Sustainable Kids Bikes
At Bike Club our mission is to inspire the next generation to get cycling. We believe that children deserve the best chance to learn to ride, and to fall in love with an active lifestyle. To do that we make sure that premium quality lightweight bikes that are always the right size are available in an affordable and hassle-free way.
Hand in hand with that belief is the vision that children should be able to fall in love with that active lifestyle for generations to come – and that means looking after our lovely planet and keeping green spaces accessible on two wheels. That’s exactly why we believe that Bike Club offers the best clean, green solution for getting kids cycling. By refurbishing and reusing our bikes we reduce waste and cut down emissions.
What Is The Circular Economy?
Bike Club is part of the circular economy, in fact that was the whole reason we were born. Our founders were looking for a way to bring consumer finance into the circular economy, and as keen cyclists themselves knew how important it was to bring this to the world of kids bikes. The circular economy is a system of production that means our bikes can be leased, refurbished and reused by new families.
This means ultimately that waste can be reduced and emissions cut because we don’t need to build as many new products. This system of consumption is becoming more common all the time as we realise the importance of living sustainably and making sure our use of resources can be maximised.
How Does Renting Kids Bikes Reduce Waste?
There are an estimated 12.5 million unused kids bikes going to waste in the back of sheds and garages across the UK. Not to mention the millions already in landfill. Bike Club is the solution that is better for kids, better for parents, and better for the planet.
When you subscribe to Bike Club you get access to the best quality kids bikes and you can choose from either a brand-new bike or one of our reBikes. A reBike is a pre-loved bike that has previously been used by another child then exchanged and refurbished by our team of expert mechanics. reBikes can be rented for a reduced monthly fee.
What Happens To The Old Bikes?
When your child has had a growth spurt and is ready for the next size up you can exchange for a bigger bike. The smaller bike will be returned to our workshop where our crack team of mechanics lovingly refurbish the bike ready for the next child to ride and love. They begin by cleaning the bike thoroughly – including in between the tyre treads! They will then replace any wearable parts that need to be replaced.
Kids bikes are pretty durable, but all bikes have moving parts that can be subject to wear and tear over time, such as chains, cables and brake pads. After the mechanics have replaced these parts and serviced everything else – making sure it’s running smoothly – they will conduct a full safety check of the bike. Our safety checks are the most thorough in the industry and are far more comprehensive than a normal bike retailer.
Most retailers aren’t kids bike specialists and adopt a one size fits all approach to pre-delivery safety. At Bike Club we know that kids use their bikes very differently to adults and that means they need much more thorough checks to keep them safe and sound.
How Does Bike Club Cut Emissions?
Everything we make from our cars, to our phones, through to our cutlery and clothes has a carbon footprint. It requires energy to produce and transport and that creates emissions. In fact the average carbon footprint for each person in the UK is over 10 tonnes every year – that’s double the global average. In order to reduce global warming we all need to play our part in reducing our impact on the planet in small ways every day. That 10 tonnes of co2 is the equivalent of having your heating on full blast for 80 days straight!
A study by the European Cycling Federation showed that the total emissions to produce a bicycle are 96kg co2. That doesn’t sound like a lot but when we’re talking about kids bikes that number quickly starts to add up each time your child grows out of their bike. Most kids will need to be on 8 different bikes before they’re 12 in order to stay on the right size.
Because Bike Club bikes are reused and ridden by multiple children that means fewer bikes need to be produced. Over their lifetime each Bike Club bike will save roughly 336kg co2 vs an owned bike. That’s the same as reducing that 80-day heating bill by 3 days. That’s huge when taken in context of our wider footprint. If we can all make a few of these small changes across our lives, the impact will quickly start to add up.
So far Bike Club has saved over 1,174 tonnes of co2 and we've not finished yet!
The Kids Bike Brands We Work With
We only work with the best kids bike brands; those that offer premium quality bikes that can endure whatever kids throw at them. This way when you exchange a bike we can refurbish it for use by another child as one of our ‘reBikes’. We also work with brands that in addition to producing the best kids bikes, care themselves about sustainability.
Forme
Forme is passionate about getting people cycling, for a more sustainable future. They strive to make top-quality bikes, including kids bikes that kids love to ride. By instilling a passion for cycling, the next generation will spend more time travelling on two wheels and there will be less carbon emissions.
Forme are also part of the Leadership Group for the Bicycle Association, and take a proactive part in lobbying for new and improved cycling infrastructure.
Frog
Frog bikes are exceptionally high quality, and like us Frog care about the planet. Their bikes for young riders are designed to be robust and have a long lifespan, which is perfect for Bike Club’s sustainable model.
Frog takes care to reduce the materials needed for each bike. The pedals are made from a rice husk composite, using less plastic, and the wheels have fewer spokes than a normal bike.
They managed to reduce their emissions by 10% in 2021 compared to 2019 despite a 14% increase in bikes built.
Woom
Woom is amongst the best bike brands for kids and another that takes sustainability seriously. Their long-lasting bikes are designed to be robust and be ridden by multiple children.
As well as making top-quality durable bikes, they also aim to slash emissions by at least 42% by 2030. They also go out of their way to make partnerships with other environmentally conscious companies within the industry. Finally, they are working on making transport routes as short as possible by moving production for Europe back to Europe.
Orbea
As well as making premium-quality bikes, Orbea also acknowledges the importance of carrying out their business in an environmentally friendly way. For this reason, they regularly evaluate the impact of their activities and review their environmental objectives.
The CEO of Orbea, Jon Fernández, believes that bicycles are a critical element of sustainable mobility, and are crucial to building a better world.
Questions We Usually Get Asked About Bike Sustainability
What makes a bike sustainable?
Whilst the creation of a bicycle will involve carbon emissions, once the bike is built and is being ridden it is of course better for the environment than driving or taking public transport.
More cyclists and fewer cars also means fewer fumes and improved air quality. Many experts believe getting kids cycling is essential for reducing transport emissions.
What is the most sustainable bike material?
Bike frames are usually made from aluminium, carbon fibre, or steel. Carbon frames require almost twice the amount of CO2 to produce than aluminium frames.
Steel frames are better, producing two-thirds less CO2 emissions than aluminium. Another bonus is that steel is fully recyclable. The majority of the bikes we offer have aluminium frames.
Why are bicycles one of the most sustainable forms of transport?
Bicycles are one of the most sustainable forms of transport because they require no fuel to power. Switching from a car to a bike saves 150g of CO2 per kilometre, and each 7km travelled by bike will save an emission of 1 kilogram of CO2 compared to a car.
Our reBike option is even more sustainable, as your kids will be riding pre-loved bikes as part of our circular economy.
Sustainable Kids Bikes with Bike Club
You can join the kids bike revolution today and never have to buy a bike for your child again! With our UK kids bike subscription service we aim to save you time and money and also reduce waste and carbon emissions.
When your child outgrows their bike, you will be able to simply exchange it for a new one, so that they will always have the right size. For more about sustainability, you can read about Green Living with Radzi Chinyanganya.
Bike Club is proud to be a B-Corp Certified business, meaning we put sustainability at the forefront of all of our practices. Find out more about what it means to be B-Corp here.