Riding a bike is already one of the most sustainable ways to get around, but one Redditor has gone a step further by getting their own vintage bike.
The thrifty Reddit user posted their new ride to the r/ThriftStoreHauls subreddit, where they shared a photo of their secondhand 1981 Peugeot touring bike.
The bike looks like it's in good condition, with barely a scratch in the paint. But the best part is the price — originally it was marked for $59.99 (as shown in the photo), but the Redditor managed to get it for $48.
Compare that to Peugeot's brand-new "trekking" models — which can cost within a range of about $500 to $3,500 — and it's clear that this savvy thrifter has managed quite the steal.
Buying second hand will also help this cyclist to keep their environmental impact down.
Bikes are frequently touted as a clean mode of transportation, because they are powered by pedaling and emit no polluting gases, but the way they are made can still have some harmful effects for the planet (though fewer than cars).
The main material used in Peugeot bike frames through the late 1970s and early 1980s was Reynolds 531 steel, which can be melted down and reused to make new bikes.
But making new steel is energy intensive, both when mining and transporting iron ore and when transforming this raw material into steel.
According to the Worldsteel Association, if the blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace method is used, coal is the main energy source used to heat up the iron, which releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
To keep up with the current cycling boom, American bike companies are increasingly manufacturing their products abroad. Around 99% of new U.S. bikes are now imported from China and Taiwan.
Transporting these bicycles and raw materials by air freight or cargo ship releases more planet-heating gases into the atmosphere — the shipping industry, for instance, is responsible for around 3% of the world's emissions.
Because of this, bike manufacturers are increasingly looking to increase local production — but in the meantime, the best thing you can do for the planet is to buy second hand.
"That is a gorgeous bike. I had a Peugeot Mixte more than a decade ago, and I still miss it!" wrote one commenter.
"I see these quite often, my neighbor has the same one, and I always tell myself how nice these bicycles look," replied another.
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