The word “bicycle” conjures up an image of metal rims, rubber tyres, a tiny, metal bell, and possibly a carrier. But all that is about to change, because the future is now.

In an attempt to make all its products viable within a circular economy, a German company has decided to build a bicycle entirely out of plastics. And not just any plastics: recycled plastics. That is probably why the company claims the bike would be good for the environment, besides being lighter and quieter, of course.

For the plastic frame of the bike, the biggest component, the Germans are relying on Dutch expertise, specifically from a Woudenberg-based company that has been building bicycles mostly from plastics for the past five years. The Germans, however, plan to perfect that technology, and rely on their own purely plastic products for smaller components to replace metal. The first prototype is set to be out towards the end of 2022.

Ready to change the face of Tour de France, are we?