Around 3.5 years ago, Frank Blase, Managing Director of Igus, launched a sustainable project: using mountains of plastic from the world's landfills to produce plastic bicycles. Durable and maintenance-free urban bikes that are corrosion-free and dirt-resistant, can easily withstand wind and weather outdoors for many years and thus revolutionize mobility not only in cities, but also on campsites, hotels, trade fairs and company premises. "I am delighted that we have now come a big step closer to this vision," says Frank Blase. "The igus:bike is now finally hitting the road under a new name in its first small series." The new branding for the series product will be announced at Cyclingworld Europe (March 15 to 17, 2024) in Düsseldorf.

The Dutch development partner MTRL is currently producing 100 units together with Igus. Following approval for road traffic, rapid delivery to the first of around 1,200 pre-orders is planned. "To shorten the waiting time for the remaining orders, we are currently building our own production line for the bike at our company site in Cologne. The aim is to produce 10,000 bikes with the expanded capacity," says Sven Terhardt, Head of Sales & Marketing igus:bike. The price for the plastic bike is around 1,200 euros.

92 % plastic

The go-ahead for series production should have been given a few months ago. However, some optimizations to the igus:bike were time-consuming and essential in terms of sustainability. Among other things, this involved further increasing the proportion of plastic. The few parts that were still made of metal in earlier prototypes, such as the seat post or brake lever, are also made of plastic in the current version. The engineers have also increased the steering angle of the handlebars so that riders can take corners better. Other new features include a freewheel in the drivetrain so that the wheels turn even without pedaling, more wear-resistant xiros ball bearings, which allow the wheels to run even more smoothly and without lubrication, and a two-legged stand so that the bike can be parked safely. "The igus:bike, which weighs around 17 kilograms, is now made of 92 percent plastic," says Sven Terhardt. "From the frame to the bearings to the drivetrain, which was long considered almost impossible in the industry."

Already 50 % recycled content

Igus and MTRL use the rotational molding and injection molding process to produce bicycle components using granulate made from recycled plastic waste, including fishing nets. The engineers and material experts have succeeded in reducing the proportion of virgin plastic used to 50%. "We are now continuing to invest in research and development in order to increase the proportion of recycled material to 75% as quickly as possible, and even to 100% in the long term," emphasizes Terhardt. "With this high recycling rate, we are accelerating the circular economy for plastics. Plastic in the world's landfills is thus becoming an increasingly valuable resource."