Bikester Magazine EN Summer 2021

HOW GREEN IS YOUR
FRAME?
That, of course, depends on your bike.
Traditional bicycle frames are made of steel
or aluminium, neither of which are ideal
materials. Steel is heavy, and aluminium
requires enormous amounts of energy in the
production. Around 1600 kilowatt hours of
electricity are needed to extract, melt and
shape the aluminium ore for a single bicycle –
that‘s about one third of the annual electricity
consumption of a household of four! Both
materials can be recycled, but it requires
enormous amounts of energy to do so.
© MARTIN OHLIGER
Magnesium, on the other hand, offers
a happy medium between performance
and sustainability. This is why new-kidon-the-block
Vaast exclusively uses a new
magnesium alloy called ’Super Magnesium‘
for its frames. While the substantial
weight savings are a welcome by-product,
the primary focus falls on the material‘s
sustainability. Magnesium offers a double
advantage here, as Daniel Schlegel, who
is responsible for the brand‘s European
sales, explains: ”The main difference is the
energy required to manufacture certain tube
shapes. Magnesium requires significantly
lower temperatures for this than aluminium.
This is one way our alloy is a lot ’greener‘.
Additionally, magnesium is 100 % recyclable
– that means we can take an old magnesium
frame, melt it down and make a new frame
or other magnesium products from it.“
THE SUM OF ITS PARTS
Riding a magnesium bicycle is a step in the
right direction, environmentally speaking.
But going out and buying a new bike for
this reason wouldn‘t be right. The most ecofriendly
bike is always the one you already
own and ride. The longer you use a bike (and
its parts), the better. Consider it a direct,
beneficial contribution to the environment
to park it somewhere dry where it won‘t rust.
This also means saving time and money by
taking it to the bike shop for repairs. You‘ll
extend the service life of the components,
which actually accounts for most of a bicycle‘s
material consumption. Over a bike‘s entire
lifespan, it makes a huge difference whether
you need a new chain after each winter or not.
BIKESTER