Original Plastic Bicycle
 

I was just told about this bike up by someone at the local bike shop who said that he remembers when they came out, but he only saw the advertisements and none of them in real life.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...5902f8fbe.jpeg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...18470fca67.jpg


These things must be crazy rare and I wonder if anyone here has a picture that is not the advertisement pictures shown above.

I also found this picture. Looks like it would not last long at all.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...3494f43862.jpg

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this was me first thought also upon seeing the first two images

bikes shown appear to be incomplete mockups

both are fitted with two plateau chainsets but neither is fitted with a front mech

at least the red machine received shift levers; the yellow doesn't even have that

wheels shown were likely borrowed from somewhere

note how both "bicycles" are photographed from the non-drive side
whoever mocked them up for the pictures was not even familiar with the convention to photograph cycles from the drive side

makes one wonder if the product(s) were just vapourware... :foo:


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The brake cables aren't even hooked up to those centerpulls.

Has all the hallmarks of an investment scam.

-Kurt

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...594f62f46b.jpg

From here: https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...materials.html

Catalog images: https://www.proteanpaper.com/scart_r...00000000000332

You could 3D print one now.

Odd that the red one is X cabled with both levers going to the front center pull actually works pretty good, have actually seen this on funny tall bikes hand made helped make couple and yet there is rear brake caliber attached to nothing. Also for record the first plastic bike this is not there were actually a few plastic bikes made in the 1930,s when some of first high grade plastics came out.

+1, I recall brochures at the LBS but never a bike.

Many of the historical images of bikes I have are taken from the non-drive side, the thought being the viewer knew what a chainwheel and chain looked like and wanted to see the bike.

The plastic bike that made it to production: the Itera

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e2d0f035bc.jpg

And for those of you who don't know what a chainwheel and derailleur look like :D, here's one from the drive side

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...56d78384ec.jpg

Is probably the ugliest bank ever made.

Without commenting on the bikes look or (lack of?) success themselves the comparison shows what a startup with allegedly the god of plastic structural frames is capable of when they work hard for "All-in" versus a well established automotive company's "fiddling" with ideas...
Also kind of not understandable how Volvo managed to screw this up big time with really lame errors

Sadly, I remember that particular Bicycling! article

Mr Thompson was experimenting with more 'stuff' than just plastic bicycles, methinks. Those bars look a little too happy to me.

I do believe you're right. 😉

I can't help but wonder what happened, when that "model" tried pedaling, with those bell-bottoms on. 🤔😉

Seems apropos here.


:)

Given what we know today about health-threatening, ecosystem-threatening microplastic pollution and about UV degradation of plastic, I am thankful these were an evolutionary dead end. I'll stay with aluminum and steel, thank you.

That's also a way to look at it, an you are right, but among similar lines I was thinking after my "how did Volvo managed to screwed this up big time" I started to think about "if they were experimenting with full plastic bikes in the 70's, I'm happy that they didn't succeed, since the whole bike trend could have taken a turn and I would miss the 80's-90's steels... maybe some alus as well." and I started to think about my fave bikes...
The whole thing feel like a cold war situation "phew.... it was really close to the atomic war, thanks God it didn't happen..." just "phew.... it was really close to the rise of the plastic bike, thanks God it didn't happen..." which ultimately happened to some - but not full - extend with carbon... but at least no PP and nylon.

It wasn't a dead end. Plenty of fiber reinforced plastic bikes these days.

Bowen Spacelander fiberglass bicycle, 1960

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6de9988cb3.jpg