Carbon tax on carbon frames and components

Today is Carbon Sunday, the govt introduced the so called "carbon tax"

One of my friends raised some good points

1.Consider the environmental impact of a custom steel frame - locally built, 20 years+ lifetime, easily repairable, against a carbon frame that is seen as 'disposable' after say 5 years. That's a big part of the reason I went back to steel.

2.Carbon fibre manufacture is high emission. Higher than any other material used for bicycle construction, taking into account the materials life cycle.

Thoughts, would we see the price of carbon frames and components increased?

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Permalink Reply by Daniel Lynch on July 2, 2012 at 14:02

+1 I wish there was an Aussie-made bike company! Even so, it wouldn't be anywhere near large enough to be covered by the carbon pricing mechanism

@Terry, the 300 is actually legislation, not a myth

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Permalink Reply by Terry C on July 2, 2012 at 14:13

My point is, it is more than 300 - - and Hydro Tasmania is not a big polluter.

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Permalink Reply by Richard on July 2, 2012 at 14:37

I wish there was an Aussie-made bike company!

There IS an Aussie-made bike company, more than one actually - my Hillbrick for one, then there's Llewellyn, Baum, all them Melbourne firms. Sure, they're making bikes out of tubing and components sourced overseas but that's more impressive than your 'insert favourtite country here' bike made with a frame produced en-mass in China.

And I suspect you're right, these Aussie firms aren't large enough to get directly hit with the carbon tax carryon ... indirectly though ...

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Permalink Reply by Terry C on July 2, 2012 at 16:19

I ride bikes because I enjoy doing so, and saving the planet has nothing to do with that. A bicycle uses such a small amount of material of any type in its manufacture relative to other forms of transport, that no matter what it was made of, it would not affect my buying decision. The steel used in a chro-moly frame is an alloy of iron, carbon, chromium and molybdenum, all of which has to be mined and refined. I have one chro-moly bike and two aluminium bikes, and the next one is likely to be titanium, and I won't be worried about what carbon emmissions are generated by its production. Just enjoy the ride.

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Permalink Reply by Simon on July 2, 2012 at 19:18

I remember reading that a bicycle manufacturer was already recycling carbon frames.
I think it was Trek?? (or one of the major American manufacturers at least?)

Has anyone else heard of this?

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Permalink Reply by Terry C on July 2, 2012 at 19:25

I would hope so, they do seem to have a short life. There are a number of firms repairing these frames. The only ones that I know of are in Melbourne, but I am sure that there are others.