Re-cycling: Bicycle tyre repairs make bikes more sustainable
Repairing inner tubes makes cycling more sustainable, according to Rema Tip Top (Photo: Rema Tip Top)
Rema Tip Top recommends repairing punctured tubes rather than disposing them too quickly. And to that end, the company has been developing bicycle tyres repair products for over 100 years. Now the company has released a video showing how repairs can be done easily and quickly.
Their argument is that, with about one billion bicycles in the world, repairing tubes can make a major contribution to protecting the environment. About 75 per cent of the damage that occurs on a bike is located on the tyre or tube. The environmental benefit of repairing bicycle tubes rather than throwing them away is therefore enormous.
Damaged bicycle tubes often end up in the residual waste, although they could run for another few thousand kilometres.
“Many tubes are discarded too early for the sake of convenience,” notes Uwe Dohse, Product Manager at Rema Tip Top. Recycling of bicycle tubes is offered by only a few manufacturers.
Every bicycle tube that does not end up in the waste helps to protect the environment. By repairing with high-quality repair products, the service life of a tube can be extended almost indefinitely, if it does not reach its limits due to aging of the material or other influences and therefore needs to be replaced.
Low-quality patching materials and incorrect use often cause repaired tubes to leak air again after a short time. That’s why some people prefer to buy a new one right away. But when repairing with high-quality repair kits, the patch is not glued on but permanently vulcanized. The prerequisite for this is that the vulcanizing liquid is applied evenly to the roughened and dust-free surface and allowed to dry for a few minutes according to the manufacturer’s instructions before the repair patch is applied.
Repairing is also significantly cheaper than buying new. A new bicycle tube costs three up to more than 20 euros, depending on the specific type. A repair with a repair kit from Rema Tip Top with seven repair patches, on the other hand, costs only about 50 cents.
TRA
Comments