Sustainable Bike Companies Make Your Favorite Pastime Better for the Planet

If your recreational activity of choice is cycling, you have likely thought about the unfortunate truth that biking can cause damage to the environment. From bicycles to shoes and helmets, the requisite gear for cycling can cause a toll on our planet, as can the travel to the best bike trails. But consider these sustainable bike companies that are working to offer climate-friendly solutions.

A few ways companies are helping cyclists reduce their carbon footprint include: providing used and secondhand bikes and cycling gear, manufacturing using recycled materials, and using renewable energy sources in production. Check out these sustainable bike companies for all your biking needs.

Yves Chouinard's Patagonia makes all kinds of athletic and outdoor gear and apparel, including mountain bike-specific clothing. The brand has a number of environmentally-friendly initiatives. It uses recycled materials to make 94 percent of its clothing and grows organic or recycled cotton. Plus, Patagonia encourages the resale of garments to reduce carbon emissions.

The Pro's Closet doesn't manufacture bikes; instead, it offers certified pre-owned bicycles and bicycle gear. This can help reduce the overall churn of new bicycles on the market by ensuring bikes get a new life with a new owner. You can also resell your own bikes, wheels, and frames for either cash or credit.

Guerrilla Gravity manufactures carbon bikes using its "Revved Carbon" which is strong and cost-effective to recycle, according to Outside Magazine. The company says it produces reduced air pollution and uses a shortened supply chain with raw materials sourced in the U.S.

Bjorn makes recycled bike grips through its partnership with ODI. Cutting down on your environmental impact can happen even with small items like bicycle grips, and these are made with 100 percent recycled rubber from ODI's grip manufacturing. Bjorn also purchases carbon offsets for what it deems "unavoidable waste or emissions incurred."

You can purchase refurbished dropper posts from PNW Components. PNW refurbishes and resells the dropper posts through its PNW Cycled sub-brand, at a significant cost reduction. PNW says it tests products and offers a new one-year warranty. Inventory is limited to what customers resell, but it's a way to reduce your impact as a cyclist. Outside says that PNW is also moving toward all customer purchases being carbon neutral through Cooler.

CSS Composites reduces its environmental impact by manufacturing all rims and wheels in the U.S. rather than in overseas factories. In addition, it's manufacturing carbon rims that are more easily recycled, and companies like Revel, Evil, and Chris King source their rims from CSS Composites. The company has a number of sustainable features: zero carbon dust, zero waste, and lower emissions.

Tout Terrain is involved in a number of sustainability initiatives. It uses powder coating to reclaim 40 percent of its paint. The company matches voluntary donations made at the time of purchase to Atmosfair, dollar-for-dollar. It's also committed to 100 percent climate neutral business travel and uses sustainable shipping practices to use 90 percent less plastic.