Original Plastic Bicycle
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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.
These things must be crazy rare and I wonder if anyone here has a picture that is not the advertisement pictures shown above.
These things must be crazy rare and I wonder if anyone here has a picture that is not the advertisement pictures shown above.
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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...
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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...
-----
Last edited by juvela; 10-19-22 at 08:25 PM. Reason: addition
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From here: https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...materials.html
Only a couple prototypes were made. When I was in college in Albany I used to ride my bike to a coin shop on Central Ave and they'd let me bring it in to keep it safe. The guy who ran it had created the plastic bicycle and had made a few but something fell through on it and they never materialized. He had advertising materials and everything. Was being done through RPI if I remember correctly.
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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.
Last edited by zukahn1; 10-19-22 at 06:32 PM.
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+1, I recall brochures at the LBS but never a bike.
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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.
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The plastic bike that made it to production: the Itera
And for those of you who don't know what a chainwheel and derailleur look like , here's one from the drive side
And for those of you who don't know what a chainwheel and derailleur look like , here's one from the drive side
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Also kind of not understandable how Volvo managed to screw this up big time with really lame errors
#14
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Sadly, I remember that particular Bicycling! article
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Mr Thompson was experimenting with more 'stuff' than just plastic bicycles, methinks. Those bars look a little too happy to me.
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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.
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"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
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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.
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#21
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Bowen Spacelander fiberglass bicycle, 1960
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