Cycling is the most sustainable form of transportation, but the bicycle is becoming increasingly damaging to the environment. The energy and material used for its production go up while its life expectancy decreases.

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.

  •  offthecrossbar   ( @offthecrossbar@beehaw.org ) English
    6•1 year ago

    I cannot imagine that marginal calorie burn from the 1-2 lbs difference in frame material is going to outweigh the impact of manufacturing costs and longevity of steel vs aluminum, though I do agree that these should be likey addressed after bikes have the infra and adoption sorted out. E-bikes still represent the best solution towards replacing car trips for the average person imo