Le biciclette sono probabilmente il mezzo di trasporto con meno impatto ambientale. Quando le distanze si fanno più elevate e/o mancano le forze, la seconda miglior scelta sono le bici elettriche.
Ma negli ultimi decenni le bici hanno un impatto ambientale sempre maggiore.
In conclusion, there are several reasons why bicycles have become less sustainable: the switch from steel to aluminum and other more energy-intensive materials, the scaling up of the bicycle manufacturing industry, increasing incompatibility and decreasing quality of components, the growing success of electric bicycles, and the use of shared bike services…
…manufacturing an electric bicycle made from steel would have a carbon footprint of 143 kg. Although that is four times the emissions from an unassisted steel bicycle, it is below the carbon footprint of an aluminum bicycle without an electric motor (212 kg). Especially if the battery is charged with renewable energy, riding an electric bike can thus be more sustainable than riding one without a motor.