That's really interesting. There is also an environmental impact involved in producing, packaging and transporting new chains, bearings, derailers, cogs and other bike parts. If using a biodegradable product results in premature wear it might actually be worse for the environment since amount of grease/oil needed to keep a bicycle in tip top shape is so small. Kemmer
From: Chris Wells re-cycles@rogers.com Reply-To: re-cycles@flora.org,The Think Tank thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To: The Think Tank thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Disposing of used simple green Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2007 16:20:28 -0400 (EDT)
I posed your question below to our current supplier of grease (an eco-minded distributor that sought us out and started sending us supplies, got to like that :-) Here are some of his thoughts:
"The environmental damage done by bicycles and bike shops are avery small drop in a bucket compared to a clean truck or construction shop. I might add these guys in particular the construction companies have done enormous leaps and bounds of improvement since I started selling grease in 1988. Construction guys used to dig a hole drive the machine over and drain the engine oil in it add the filter and dirty rags and bury it. Now they get excited about fixing hydraulic oil leaks. The trucks have reduced smoke to the point of not seeing hardly any of it.
My idea on the whole bike thing is to make it as inviting and easyas possible for people to use bicycles. Every time someone is riding a bicycle for any reason they are not using a gasoline engine.
The VIP grease I sell does not wash off (I have a sample stuck tothe bottom of my boat for two years now). It gets used on the chains, derailers and bearings in a bike. The superior performance makes the ride, shift etc much better and more inviting. Keeps the derailers working better even if not use often. The grease stays in the bearings a lot longer (forever in a bike) and provide easy peddling and coasting. The chains do not rust and perform better providing better shifting and no rust keeps up a better appearance. If more people ride more often and longer because of this I feel I have done my part for the environment.
Using biodegradable greases etc, you will find they wash off, donot lubricate well and reduce the performance of the bike and make it less inviting to the rider."
Chris
--- durham bike collective durham_bikes@yahoo.com wrote:
As far as being green, non-toxic, biodegradable etc. wherever possible: is there any collective wisdom out there on a non-petrolium, non super-yukko lube (and grease, for that matter)? The Durham Bike Co-op's just gotten off the ground, so we've used what's on hand mostly (tri-flow, park polylube), but tri-flow smells something awful and I'm not thrilled about putting it into the environment at all ... looking around the internet there seems to be some things out there (pedro's has something out that's supposed to be biodegradable, also a bunch of vegetable-based lubes designed for heavier applications like chainsaws...) Anyone out there have some positive experiences / knowledge to share?
peace, Colin.
Nathan Pierce natnc17@yahoo.com wrote: good point about getting peeps out of cars. If all the people in cars rode bikes, then we spilled all the used simple green from cleaning all the more bikes, it would still be less pollution than all the cars were previously making.
Chris Wells (Head Mechanic & Email Handler)
re-Cycles Bicycle Co-op 112 Nelson St. Ottawa
Open 6pm-10pm Tuesdays, Wednesday & Thursdays
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