It’s hard to gather massive data about how careful or careless our industry is with waste. A lot of manufacturers take transparent sustainability pledges, but a lot more don’t. Bike shops, on the other hand, have open doors. So, Travis surveyed several dozen bike shop recycling programs (and got a few dozen responses) about how their waste is managed. Answers ranged from recycling to donations to landfills to something involving art projects and Burning Man.
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Radar
FAIR Bicycles DROP BEST UC Offset Saddle Clamp Review: Back and Forth
The FAIR Bicycle DROP BEST UC is more than just an excuse for Travis to talk about how much he really loves steep seat angles. It can add years of life to an outdated mountain bike by moving its saddle forward by more than an inch. Or, it’s a solution for people who really hate steep seat angles.
Radar
reTyre Is the World’s First Carbon-Neutral Tire
At Eurobike this year, reTyre unveiled world’s first carbon-neutral tire, made of 100% reclaimed materials, these tires are made through cutting-edge manufacturing technology and the brand’s commitment to reducing emissions.
Radar
Bivo Review: Swimming Upstream Or A Better Bottle?
Industry-shifting products come in all shapes and sizes. Bivo’s disruptive design of choice? Bike bottles. The carbon-neutral Vermont-based brand is channeling its sustainability efforts through the innocuous bidon and, based on how many I’ve seen popping up in my IG feed, they seem to be making a splash. Read on for a review of Bivo’s stainless-steel bottles.
Reportage
Ultra Distance Plastic Resistance: An Open Pledge for the Ultra Community
We all know about FKTs and ITTs but there’s a new acronym on the ultra scene: PFT. The brainchild of Taylor Doyle, PFT stands for “plastic free time,” and was an ultra-racing style she undertook last year on the 2,600km Pan Celtic Race. The effort was so eye-opening about the amount of single-use plastics that are thrown out during most ultra distance cycling events that she’s back now with a new kind of challenge for would-be ultra racers: the Ultra Distance Plastic Resistance pledge. Read on for the full deets about this inspiring challenge!
Radar
Schwalbe is Recycling Bicycle Tires in Germany
Schwalbe is the world’s first and (so far) only manufacturer that not only takes back used tires but also uses them to produce new tires. Back in 2022 at Eurobike, the German tire brand announced the “Schwalbe Recycling Program,” an initiative to collect used tires, recycle them, and manufacture new tires with recycled material. This program, which won Eurobike’s “Innovators Prize,” is underway and scaling rapidly, as Schwalbe has received an initial shipment of recycled carbon black (rCB) to begin making the first batch of recycled tires. We thought this sounded exciting, so reached out to Felix Jahn, Schwalbe’s Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, to learn more about the recycling program and where it’s headed.
Radar
The Trouble with Bike Apparel
Velocio’s newest video has something we can all marinate on for a bit:
“In our push to find a better way, we’ve found the trouble with bike apparel and sustainability. We speak to industry experts on where bike apparel can move forward and the path we’re taking to improve our supply chain, sourcing and manufacturing. See our documentary to learn where you can demand more.”
Read more at Velocio.