Can We Make Bicycles Sustainable Again? (solar.lowtechmagazine.com)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by metaltoilet@beehaw.org to c/environment@beehaw.org

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A great read+great magazine.

TL;DR: Old bikes last way longer than new bikes. From a production standpoint, steel bikes have a smaller carbon footprint than aluminum or carbon frame bikes. Conventional bikes use fewer consumables over their usable life than electric bikes. Among electric bikes, cargo bikes use the most resources to run and maintain.

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[-] guero@beehaw.org 6 points 1 year ago

the real tl;dr

[-] ericjmorey@beehaw.org 4 points 1 year ago

So the least efficient bicycle is about half that of the average car. I'll take that. Since the lifetime miles traveled on any bike is going to be at least an order of magnitude less than the average car miles traveled, infrastructure and lifestyle changes to replace car reliance with bike reliance are hugely beneficial from the perspective of reducing carbon emissions.

[-] kool_newt@beehaw.org 1 points 1 year ago

Does this mean that the carbon impact of soda cans is significant?

this post was submitted on 19 Jun 2023

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