Itera plastic bike

[Chris_C]

Originally Posted by richardtheforth

PS: is that the Bakelite museum in Williton Somerset? I thought that had closed down a few years ago?

It was, it certainly is open currently. If you are in the area it's well worth a visit.

[MrFluffek]

I have an itera bike.
Anyone breaking one for parts?

[MrFluffek]

I have an itera bike.
Anyone breaking one for parts?

https://www.facebook.com/groups/410554676717956/

[XC90Mk1]

Interesting but what was the point? Presumably it doesn’t have any real weight saving, isnt very robust, and are they very UV stable.

As I say, interesting and I certainly ‘get it’ but they would appear to be a bit of a novelty even when new and not really made for any purpose?

What am I missing?

[john.wigley]

Originally Posted by XC90Mk1

Interesting but what was the point? Presumably it doesn’t have any real weight saving, isnt very robust, and are they very UV stable.

As I say, interesting and I certainly ‘get it’ but they would appear to be a bit of a novelty even when new and not really made for any purpose?

What am I missing?

That it won't rust?

I'm not sure if that was it's prime raison d'etre, though, 'XC90Mk1'. I think that that may have had more to do with the innovative design, a la the Moulton of the '60s. That it did not achieve the aim of cheap, mass market transport suggested by 'richardtheforth' would suggest to me marketing failure rather than any inherent flaw in it's design.

Richard also mentioned that his is equipped with SA hub gears. I can assure him that these are exceptionally reliable units that rarely require attention. I have original hubs from the '60s, '70s and '80s that still provide reliable service. We have also only very recently had the hub off my late MIL's 1936 Raleigh reconditioned. Hubs frequently come up on Ebay; the only difference I am aware of is the number of spoke holes, typically 28 on small wheels, 40 on large. I don't know if that affects their application on the Itere?

Regards, John.

[DaveNP]

Originally Posted by XC90Mk1

Interesting but what was the point? ...

From looking around the web at these I get the impression that they were a reasonable idea that missed their mark. They were made around 1980 when we still thought plastic was a wonder material and it seems the designers were a bit over optimistic about what they could do. There's the easy assumption that plastic is lighter than metal, but then the plastic frame is thicker than a metal one which means more weight, apparently the Itera weighed in at about 17kg which is about the same as a metal bike, innovations in metal bike frames mean my son's latest bike weighs nearer to 10kg. Plastic things are also often cheaper than metal ones, and for a simple product like a bucket that might work, but the bike frame is a lot more complex and requires better engineering and moulding so the price was also about the same as a metal bike. Having taken away the two key advantages of weight and price it would have been a hard sell to persuade people to buy something that was unproven.
I've recently got back into cycling as a means of transport and exercise (but without the lycra) and can do a fair distance at reasonable speed, my wife at the moment has had to give up her running due to a tendon injury but can still cycle, the only problem is that she doesn't have my range or speed so I was looking at buying a 'vintage' bike for fun and to give her a chance to keep up. The Itera would be interesting and ebay has a few up to £250 but then I get in my 23 year old Volvo and all the plastic parts creak and if I have to remove one to fix something it cracks, and suddenly I'm not so keen on a plastic bike

[ITSv40]

Apparently when new they were delivered in a box for self assembly. Many customers found parts missing and suffered a lot of hassle obtaining replacements. Perhaps that is where IKEA got their marketing strategy from.