The Environment and Bikes

si_keay said:

Hi,

I'm trying to get some idea of how environmental cyclists are!
I'm a student in the uk, I'm doing environmental design and I'm also a cyclist.

Please everyone reply to this:

Is the environment important to you?
Do you consider environmentally friendly or ethical products when you shop?
Would you like to see more eco products in the bike market?
How important is it that products are environmentally considered to you?.. would you be willing to pay more for them, how about function; would you sacrifice some.. say weight for a greener product?

Thanks v much

1. Very important
2. Yes - often organic, vegetarian, biodegradable, reusable (canvas grocery bags). I would like to see some alternatives to plastics for helmets, vinyls, etc.
3. Very, I package my products in biodegradable cellophane bags instead of plastic. I'm willing to pay 10-20% more for green products.

si_keay said:

Hi,

I'm trying to get some idea of how environmental cyclists are!
I'm a student in the uk, I'm doing environmental design and I'm also a cyclist.

Please everyone reply to this:

Is the environment important to you?
Do you consider environmentally friendly or ethical products when you shop?
Would you like to see more eco products in the bike market?
How important is it that products are environmentally considered to you?.. would you be willing to pay more for them, how about function; would you sacrifice some.. say weight for a greener product?

Thanks v much

1. yes, we humans are a part of it.
2. yes, I try to consider these things when making purchases
3. yes, it would be good to see more environmentally aware designs and more environmentally sensitive materials used in manufacturing and in the creation and provision of accessories and services
4. I would be willing to pay more if I believed the product was more ecologically sound and was freely available.

si_keay said:

Is the environment important to you?

Absolutely. This is one of the main reasons I cycle (and am carless), although I also cycle for fitness and fun. This is also one of my main reasons for being vegetarian...

si_keay said:

Do you consider environmentally friendly or ethical products when you shop?

Yup, and I'm glad to see more degreasers switching to biodegradable formulas. I pay attention to both environmental friendliness and fair trade when purchasing most products, not just for cycling, e.g., bio detergents, recycled paper products, etc. I use rechargeable batteries in my lights. It's a little hard to find shorts, gloves, warmers, and other gear that's not made in China and other places with sketchy human rights and labor protections, but I try.

si_keay said:

Would you like to see more eco products in the bike market?

Definitely, e.g., fleece made from recycled bottles. I know Pedro's makes a saddle wedge bag from inner tubes...neat! Can racks and other bits be made from recycled aluminum? I don't know how this works...

si_keay said:

How important is it that products are environmentally considered to you?.. would you be willing to pay more for them, how about function; would you sacrifice some.. say weight for a greener product?

Would def. pay more...already do this for my non-cycling organic and eco products. I'm a commuter, not a racer, and I cycle for exercise, so I don't much care about weight.

Good luck with your studies, and ride on!

Ken

si_keay said:

Hi,

I'm trying to get some idea of how environmental cyclists are!
I'm a student in the uk, I'm doing environmental design and I'm also a cyclist.

Please everyone reply to this:

Is the environment important to you?
Do you consider environmentally friendly or ethical products when you shop?
Would you like to see more eco products in the bike market?
How important is it that products are environmentally considered to you?.. would you be willing to pay more for them, how about function; would you sacrifice some.. say weight for a greener product?

Thanks v much

Yeah! Another poor, starving, college student! I'm studying Nutrition.
1) Yes. I live next to a national forest and with nature all around it's hard to ignore it.
2) Yes.
3) Yes. I would like to see bike companies use enviromentally friendly manufacturing processes.
4) To some extent. My limited financial resources and that fact that I'm also a racer means that I would have to weigh the pros and cons of each product but I usually take the enviroment's side.

The questions in order:
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Very important. I am paying more for these kind of products already. But sacrifice weight... Hm :p

It's an interesting topic so thanks for posting and I hope more people become aware about environmental-friendly products in the future. Good luck with your work.

I too, answer yes to all the questions, but with some qualifiers.

I'm an American, but I don't think I'm a typical American when it comes to cycling and the environment. Generally speaking, most cyclists I know are not unusually concerned about environmental issues, at least not any more than the average motorist.

You've probably heard of Mike Vandeman; I know he's all over the Usenet cycling forums.

http://www.imaja.com/change/environment/mvarticles/

Well, Mike may be a little over the top, be he's right about some of these so-called "Mountain Bikers," at least the downhilling variety that ride near my home in the Cascade Foothills. These guys constantly construct new downhill routes along the mountain ridges in this area. The Forest Service spends thousands of dollars to block them off and restore the hillsides, and a week later there's a brand new trail ten yards away. It's pretty sad, and on top of that, they all drive their full-sized V-8 pick-ups to the trailhead, and dump their trash wherever they see fit.

I also don't think the cycling industry has gone out of its way to display much environmental concern, or to make itself a friend to the average cyclist, for that matter.

Ike90 said:

I also don't think the cycling industry has gone out of its way to display much environmental concern, or to make itself a friend to the average cyclist, for that matter.

Not that I disagree necessarily, but I'm curious how you think the cycling industry could better display environmental concern. Being a self-confessed "tree-hugger" and carless commuter, this is an interesting line of discussion.

I guess I don't look at my bike (okay, bikes!) and see a lot of opportunities to be significantly greener. There are obvious things like biodegradable cleaners and rechargeable batteries for lighting, but I don't think my bike generates a whole lot of waste, given proper maintenance. I'd appreciate more ideas from the "green cyclists" out there.

SEAcarlessTTLE said:

Not that I disagree necessarily, but I'm curious how you think the cycling industry could better display environmental concern. Being a self-confessed "tree-hugger" and carless commuter, this is an interesting line of discussion.

I guess I don't look at my bike (okay, bikes!) and see a lot of opportunities to be significantly greener. There are obvious things like biodegradable cleaners and rechargeable batteries for lighting, but I don't think my bike generates a whole lot of waste, given proper maintenance. I'd appreciate more ideas from the "green cyclists" out there.

I was going to echo a similar sentiment on this topic when I first read it. And I think you are correct. I assumed what the OP was talking about, is road biking and racing with accompanying vans, packing mountain bikes on the top of SUVs, etc. A lot of the bike shops seem to cater to racing teams and mountain biking groups that use these practices. It's all relative, when one compares this to NASCAR!

Also, the young racer or mountain biker of today may be the bicycle commuter of tomorrow!

I agree with most of the above, as well.

I'm not suggesting that the cycling industry is anti-environment, or even complacent, I just don't see environmental concern as being much of an issue to it either way.

The image portrayed through marketing in the cycling industry is not the enviromentally concerned commuter doing his or her part to reduce pollution and traffic, it's the hard core century rider on a carbon fiber frame, carrying overpackaged energy foods, a CO2 cartridge, and dressed from head-to-toe in clothing manufactured from petroleum products.

As PBS wrote, it's all relative, and certainly bicycles play a practically not-worth-mentioning role in terms of their negative impact. My point is simply that environmental concern hasn't proven to be a successful marketing strategy for selling cycling equipment, and as a result, the industry doesn't embrace it very much.

My larger complaint with the industry is that I believe it continually tries to sell products and "new technologies" that are of dubious value, and in some cases, are totally fraudulent. But that's a different topic anyway.

You make a very good point, Ike90. You are right about cycle clothing, and the same goes for sports clothing in general. There is not much of an option though. I live in a hot country, and cycle in a cotton t-shirt is out of the question. How to make durable cycling shoes without plastic, nylon and synthetic leather? I'd love to wear something oil-free, but not much of an option. 🙁

mmmmm

heres my take on this thread

the environment as it stands now is pretty much night night the actions of recycling a few banana skins and beer cans is far outweighewd by polluting companies and high end products. while there is the vast number of us recycle and are environmental we must remain clear that we are far outnumbered by the harsher chemical producing companies that have products that cannot by recycled for instance the NiCAD batteries once they die have you heard of anyone recycling them ??? if so would be interested to see whether the amount of energy produced to make them a viable product again.

the products inside the humble toaster or iron (or even road tyres) hte plastic around the copper wires make for great polluted groundwater

what steps has there been to address those

as for ethical shops.......................

what are they ??????

i dont mean to be rude but everything that we own or think of owning exploits the thrid world counctry directly or indirecty from either a labour standpoint or a producing standpoint.

my two cents........................................................................................

BEFORE anybody criticises lets make it clear that it is my view
so if it is different than yours then thats what makes it a democracy the FREEDOM to express

si_keay said:

Please everyone reply to this:

Is the environment important to you?
Do you consider environmentally friendly or ethical products when you shop?
Would you like to see more eco products in the bike market?
How important is it that products are environmentally considered to you?.. would you be willing to pay more for them, how about function; would you sacrifice some.. say weight for a greener product?

1. Extremely important - What is that old saying, "Do not shi!t where you eat"
2. Yessir. I've been buying non-petroleum-based detergents, I use rechargeable batteries, and stuff like that as much as I can.
3. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd say 8-9. Basically, I do it whenever I can afford to.

I agree that the cycling industry could show more concern for green issues, the way the outdoors/backpacking companies have.

There are two kinds of people: People who recycle, and people who should be taken out and shot, burned at the stake, drawn and quartered, disemboweled, impaled, boiled in oil, dragged through the streets, and then shot again. That gives you an idea of how I feel about recycling 😄

Baulplair said:

There are two kinds of people: People who recycle, and people who should be taken out and shot, burned at the stake, drawn and quartered, disemboweled, impaled, boiled in oil, dragged through the streets, and then shot again.

Wouldn't a better statement be;

There are two kinds of people: People who recycle and people who need better education on the importance of recycling.

Road rage
Shopping Trolley rage
Recycling rage
..... rage

mikesbytes said:

Wouldn't a better statement be;

There are two kinds of people: People who recycle and people who need better education on the importance of recycling.

Good point. Edit that second group to: People who know they should recycle but don't bother because they think it it's unmanly or something.

You know, when it gets to the point where you can't joke about medieval torture methods without getting some kind of didactic response, you gotta get out.

mikesbytes said:

Wouldn't a better statement be;

There are two kinds of people: People who recycle and people who need better education on the importance of recycling.

Road rage
Shopping Trolley rage
Recycling rage
..... rage

You could say that there are people who recycle, and people who ought to be recycled.
There are also people who cycle but don't recycle....

I am concerned about the environment. That is why I'll NEVER buy a new, aluminium framed bike. Smelting bauxite to produce aluminium for bicycle frames requires phenominal amounts of energy.

Baulplair said:

Good point. Edit that second group to: People who know they should recycle but don't bother because they think it it's unmanly or something.

You know, when it gets to the point where you can't joke about medieval torture methods without getting some kind of didactic response, you gotta get out.

Hey I didn't say how we would educate them. The classes could be be conducted by polite italian men in pinstrip suits sitting on violin cases with unknown contents.

Wasn't it amazing how well Kissinger could negotiate when a couple of aircraft carriers were sitting just out of terrorial waters.

Edit: I'm suffering from ebay rage, looking for the category to advertise a computer table so it can be recycled to another home.