A Closer Look At Trek’s Sustainability Report

Tom is a Climate Change and Green Infrastructure Officer, a mountain bike guide, Cytech mechanic, Greenpeace activist and holds a BSc in Outdoor and E …

By stwhannah

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This is very interesting. I’ve often wondered what the carbon footprint of my several bikes are and this answers that question. I confess that while I had thought that my 13 year old Ti bike had a bigger footprint than my steel commuting bike I hadn’t considered the fact that the more exotic the bike the bigger the footprint.

I take the point that I probably only use two of my bikes in place of the car while the other five are solely for leisure or racing. However, when I’m out on my “best” bike I’m not consuming anything other than a snack bar so for a few hours my footprint is very small.

One final thought. My 2013 diesel Octavia, in real life, puts out about 1kg CO2 each 5 miles. So 1500 miles would probably be similar to the footprint of my second-hand Trek Boone. I wonder now many cx seasons it would take before my footprint driving to the events outweighed the footprint of the bike?

I think your last point is the biggest one for MTbing much more the road cycling often requires folk to drive or fly to do it. I question that if I lived in an area unsuitable for MTBing if I’d do it at all. We went through a period of driving to trail centres to help improve the kids riding in a more controlled environment but after a while I felt that it just wasn’t sustainable. We holiday near them now so we get a weeks riding for one journey. Since the first lockdown I’ve switched to gravel biking as it gives a wider range of rides without needing the car.

@neilblessit I’d like to see Ti and steel data too! Maybe we’ll see them from another manufacturer… Sonder? Kona?

“I want to see a Rail on the school run” – Have a look at Tracy Moseley’s Instagram! An interesting piece though which is asking the right questions. People For Bikes seem to be doing a great job at channeling industry backing into initiatives that help make conditions better for everyday cycling.

I agree this is a good story. It is a shame that it has attracted far fewer comments than the SC Chameleon story.

I have always been uncomfortable with driving mountain bikes to the country side but the information in this story along with other data on the carbon dioxide emissions from everything you do allows you to start thinking about your carbon budget and ways you can use that to justify longer trips to go mountain biking. Something along the lines of:

No driving all week + porridge for breakfast + lentils for lunch and tea = trip to Glentress
Driving to work + full english + fast food all week = trip around the local park on your Rail

Flying to almost anywhere can’t be compensated for by changes in lifestyle.

I agree this is a good story. It is a shame that it has attracted far fewer comments than the SC Chameleon story.

There was a thread on it when the report was published. I guess most folk have already said all they wanted to say.

Then there is the elephant that is manufacturing in China…Possibly even using Uighur slave labor to produce their wares. Most of Treks bikes come from China now (as do those of many other “major companies”).

Personally, some time ago I decided to stop buying Chinese-made items, whenever there is an alternative. Last two years all my new cycling gear is Made in Europe, and will be going forward. I am willing to pay a premium for knowing my gear is environmentally and humanely reasonably made. I will not buy any more bicycle frames either that have been made there (thou to be honest, I only have a couple that are made in Taiwan, and the newest one is more than 10 years old), with components it gets more tricky.

What comes to offsetting emissions by taking the bike instead of the car, that is easy. I have not owned a car since 2002. And I drive a borrowed car about once a year or so, not much to offset.

Will it mean less carbon fibre bikes being made? I’m not sure it will as money drives the big businesses…