Here we go again 'save the planet' 'recycled' Volvo Itera
 

Do kiddie investors today ever study history or research markets? Though perhaps there's a few of the 30,000 made Volvo plastic trash bikes from 1981-1985 this time recycled into this latest venture.
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1981-85 Volvo Itera

Coming soon, the 'Igus' at 37.5 lbs, priced at $1,280 USD.
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I was gonna say that’s not a bad weight for an ebike… til I read on and saw it’s analog :twitchy:

I had to check the article date so see if it was 04/01/24 after reading "plastic ball bearings"

It's not a bad idea. Why are you so down on it?

I don't know much about plastic bikes, but it seems they might have all the pitfalls of the other frame materials -- except rusting I suppose -- and none of the advantages. I can't imagine the ride would feel anything but 'dead.' I'm all ears if someone has a contradictory opinion.

A better bike design for fabricating out of recycled materials and recycling @ EOL:

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"Steel is 100 percent recyclable, which means it can be recycled into the same material of the same quality again and again." - American Iron and Steel Institute

Interesting take on thru-hub. The designers do seem to have greatly increased the diameter of the bearing races.

Plastic recycling has to-date turned out to be one of the major disappointments of modern life. If these cats advance making EOL plastics valuable for creating new, useful products, I'm a supporter. No doubt some of the processes they invent could be used to make other things.

I'm willing to suspend judgment until it gets in the hands of an independent reviewer, but based on my limited experience with the only rotational and injection molded plastic-framed bike I've interacted with...

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Likewise, I found the Big Wheels to dangerously prone to skids, wipeouts and even violent crashes. But to be fair the tires are, well, um, plastic.

BUT, That was half the fun of riding one!

Count me as a skeptic. Using recycled plastic sounds admirable at first glance. Certainly gains PR points.
But from my limited knowledge of using recycled plastic, it requires tremendous amounts of energy to reach the finished product.
One cannot simply utilize any discarded material. It must consist largely of high-density polypropolene (spelling!) or HDPE.
Then it requires grinding into small bits, prior to feeding into a hopper that melts it for insertion to huge injection molding machines.
Getting those shades means adding expensive colorant, as well as EV inhibitors to prevent the sun from destroying the product prematurely.
My impression is those wheels need the highest quality HDPE for strength and durability.
And 37.5 pounds? Come on, for less than $1,280 you can buy a nice lightweight hybrid.

Of course, this Igus RCYL doesn't complete with a Trek Madone. For reference, a single-speed Gazelle Esprit weighs 40#. A Pashley Roadster Sovereign weighs 47#, similar to the weight of the beloved Classic & Vintage Raleigh Tourist.

Fenders, lights, all-weather brakes, enclosed drivetrains.

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I bet they have a great ESG score and have a nice diverse group of workers..... I suspect governments and cities will buy these to show how green they are, only issue is they do need to be e-bikes since those are the only rentals I see being used.

It's pretty incredible how modern the Itera looks in silhouette, proportion, and gesture. A carbon fork and welded, hydroformed aluminum frame would cast the same silhouette. The use of then-period componentry is understandable yet visually startling. One does not go with the other--more stark than a 1985 Cannondale SR with Nuovo Record (as seen in their brochure).

The Igus looks like the huge molded plastic shopping cart add-ons for kids. Very "derp" and dopey in the proportion of details and the visual masses. The "wear resistant" plastic bearings was a bit eye-rolling as well. If it's not too much energy to manufacture, or rather, if it is decidedly less than using virgin material, then there is an upside present. If it's just a green marketing ploy, then that is a waste of many people's money and various resources. Also, where do I go to sell my soul to get millions of dollars to blow on endeavors such as these???

Plastic is good at many things. Many things. Frames are not one of them. At least frames that look like that. They could have just called me. I have non-Ray-Charles-spec designs for days!

But it has disc brakes!

Exactly so! Way more fun than a bike when I was young enough to ride one. I suppose "drift trikes" are no longer popular, but they were basically a scaled up Big Wheel with a gas engine out back. I once saw one decending Hwy 26 into Portland, alternately sliding to left and right.

Is the Igus RCYL a good bike? Beats me. But I wouldn't expect a good plastic bike to look like a steel bike - the material properties are too different. This Igus RCL looks like a bike where they designed for function with an understanding of plastic's material properties.

Not an engineer, but the plastic bearings would seem to be a major drawback to anyone using this design for more than super casual riding. It would seem that deformation of the bearings would zap lots of rolling efficiency. You’re not going to spin a wheel and marvel at how long it keeps spinning. Similarly, I’ve read that heat kills bearings. While these have a large diameter bearing area, I wouldn’t want to be the one making descents down many mountain passes. Of course, that isn’t really the niche they are after I suppose.

I was thinking the same thing…those bearings have to travel all that extra distance over an increased race diameter for every revolution compare to a standard wheel, and that is multiplying the wear, especially for a plastic bearing.

I like innovation. Just not quite sold on the ‘eco’ hussle of it. Now if they made bikes out of that corn-derived stuff, you could ride your bike and when the frame cracked or got worn out you could just eat it and then eco problem solved!:lol: