TAIPEI, Taiwan (BRAIN) — Giant Bicycles showed off its latest technology at Taipei Cycle show on Wednesday, and despite its small size, it was hard to miss at the Nangang Exhibition Center.
The 5.5-pound Pre rCarbon Push Bike was prominently displayed with Giant touting it as a breakthrough in carbon fiber recycling, said Marcel Yang, the Giant category manager behind the product.
"That's a very well known issue that we haven't as an industry really cracked yet," Yang said. "I know people are trying different solutions, but it really started three years ago when our chairman Young (Liu) at a strategy meeting threw down the gauntlet and said, 'Can we make a recycled carbon bike?' Challenge accepted."
Giant believes the technology can have a large impact in the sustainability space. The recycled materials making up the bike reduce carbon emissions by 50% in the material phase, according to Giant, which notes the carbon reduction percentage is calculated by comparing the same weight of virgin materials and eco-friendly materials during the raw material phase.
The frame and major components — including the fork, one-piece seatpost and saddle base, stem, and small-diameter handlebar — use rCarbon high-pressure low-void molding. The saddle top is manufactured from recycled ethylene vinyl acetate and the grips from recycled polypropylene and recycled thermoplastic rubber.
Giant said the bike meets the ISO 8098 kids bike standard and added that the low-center of gravity and forward-leaning position enhance agility for kids 1½ to 5 years old.
Future projects could be anything of similar or smaller size that is load bearing. "Anything that could have a sweet spot between unidirectional prepreg, carbon and aluminum. Anything within that space, we are all exploring, but for the time being, we're not looking to go for a bigger form factor," Yang said. "The engineering challenges are big, the upfront investment is also big. We're looking at it, but we'd like to dial in the small form factor stuff first."
Giant worked with several local Taiwan vendors to obtain the recycled materials, including Seawastex, which recycles discarded nylon fishing nets and supplies some bike tire manufacturers, including Giant, and was used in part for the Pre rCarbon tires. The bike is manufactured at Giant's main factory in Taichung.
At a cost of $500 in the U.S., Giant says the most likely consumer will be cycling-oriented parents who want a top-of-the-line product for their kids to learn how to ride.
Select Giant dealers will carry the Pre rCarbon, and U.S. consumers also can purchase it directly because Giant considers it a gear item and not a bicycle. The bikes come 90% pre-assembled with an auto-aligned handlebar and fork.
In Taiwan to start, a pilot retailer and distribution trade-in program is being established so that outgrown push bikes can be offered second-hand. "So the sustainable cycle keeps going even as a finished product," Yang said. "In terms of product, end of life, technically, it is possible all of these parts can be broken down and then reused, most likely down cycle, because the fiber length gets reduced."
