Veg friendly bikes?
07-28-07, 11:18 AM
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A couple of weeks ago, I killed a cute, fuzzy chipmunk. Well, at least I think I did. I was riding on a MUP and my back wheel hit something. I thought that was strange because I did not see a rock, stick or anything that would cause this bump. About 10 minutes later I was coming back and saw the dead chipmunk in the location of the bump.
07-28-07, 12:24 PM
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I can't believe all the big, tough meat eaters who feel so threatened by a vegan that they have nothing else to do but sit here and take pot shots at somebody making a buying decision. What a load of wussies.
07-28-07, 01:33 PM
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But the OP didn't create the topic to either troll or justify his personal choices to others. I can't even see where he made any disparaging comments about those of us who are omnivores. All he wanted to know is if anyone knew about bikes made without animal products. It's kind of an obscure topic, and I can understand not having any answers. We all have the right here to ask questions about bikes and cycling without having others jump on us for what we prefer. Personally, I have had people jump on me for preferring bikes with internal hub gearing over derailleur gearing, and to this day I am still perplexed by how unpleasant they were about it.
The only advice I have is what Blue Order said: contact Veloshop on Portland, OR. The owner is a vegan and tries to stock items that don't involve animal products. I've never shopped there myself, but they do have a good reputation around town.
EDIT: The OP may also consider doing a search on this topic in the SSFG forum. There seems to be a group of FG riders here who also happen to be vegan.
The only advice I have is what Blue Order said: contact Veloshop on Portland, OR. The owner is a vegan and tries to stock items that don't involve animal products. I've never shopped there myself, but they do have a good reputation around town.
EDIT: The OP may also consider doing a search on this topic in the SSFG forum. There seems to be a group of FG riders here who also happen to be vegan.
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07-28-07, 02:02 PM
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Stick with cork bar tape instead of leather tape. Also, seriously, you might want to consider natural rubber tires and tubes instead of petroleum product tires.
07-28-07, 02:06 PM
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But the OP didn't create the topic to either troll or justify his personal choices to others. I can't even see where he made any disparaging comments about those of us who are omnivores. All he wanted to know is if anyone knew about bikes made without animal products. It's kind of an obscure topic, and I can understand not having any answers. We all have the right here to ask questions about bikes and cycling without having others jump on us for what we prefer. Personally, I have had people jump on me for preferring bikes with internal hub gearing over derailleur gearing, and to this day I am still perplexed by how unpleasant they were about it.
The only advice I have is what Blue Order said: contact Veloshop on Portland, OR. The owner is a vegan and tries to stock items that don't involve animal products. I've never shopped there myself, but they do have a good reputation around town.
EDIT: The OP may also consider doing a search on this topic in the SSFG forum. There seems to be a group of FG riders here who also happen to be vegan.
The only advice I have is what Blue Order said: contact Veloshop on Portland, OR. The owner is a vegan and tries to stock items that don't involve animal products. I've never shopped there myself, but they do have a good reputation around town.
EDIT: The OP may also consider doing a search on this topic in the SSFG forum. There seems to be a group of FG riders here who also happen to be vegan.
nothing wrong with hub gears. In fact they're very cool and definitely the way forward.
https://www.nicolai.net/products/e-frames.html
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Recommended reading for all cyclists - Cyclecraft - Effective Cycling
Condor Cycles - quite possibly the best bike shop in London
Don't run red lights, wear a helmet, use hand signals, get some cycle lights(front and rear) and, FFS, don't run red lights!
07-28-07, 07:48 PM
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Thanks all for the comments, especially to donnamb and anyone who mentioned the place in Portland. I'm not interested in buying a bike by mail, but might contact him to get some advice.
BTW, my post isn't a comment or anything about anyone's diet or lifestyle choices. This is just a choice I've made and would like to follow through if I can.
Thanks again,
Jigs
BTW, my post isn't a comment or anything about anyone's diet or lifestyle choices. This is just a choice I've made and would like to follow through if I can.
Thanks again,
Jigs
07-28-07, 07:50 PM
#32
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As a vegan, I wish I could be more informative than donnamb about this subject but I can't.
About the farthest I get in remaining vegan in cycling is to make sure my saddle and shoes are not leather, beyond that it is a stretch. It's probably pretty hard to determine the "vegan-ness" beyond that, or at least maybe I am not as dedicated/driven to do it as another vegan.
Good luck though, hopefully the guy in Portland will be a good source.
About the farthest I get in remaining vegan in cycling is to make sure my saddle and shoes are not leather, beyond that it is a stretch. It's probably pretty hard to determine the "vegan-ness" beyond that, or at least maybe I am not as dedicated/driven to do it as another vegan.
Good luck though, hopefully the guy in Portland will be a good source.
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07-28-07, 09:45 PM
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07-28-07, 10:03 PM
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Not that I am aware. I believe that comment was part of the thread going off in a different direction from the intent of the OP.
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07-29-07, 11:50 PM
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Check this website for vegetarian motorcyclists that has a bunch of links that could prove helpful. One of the suggestions that could apply to both two-wheeled sports is to stick with shoes made of Lorica (a synthetic) to have many of the benefits of regular leather without being an animal product.
I say this as a person who consumes meat but could easily become vegetarian because I enjoy vegetarian dishes/restaurants so much!
I say this as a person who consumes meat but could easily become vegetarian because I enjoy vegetarian dishes/restaurants so much!
07-30-07, 09:26 AM
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I guess what it comes down to is what you think is acceptable. Metal and rubber production both use animal products on some level and you have to decide wether or not there is enough animal abuse/mistreatment to warrant giving it up. In all honesty, you'll be hard-pressed to find a bicycle that is 100% completely animal product-free (if they even exist). I'm a vegan of several years and I used to struggle with these kinds of decisions. Just try to remember that Veganism is a way of life and a mindset, not a radical religion and riding a bike doesn't make you any less vegan than anyone else. This might help too:
Is refined sugar vegan? It depends on how you define 'vegan.' Refined sugars do not contain any animal products, and so by an ingredients-based definition of vegan, refined sugar is vegan. However, some refined sugar is processed with animal bone char. The charcoal is used to remove color, impurities, and minerals from sugar. The charcoal is not 'in' the sugar, but is used in the process as as a filter. Thus by a process-based definition of vegan, refined sugar may not be considered vegan. For those who would prefer not to use refined sugar, there are several alternatives: raw, turbinado, beet sugar, succanat, date sugar, fructose, barley malt, rice syrup, corn syrup, molasses, and maple syrup.
However, if one accepts a process-based definition of vegan, then many other familiar products would also not be considered vegan. For instance, steel and vulcanized rubber are produced using animal fats and, in many areas, groundwater and surface water is filtered through bone charcoal filters. So, is a box of pasta that contains no animal products, but has transported to the store in a steel truck on rubber wheels and then cooked in boiling water at your home, vegan? Under a process-based definition, possibly not. But according to such a definition, it would be difficult to find any products in this country that are vegan.
There is another point about definitions that comes to mind. Perhaps, in the above example, the pasta maker also makes an egg pasta. The same machinery is used, and traces of egg are in the 'vegan' pasta; would the pasta not be vegan?
Again, we recommend that vegans concentrate their attention on the most obvious animal ingredients. In our experience, concentrating on processing or on trace ingredients can make a vegan diet appear exceedingly difficult and dissuade people from adopting it.
I personally agree with the argument that focusing on the most obvious animal ingredients is a reasonable approach. After all, what about situations where the process has been designed and performed by a meat eater? They got the energy to turn up to work to make the product from eating meat and since human resource / effort is one of the key ingredients for any process shouldn't that count?
However, if one accepts a process-based definition of vegan, then many other familiar products would also not be considered vegan. For instance, steel and vulcanized rubber are produced using animal fats and, in many areas, groundwater and surface water is filtered through bone charcoal filters. So, is a box of pasta that contains no animal products, but has transported to the store in a steel truck on rubber wheels and then cooked in boiling water at your home, vegan? Under a process-based definition, possibly not. But according to such a definition, it would be difficult to find any products in this country that are vegan.
There is another point about definitions that comes to mind. Perhaps, in the above example, the pasta maker also makes an egg pasta. The same machinery is used, and traces of egg are in the 'vegan' pasta; would the pasta not be vegan?
Again, we recommend that vegans concentrate their attention on the most obvious animal ingredients. In our experience, concentrating on processing or on trace ingredients can make a vegan diet appear exceedingly difficult and dissuade people from adopting it.
I personally agree with the argument that focusing on the most obvious animal ingredients is a reasonable approach. After all, what about situations where the process has been designed and performed by a meat eater? They got the energy to turn up to work to make the product from eating meat and since human resource / effort is one of the key ingredients for any process shouldn't that count?
07-30-07, 04:22 PM
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Have you thought about getting a quality used bike? Some great bikes go for peanuts on Craigslist. Then you're not really supporting anything but a healthy environment for everything.
Only leather saddles and bar wrap are directly nonvegan. Manufacturing anything is bad for the environment, but I'd rather ride a bike than drive a car.
Only leather saddles and bar wrap are directly nonvegan. Manufacturing anything is bad for the environment, but I'd rather ride a bike than drive a car.
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07-30-07, 08:31 PM
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Check this website for vegetarian motorcyclists that has a bunch of links that could prove helpful. One of the suggestions that could apply to both two-wheeled sports is to stick with shoes made of Lorica (a synthetic) to have many of the benefits of regular leather without being an animal product.
I say this as a person who consumes meat but could easily become vegetarian because I enjoy vegetarian dishes/restaurants so much!
I say this as a person who consumes meat but could easily become vegetarian because I enjoy vegetarian dishes/restaurants so much!
Best,
Jigs
07-30-07, 08:40 PM
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Have you thought about getting a quality used bike? Some great bikes go for peanuts on Craigslist. Then you're not really supporting anything but a healthy environment for everything.
Only leather saddles and bar wrap are directly nonvegan. Manufacturing anything is bad for the environment, but I'd rather ride a bike than drive a car.
Only leather saddles and bar wrap are directly nonvegan. Manufacturing anything is bad for the environment, but I'd rather ride a bike than drive a car.
To get a totally vegan bike, made by all vegans using all parts made by vegans would be a daunting task (but woth a chuckle or two thinking about it).
Jigs
07-30-07, 10:43 PM
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Ah, ok. You don't have much to worry about then (as others have pointed out). Most quality saddles are synthetic. Leather bar wrap is practically nonexistant.
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07-31-07, 12:02 AM
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I commend your search for more ethical products- Don't know about any whole bike manufacturers that are necessarily vegan minded, but one product I do use is bio-lube. It's made from vegetable oils, is biodegradable, cruelty free, and it works really well.
https://bio-lube.com/
Sidi shoes are I believe mostly all Lorica, and are great quality. Fizik makes a lot of vegan saddles that are also well made.
https://bio-lube.com/
Sidi shoes are I believe mostly all Lorica, and are great quality. Fizik makes a lot of vegan saddles that are also well made.
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07-31-07, 08:22 AM
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there is another lube, www.ernestolube.com, that is made from soy, I believe. He's from wisconsin, and he'll refill the bottle for half price when you run out.
It seems like this is a market that more people should get into. People who ride bikes are generally more conscious about the environment, so I would think companies that got into making/selling environmentally friendly bike products would do pretty well for themselves and for the planet.
It seems like this is a market that more people should get into. People who ride bikes are generally more conscious about the environment, so I would think companies that got into making/selling environmentally friendly bike products would do pretty well for themselves and for the planet.
07-31-07, 08:43 AM
#45
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I don't understand what's up with all the haters here. The OP asked a legitimate question that deserves honest answers and not a bunch of wiseass remarks. Fortunately there are a few posters here with some good info.
To the OP - let us know how you make out. I'm very curious to see what you find out there.
Rob
To the OP - let us know how you make out. I'm very curious to see what you find out there.
Rob
07-31-07, 09:15 AM
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I don't understand what's up with all the haters here. The OP asked a legitimate question that deserves honest answers and not a bunch of wiseass remarks. Fortunately there are a few posters here with some good info.
To the OP - let us know how you make out. I'm very curious to see what you find out there.
Rob
To the OP - let us know how you make out. I'm very curious to see what you find out there.
Rob
I appricate the posts on the lube and shoes. Also, I found a good cycling form for vegans at:
https://www.veganfitness.net/forum/vi...17b7a7784c619a
Best,
Jigs
07-31-07, 10:04 AM
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I don't understand what's up with all the haters here. The OP asked a legitimate question that deserves honest answers and not a bunch of wiseass remarks. Fortunately there are a few posters here with some good info.
To the OP - let us know how you make out. I'm very curious to see what you find out there.
Rob
To the OP - let us know how you make out. I'm very curious to see what you find out there.
Rob
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"Real wars of words are harder to win. They require thought, insight, precision, articulation, knowledge, and experience. They require the humility to admit when you are wrong. They recognize that the dialectic is not about making us look at you, but about us all looking together for the truth."
"Real wars of words are harder to win. They require thought, insight, precision, articulation, knowledge, and experience. They require the humility to admit when you are wrong. They recognize that the dialectic is not about making us look at you, but about us all looking together for the truth."
07-31-07, 04:41 PM
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07-31-07, 04:43 PM
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It wasn't even a debate. The OP merely asked about whether it's possible to buy a vegan bike. OTHER people felt the need to take potshots at the OP for being a vegan.
Yeah, I wasn't suggesting that you buy a bike from them, just that they can help you out with advice.
Yeah, I wasn't suggesting that you buy a bike from them, just that they can help you out with advice.
08-01-07, 07:23 AM
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where is that picture of the squirrel stuck in the front wheel when you need it?
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