Original Plastic Bicycle

[Grant]

I was just told about this bike up by someone at the local bike shop who said that he remembers when they came out, but he only saw the advertisements and none of them in real life.

These bikes must be crazy rare and I wonder if anyone has a picture of one that are not like the advertisement pictures shown above.

 

[Grant]

I found this. Does not look like it would last lo g at all.

 

[Grant]

http://mombatbicycles.com/MOMBAT/Museum/Plastic_Bike_History.html

 

[ifitsfreeitsforme]

Interesting and confusing.

 

[Grant]

Plastique

 

[Captain Awesome]

Stuff has come a LONG way since then and I am overly familiar with all sorts of polymer science. Even today's "self lubricating" engineered stuff would be a hard no. I commend their ambition though. Pretty out of the box

 

[deven_science]

When I was in Scotland, their museum had this plastic bike from the 60s, I believe. It's been a few years, but I think it was from Norway or Sweden. It was hung up high, but this was the best pic I could get.

 

[Grant]

When I was in Scotland, their museum had this plastic bike from the 60s, I believe. It's been a few years, but I think it was from Norway or Sweden. It was hung up high, but this was the best pic I could get.
View attachment 214220

That is an Itera plastic bike from Sweden.

 

[Grant]

 

[rickpaulos]

50 years later and we get plastic derailleurs that keep breaking. Plastic chain guards on kids bikes that age and break and leave razor sharp edges. Plastic spoke protectors that are not ultra violet light resistant so they disintegrate after a few years. Some plastic covered cable housing that fades and fails. Plastic covered seat covers that get torn if your bike falls over. Plastic pants guards on cranks that break. According to Charles Moore, author of Plastic Ocean, there are over 200,000 formulas for plastics. The recycling industry has made up just 7 broad categories but that hardly covers them all.

 

[outskirtscustoms]

That is an Itera plastic bike from Sweden.
View attachment 214303

As a Saab enthusiast I feel like I must find one of these now.

 

[rickpaulos]

I've seen one on display in quite a few museums. Most museums display about %10 of their stuff so I'd check with them.

 

[Starnger]

I was working on plastic recycling project for my diploma and made some pedals out of bottle caps. A part of this project was a research, they made even plastic headsets with plastic bearings back in the days!
I include you the presentation here, you can skip the first part but there is a good selection of existing analized products together with links in it.
Also here are some photos of the prototype i ended up with.