igus:bike: The first bicycle made entirely of plastic - now on tour

This article was first published on 11 July 2023 and has now an update get.

Everyone should be aware by now that the world is drowning in rubbish. The amount of rubbish that ends up in the oceans threatens both animals and humans. This makes the idea of sustainability all the more important. With the igus bike made entirely of plastic, the manufacturer is taking a step in the right direction. The bright orange urban bike is designed to be more durable and robust than other bicycles. The idea of recycling is particularly special. A version is to be launched on the market in which the majority of the material is recycled plastic. "The plastic in the world's rubbish tips is becoming a valuable resource," says Frank Blase, Managing Director of igus. He came up with the idea of a sustainable and durable bike while on summer holiday after learning about the difficulties with beach bikes there, which could usually only be used for a few months due to the weather, salt and sand.

Plastic is easy to clean

Unlike other bicycles, the owner of the igus:bike doesn't have to worry too much about maintenance. On the contrary: "As all components are made of plastic, nothing rusts on the bike," explains Blase and adds: "Even in the gearbox. A bicycle gearbox made of plastic was unthinkable for a long time." That's why all it takes is a quick rinse of the igus bike with a garden hose and it looks like new again.
The entire igus:bike is made of plastic. Consequently, the ball bearings in the wheel bearings or the plain bearings of the seat post are also made of plastic. Low-friction dry running is guaranteed by the integrated solid lubricants, which do not require lubricating oil. No oil, so no dirt sticks and fingers stay much cleaner during maintenance.
However, Igus' Tribo plastics have not only been used in this bicycle, but also in other means of transport and machines, such as cars, for a long time.

igus:bike - an invitation to collaborative innovation

Eight people are currently responsible for developing the moving components of the new igus bicycle. Under the leadership of the long-standing head of development, Andreas Hermey, and in co-operation with the start-up MTRL, brakes, sprockets and ball bearings were developed in addition to gears and drives. As igus' Tribo plastics are already being used successfully in other industries, they were able to orientate themselves on these and only had to modify them for the bike.

The igus:bike platform now offers other manufacturers the opportunity to utilise the developments of the plastic components for themselves. However, they can not only utilise the plans and the concept of the plastic components, but also actively participate in the further development. In addition to suppliers who are interested in manufacturing plastic wheels, the platform is also intended to be a contact point for component manufacturers who want to realise the production of individual plastic parts. To this end, all developments of individual components for the igus bicycle will be published on an ongoing basis. "We want to enable the bicycle industry to produce bikes from plastic," explains Frank Blase. Helix.eco, a company specialising in recycled plastics, is one of the first cooperation partners.

MTRL as a promising partner for the igus bicycle

The Dutch start-up MTRL, another cooperation partner, has already sold 400 bikes with plastic wheels and frames. "In the founders Johannes and Benjamin Alderse Baas, we have found partners who share our vision 1:1," says a delighted igus Managing Director Blase, who is investing in MTRL himself. "Together we are tackling the further development of fully plastic bicycles."

The bike start-up plans to launch the first models on the market by the end of this year - one for adults and one for children. The bikes will also be available in Germany from 2023. Even e-bikes are conceivable in the future. In terms of sustainability, there will be a completely new plastic bike as well as a 100 per cent recycled version. Old fishing nets, for example, have proven to be a successful material in tested prototypes. However, the recycled version comes at a price. Instead of the 1,200 euros for the adult version of the igus bike made from new plastic, you have to pay 1,400 euros for the sustainable version. In future, the Dutch start-up wants to bring its production close to plastic landfill sites - all over the world.

"From ocean plastics to motion plastics - the igus:bike concept has what it takes to become an ecological high-tech product," says Blase. "We still have a lot of ideas, such as incorporating condition monitoring using smart plastics from igus. You can see on your smartphone how many thousand kilometres the bike has left to ride. And hopefully we can then convince many people who are still sceptical about plastics today."

Update (15.10.24): The igus:bike is on tour

The igus:bike is going on a world tour. To mark the 60th anniversary of igus, the bright orange bicycle made from recycled plastic will be travelling around the world for a year. The purpose: to familiarise industry partners, media representatives and consumers with an innovative form of urban mobility that combines both fun and sustainability. The unusual urban bike represents its advantages: It is corrosion-free, requires no oil and is virtually maintenance-free. Neither the ball bearings nor the drive and freewheel require lubrication as they are made of high-performance plastics.

The birthday tour of the igus:bike began at the igus factory site in Porz-Lind, Cologne; the plastic bicycle will be on display for a year in 16 countries, including Germany, Italy, the USA and China.

As a company that has been manufacturing industrial plastic parts for moving applications for 60 years, we are committed to driving the transformation towards a sustainable circular economy. - Frank Blase, Managing Director of igus

Fishing nets become bicycles

Plastic waste from landfill sites around the world could serve as the raw material for the igus:bike in the future. Igus manufactures the individual components using rotational moulding and injection moulding processes - from the frame to the bearings to the drive. The material researchers have succeeded in gradually increasing the proportion of recycled plastic to 50 per cent since the start of development, and the trend is rising. This means that discarded fishing nets, shampoo bottles and other plastic waste can be turned into regranulate for the rotational moulding machines and thus processed into a valuable resource.

The igus:bike is an important milestone on this journey. We hope to inspire many companies and end consumers on our journey to also commit themselves to sustainable plastics solutions. - Frank Blase, Managing Director of igus

The igus:bike has gone into series production under the name RCYL and can be ordered for 1,243 euros at rcyl.bike order.