Bicycle Culture Center / All-Plastic Bicycle
Bicycles, first produced some 190 years ago, have developed to become the most basic form of conveyance of everyday life. On display in Bicycle Plaza at the Bicycle Culture Center are bicycles that give a visual picture of the history of the bicycle. (For more information, see the January 2009 issue of the PR magazine pla-topia.) http://cycle-info.bpaj.or.jp/bcc-info/bcc_hiroba.html
In 1980, the Swedish automobile manufacturer Volvo and Itera collaborated to develop this injection molded all-plastic bicycle. The bicycle was constructed of plastic with the exception of the metal gears, chain, and brakes. The primary material used was FRP (fiberglass reinforced plastic). If the bicycle fell over and even part of it broke, it was very difficult to repair.
