The igus:bike world tour already kicked off on October 15 of this year. On the occasion of igus' 60th birthday, the innovative, bright orange bike made of recycled plastic will travel the world for a whole year. The goal: to introduce industry partners, recycling partners, media representatives and consumers to a new form of urban mobility that combines riding fun and sustainability. The Urban Bike stands for many advantages of igus products, the “motion plastics”: it does not rust, does not need oil and is almost maintenance-free. Ball bearings, drive and freewheel also do not require any lubrication because they are made of high-performance plastics. At the same time, the igus:bike is intended to serve as an example of how the transformation to a sustainable circular economy for plastics can succeed.

Around the world in 16 stages

On that Tuesday morning in October, at 11 a.m. on the premises of igus in Cologne Porz-Lind, the igus:bike started its birthday tour on the streets of 16 countries around the world – including Germany, Italy, the United States and China – in front of igus employees and members of the press. The mission is to show that plastics do not have to end up in incinerators or landfills, but can help shape the mobility of tomorrow as a recycled raw material. The igus:bike will visit various customer applications and partners in stages. With this worldwide tour, the motion plastics specialist is once again demonstrating its pioneering spirit and bringing igus and customer stories to life at every stage.

Fishing nets become bicycles

“As a company that has been manufacturing industrial components made of plastic for movement for 60 years now, we feel obliged to drive forward the transformation to a sustainable circular economy for plastics. The igus:bike is a milestone on this journey,” says igus CEO Frank Blase. ”We hope to inspire many companies and end users on this journey to also commit to sustainable solutions in the use of plastics.”

Manufacturing the components using rotational molding and injection molding

Plastic waste from landfills around the world could become a raw material for the igus:bike in the future. The Cologne-based company manufactures the individual components using rotational molding and injection molding – from the frame to the bearings to the drive system. In doing so, the materials researchers have succeeded in gradually increasing the proportion of recycled plastic added since the start of development to 50 percent – and the trend is rising. This makes it possible to process discarded fishing nets, as well as shampoo bottles and other plastic waste, into regranulate for the rotational molding machines and transform them into a valuable resource.

Riding fun and easy maintenance combined

Those interested can see for themselves on the igus:bike world tour that a plastic bicycle offers riding fun and is particularly easy to maintain at the same time. Since the bicycle is made almost entirely of plastic, it is weather-resistant and corrosion-free. For example, there is no problem with hosing down the bike with the garden hose or leaving it outside overnight – not only on your own doorstep, but also on campsites, at ports, at festivals and on company premises. In addition, the high-performance polymers enable low-friction dry running without additional lubricants, which often become dirt magnets on conventional bicycles. This also eliminates the need for time-consuming relubrication and cleaning. And riding comfort is guaranteed. The material also has damping properties, which provide a form of suspension. The bicycle thus represents many of the advantages of igus motion plastics, which everyone can experience as part of the world tour. Incidentally, the igus:bike has already gone into series production under the name RCYL. The plastic bicycle can be ordered for around €1,243 on the website www.igus.bike.

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