Two wheels good

Racer Rosa bicycles has initiated a clean-up of the bike industry – and it’s beginning here in Walthamstow.

The company was born out of the realisation of a startling contrast. Many people actively choose cycling because it is a “green” mode of travel. Yet the industry behind the bikes is as ethically unsound as that of polluting transportation such as cars.

Bicycle parts clock up thousands of carbon miles travelling from countries such as China and Taiwan. where workers are often maltreated and poorly paid. The end product, which has been made at a high ethical cost, becomes a disposable item, cheaply sold. A few years down the line, the bike will probably end up in a landfill.

Local resident, Diego Lombardi, is the owner of Racer Rosa bicycles. Growing up in Italy, he inherited his passion for bikes from his father, then began repairing and building them in his teens. When the recession forced Diego and his wife to reinvent their careers, they saw the opportunity to start a business that reflected who they were: “As a lifestyle, I’ve always been a bit obsessed with ethical living”, says Diego. He told Walthamstow Now that Racer Rosa, now 2-months old, is the only completely ethically-driven bike manufacturer in the UK.

Ultimately, Racer Rosa are working towards creating the 100% ethical bicycle. To this end, they ensure production of their parts is kept in the hands of small, European companies they are familiar with. This means they can ensure a fair process, free from exploitation. Furthermore, they minimise pollution by making sure their parts aren’t air-freighted to the UK. All their bikes have steel frames which are greener to produce than aluminium and longer lasting. The company encourages sustainability by using vintage, recycled parts where possible and advises that people should always try to repair an old bike first.

Racer Rosa believes making bikes shouldn’t be about mass production, but localised craft. Diego feels that the current “dirty” state of the industry proves “we need to try to step back a little bit, because we’ve gone too far”. Each bike frame is hand-made by master craftsmen in Italy – some of the few left who use their arduous but skilled methods. The finished steel bicycles are fashionably retro and Diego and his team design each bike to fit the rider. The company fits in well with what they’ve noticed as a thriving arts and crafts culture in Walthamstow, saying: “it’s good to be part of that feeling that is around”.

The community could prove crucial to Racer Rosa’s ethical ambitions as it would be ideal to find the ethical practices they look for abroad  more locally. So far, they have been welcomed into the area and have received support and positive feedback.

Racer Rosa has taken note of the growing public mood towards ethical living. They hope to see this interest translate into a movement in the bicycle industry and are committed to investigating into its progress.