The first 100 igus all-plastic bicycles hit the UK roads

“To reduce waiting times when orders increase, we are building our own igus bicycle production line at our factory in Cologne. The goal is to produce 10,000 bicycles per year,” says Matthew Aldridge, managing director of igus UK in Northampton. The price for this unique plastic bike is around £1500.

World first: igus bicycle is made of 92% plastic

The green light for volume production should have been given a few months ago. However, some optimizations for the igus:bike to be as sustainable as possible were time-consuming but necessary. Among other things, igus wanted to increase the proportion of plastic in the bike. The few parts that were made of metal in earlier prototypes, such as the seat post and brake lever, are now made of plastic in the latest version. In addition, the design engineers have increased the steering angle of the handlebars to make the bike easier to turn.

Other new features include a freewheel using longer life xiros ball bearings that allow the wheels to run both lubrication-free and more smoothly, and a bipod stand to park the bike safely. “The igus:bike, which weighs around 17 kilograms, is now 92 percent plastic – we believe a world first for a production bicycle,” says Matthew. “From the frame to the bearings, it is all plastic and largely recycled. Even the drivetrain is polymer, which was considered almost impossible in the bike industry for a long time.”

Recycled content is at 50% now, and rising

Both rotational and injection moulding are used to manufacture bicycle components from granulate made from recycled plastic waste, including fishing nets classed as plastic ocean waste. In the process, the project’s engineers and materials experts have succeeded in reducing the proportion of virgin plastic mixed in to just 50%. “We are continuing to invest in research and development to increase the recycled content to 75 percent as quickly as possible, and even to 100 percent in the future,” emphasises Aldridge. “With this high recycled content, we are accelerating the circular economy for plastics – and transportation. This means that plastic in the world’s waste stream can become an increasingly valuable resource.”

Curious to know how it rides? Test rides of the igus:bike are possible at the igus experience centre in Northampton.