Bikes and Bike Designs

Hi Singlefonts,A good question!When you look at the interior of a 100% plastic car, whether it's the fabrics, the dashboard, the various levers, the wrists, etc. It's true that the solutions to the biological and climatic emergency do are still from the 20th century!! But are we ready to do without plastic and have an additional cost of 30% on our products (namely that no product is efficient), in view of the rise in inflation, I doubt it?Industry and our mode of consumption will be the stakes of the beginning of the 21st century

Good points. I'd also imagine the mold costs will be very high and prohibit offering proper size options.

While mold costs could be high, per unit cost would be low. Payback would be quick.

Holland seems to be the target market so this would be a great product. Relatively flat terrain so weight is not an issue. Lots of rainy weather so it would not be prone to rust like the typical steel framed bicycle you see over there. Their bikes spend a lot of time sitting outside and being used in rainy weather. The drivetrain is also protected from the weather. They use bikes for transportation, not fast group rides so aerodynamics are a non-issue. Forget about any environmental justification. A plastic frame and rims would have a lot of benefits over there.

Hi Bob good analysis, on the other hand aluminum and carbon fibers do not oxidize, it is true that for iron and steel frames the paint only protects for about ten years. On this kind of model the plastic reduces the purchase of the bike to 1200 €, in carbon fiber in my opinion the price doubles...

You won’t find carbon bicycles in getting much use in Holland. For some reason aluminum doesn’t seem to be favored either. They go for cheap, reliable, completely utilitarian transportation. They use bicycles like we use cars in the USA. No way to really compare bicycle usage here to there.

The problem I see with plastic is the stiffness. Can it be made rigid enough to not only withstand a normal ride, but will it take a set or start to warp over time. Plastic has creep issues. I think that one sided seat and chain stay arrangement may have some problems.

True. I'd imagine the stress points will need aluminum reinforcements internally.

Bicycle made of wood are also available!

Carbon bicycles are used by professional racing cyclists, very pricey.

Hobbyists have aluminum racing bicycle (also applies to mounting bikes). And people who tour a lot for fun usually do too.

In daily use, regular bicycles, steel frames are usually used. And abused ;)

Well made of wood, in addition there are luggage racks...

A mix of various (expensive) bicycles, including wood, aluminum and steel. The aluminum version can usually be recognized by the thicker frame tubes. https://uniquebikes.com/modellen/

Titanium bicycles are also available: https://www.vannicholas.com

Most North American bike frame manufacturers are still using steel because they don't have the proper equipment to compete with Asian manufacturers. It's mostly due to the common use of aluminum hydroforming and the additional requirement of heat treating the frames back to T6 hardness after adjusting alignment, before paint.

Carbon tends to be expensive just because the market will support it. It can actually be the least expensive material.

Most road racing style bikes, including the cheapest ones, use a carbon front fork because that is the least expensive way to manufacture it. One piece near net shape in one operation vs a weldment of many different sub components that have already had multiple fabrication steps. I think the main reason you don’t see more carbon frames is they are so easily damaged and are nearly impossible to repair.

One of my road bikes is a hybrid carbon and aluminum construction. (They quit making those because of bonding issues between the dissimilar materials.) My other bikes are aluminum. High end bikes seem to be evenly split between aluminum and carbon. I don’t see even a niche market for plastic bicycles in the US except as merely toys. Steel is relegated to cheap department store brands in the US.