to read that article if you can find it!
Bamboo is amazing and a wool/bamboo clothing layer or baselayer would be a perfect replacement for stinky polypro...even if polypro can be reused/recycled through Patagucci.
Your last question is the one i've been struggling with for years. Right now, it's going to be a cross frame. But I also goto wanting to make a "mountain tourer" - similar to the Hunter but with some additions and changes that would make it better for off-road touring.
Whatever you do don't use Ti. The toxicity of titanium byproduct is way too scary. I saw several bamboo frame makers at Interbike this year. I like it altho I can tell you that my first few encounters with the stuff weren't very friendly. I like the way it looks and am told its very strong. I applaud your vision, I'm still in the place where eyecandy takes me out and the only question I utter is " is it fast?" Man I gotta long way to go....
NPD
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