"Turn fishing nets into bikes!" said German injection molding specialist Igus and developed a small range of bikes made almost entirely from plastic obtained from plastic nets fished from the sea. We will hardly ever see these bikes on the trails. They are not built for that, even if they can take a beating, as Sven Erhardt explains to Ride. He is in charge of sales for the RCYL BIke, as the plastic bike is called.

Much more important to the manufacturer than trail suitability is that this bike does not require any oil or grease. Plastic bearings are one of Igus' main products. They are used extensively on the bike. According to the manufacturer, the fact that the bikes do not need to be lubricated, are made from recycled plastic and can be recycled again, as well as the fact that they are virtually maintenance-free, are responsible for their good eco-balance.

The look takes some getting used to, the voluminous design is determined by the low rigidity of the frame material. "We currently use recycled HDPE, which is not one of the stiffest materials by nature," explains Terhardt. On cobblestones, it almost feels as if the bike has suspension. At the same time, it absorbs impacts better - even unintentional ones, such as when the parked bike tips over. According to the sales manager, the bike has proven to be extremely durable both in use and on the test stand.

 

 

 

 

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Almost all plastic, but not quite

But how much plastic is there really? When asked by Ride, Terhardt listed the following: "The brakes, the headset and some connecting parts are made of metal - wherever it is necessary for safety or functional reasons." The hubs are made of plastic, with glass balls rotating in the plastic bearings. The engineers also had to make a small compromise with the bottom bracket: The company's own plastic plain bearings are used in a metal bearing body. The last construction site, the headset: "We are working intensively on a solution made entirely of plastic for the headset, but we have not yet reached our goal. We are currently still using conventional headsets."

The question remains as to whether a plastic mountain bike will soon be available to buy. "We are thinking in all directions," says Terhardt, "but our current focus is clearly on city and trekking bikes. Certain frame models - but not all of the RCYL bikes - have already undergone stress tests according to mountain bike standards, he emphasizes. The results are very good,