Are We Blinded By Bling?

This year marked my first trip to Eurobike, the enormous trade show at which all parts of the bike industry converge on the small German town of Fried …

By stwhannah

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Are We Blinded By Bling?

“These are bikes for those absolutely determined not to use a car unless absolutely necessary, they’re political statements, a subversive status symbol: the opposite of a Chelsea Tractor.”

True perhaps in the UK, where (as you say) our infrastructure is almost universally incompatible with the slow pace and wide berth required for transporting cargo or passengers by bike. But of course in parts of Europe where the infrastructure *is* compatible, they’re just bikes for carrying stuff, as apolitical as a Volkswagen Golf.

Maybe we’re not Blinded by Bling so much as having our vision Impaired by Infrastructure.

“Play keeps us young, and sane. Maybe that is enough.”

Agreed. Whether our bike toys or play needs that many sq m of carbon or that much complexity needing as much manufacturing and tooling resources as they do is another matter. Riding was fun when we had simple bikes as kids and it was still fun when we only had rigid steel as an option, so if we justify it on mental and physical health benefits is it fair to question the resource cost in many products we have now?
I’m not saying we should carve our own wheels and make bamboo frames, I just think more of us are looking at all kinds of products, packaging etc or the short-lived fashion elements in them that reduce expected use spans, and seeing the waste cost staring back at us.

@jameso There was an earlier version of this column where it went into the environmental impact – and potential justification- of access/transport over play, but I decided that I would make it another column. Watch this space!

I’m going to ask this directly: why do all the media outlets going to Eurobike picture almost the same exact news/oddballs/future releases? Do you guys get a group of anti-riot guards leading you into the same booths, as a pack? Or do you get some kind of “incentive” to cover the same press releases as the next guy from the next media outlet?

Fair question here, not trying to pick on you, but to understand how these big monsters get coverage, and why there seems to be a certain tone applied to all the press releases passed in the same season…

@slimshady I can tell you what I know from being there. Firstly, there’s definitely no direct incentive – for STW anyway- to cover one brand over another. I couldn’t tell you if other media outlets charge for their coverage, maybe some do. But for us there’s only the incentive of needing to deliver stories that you want to read. There’s a handful of things we know are coming, and we arrange to go and see those things that we think will interest you first. Then we deal with the rest by taking a hall each and just wandering up and down past every booth. There’s quite a lot of OEM type booths where they specialise in one tiny component or fabric and they’re largely uninteresting from a media point of view. This year was perhaps a bit lighter on new products because the earlier date meant brands couldn’t get things ready in time. Perhaps if we all end up with the same news it’s because they’re better at catching our eye, or maybe they really are the more interesting things?

https://elephantbike.co.uk/

What you’re talking about, here in the UK.

The Buffalo bike looks great. On a similar note I once cleared out a garage full of old bikes and donated them to a charity called re-cycle.org who put them back into action in Africa where they get a new lease of life.
Would be nice for single track readers to be able to club together and sponsor a Buffalo bike or two don’t you think ?

“Watch this space!”

Look forward to that @stwhannah

I think that sometime we lose sight of why we started cycling for leisure purposes and that was/is fun. Yes the blingy 1 kilo hardtail is lovely and an engineering marvel but it’s looks and high end carbon stuff isn’t the essence of cycling, that is as stated (for me anyway) fun. Plus while your grinning like a Cheshire cat your brain can do all the important stuff that does indeed keep you sane.

@thebees The Forumites have previously clubbed together and contributed on more than one occasion. There were a few joined me last weekend and I think we rustled up six bikes – taking into account the match funding that is there until 3rd August. Feel free to join in!

My daughters school just completed a trip to Malawi – 15 kids from a rural community school, the funds raised by the pupils for the trip as an exchange with a school in Malawi also funded 32 Buffalo bikes handed to their Pupil Partners and their families.