{"id":40447,"date":"2014-01-24T11:21:33","date_gmt":"2014-01-24T16:21:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/planetsave.com\/?p=39083"},"modified":"2014-01-24T11:21:33","modified_gmt":"2014-01-24T16:21:33","slug":"vintage-bicycles-sustainable-bikes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/planetsave.com\/articles\/vintage-bicycles-sustainable-bikes\/","title":{"rendered":"Vintage Bicycles Could be the Truly Sustainable Bike Option"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"vintageEnvironmentalists and active folks love bicycles, because they’re not only efficient and a fun way to stay fit, but they’re also probably the most sustainable method of transportation we have. But is buying a brand new bicycle really that environmentally friendly? After all, new bikes<\/a> require an entire global supply chain to produce and distribute, along with the related environmental costs that an industrial system incurs.<\/p>\n

One way that we can have a more sustainable and environmentally friendly bicycle is by riding a used bike, or refurbishing a vintage bicycle and extending its life for many more years of riding. However, not all of us are inclined to ride an older bike as is, or to overhaul a vintage bicycle ourselves, and the bike industry isn’t exactly supportive of us buying used bikes instead of a new model, because they make their money by selling brand new models and bike parts and accessories.<\/p>\n

But a young bicycle brand based in the Netherlands<\/a>, Roetz Bike, is working to make vintage bicycles and older bikes sexy again, by refurbishing them and putting them back on the road under their own marque.<\/p>\n

\"vintageAccording to the company, more than a million bikes are sold each year in the Netherlands, which results in almost that many bikes being discarded thrown away. Roetz Bike takes the best quality of those vintage bicycles and recycles as much of them as possible into a “new” bike (or replaces the components that can’t be reused with others made from natural or renewable materials, such as wooden fenders\/mudguards) that riders will be proud to pedal.<\/p>\n

“In our opinion a bike is only sustainable when it has a long life. Therefore we make a robust bike. This means that for all components we choose for high quality and A-brands.” – Roetz Bike<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This funky little animation introduces the Roetz Bike concept (it’s in Dutch, but still worth a watch):<\/p>\n