What is the “Right to Repair” movement? What does this mean for me as a consumer, what does Ruckus Composites have to do with it, and how does it ultimately benefit my local bike shop?
In July 2021, after publishing its own scathing critique of manufacturers restricting access to product repairs, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) unanimously voted to enforce the laws surrounding the consumer’s Right to Repair movement. Unfamiliar with “Right to Repair”? The idea is surprisingly simple: if you own something, you should have the right to use it, modify it, and repair it wherever, whenever, and however you want, without being punished by strict regulations imposed by the manufacturer aimed only at increasing sales of new products. Europe has been calling for these consumer liberties for some time, and while the US is only now starting its push for legislation, the public is being heard and the Right to Repair movement is equally as strong as it is in the EU. The FTC’s vote comes just weeks after a White House Executive Order aiming to promote competition within the US economy to promote the growth and expansion of smaller businesses and the economy at large. The FTC’s enforcement of these rules and protection of the consumer supports a key law – the Magnuson Moss Warranty-Federal Trade Commission Improvements Act – and prevents companies from restricting repair rights to consumers, therefore allowing them to repair their own products how and where they choose.
While many consumers won’t worry much about potentially voiding their product’s warranty by attempting to fix it themselves, they’re often denied the necessary parts or tools to do so and are unable to access the information required to make safe and dependable repairs. The Right to Repair movement seeks to eliminate that barrier for consumers so that they may utilize the full life of the product they have purchased, and minimize superfluous manufacturing. The bicycle industry has many strict warranty-related regulations around the modification and repair of their frames, and difficult to find manuals with language that may be confusing to someone outside of a bike shop’s service department, ultimately aimed at promoting the purchase of new products simply out of frustration or defeat when it may not be entirely necessary. At Ruckus Composites, we serve to ease that frustration by offering the option for skilled, independent third-party repair to a damaged carbon fiber bicycle’s frame instead of discarding a broken bike in favor of a new one, therefore extending the life of an expensive purchase while lessening the need for new manufacturing while strengthening our larger community as a small business with a big impact.
What impact does repair really make over replacement?
The positive changes related to the Right to Repair movement can make a huge, long-term environmental improvement, allow consumers to make more informed choices, and benefit local companies and economies instead of falling back on huge manufacturers for greenwashed solutions. A major bicycle retailer’s recently self-published environmental report states it takes an average of 197 kg CO2e to manufacture their flagship road bike – and 57 kgCO2e for the frame alone. In contrast to that energy usage, for every existing bicycle frame that is damaged and then repaired by us, our repair process utilizes approximately 5.7 kgCO2e per bike. If we were to repair only this company’s flagship frame, each repair would be saving 51 kgCO2e over manufacturing a new frame in its place. This reduction of the bike industry’s overall carbon footprint may seem small considering carbon repair is not widely accepted by most manufacturers as a viable option for their product’s lifecycle, but we have learned not only that carbon fiber can absolutely be repaired safely, but the act of repair can collectively make a huge impact as the cycling industry grows. The aforementioned environmental report claims total company-wide production of carbon emissions exceeds 300,000 metric tons (or 300 million kgCo2e) annually, which is equal to the footprint made by 65,000 passenger vehicles.
Seeing as that report comes from only one of the major bicycle manufacturers on the market today, the total global emissions from bicycle manufacturing makes quite a negative compounded impact on the environment. Independent market forecasting research of the bike industry has estimated that between 2021 and 2025 there will be a compound average growth rate of approximately 15%, which translates to a growth of 59.4 million bicycles in this time period. With that many additional bikes on the road, it’s inevitable that the number of frames needing repair will increase at a similar rate and by choosing to repair instead of replace, a substantial amount of energy and resources can be diverted from being wasted.
The principles of the Right to Repair movement allow companies like Ruckus to step in and interrupt this environmentally damaging cycle of new production emissions while being backed by government regulations as being in the best interest of the public. While consumers may be familiar with the difficulty of having a phone or laptop repaired under the authorization of the manufacturer, they may not be aware that the bike industry imposes similarly strict guidelines on where their products are authorized to be repaired, or if they are allowed to be repaired at all. If a consumer has their bicycle repaired by an unauthorized business, they are effectively voiding their manufacturer warranties; The industry’s interest in consumerism pressures the rider to purchase a new frame or new bike altogether in the event of damage. However, the new legislation backing the Right to Repair movement allows for greater access to independent repair companies by consumers who may not have the means or desire to purchase a new bike or frame, may have damage that wouldn’t be covered under standard warranty replacement guidelines, or are looking to make a better choice for the environment.
Similar to products like cell phones, computers, and cars, the bike industry is constantly debuting new advancements to their technologies, and the design “standards” that many new bikes adhere to update quickly. This often creates forced obsolescence or incompatibility of prior components. If someone were to find damage on their 2015 road bike, they may be covered under the manufacturer’s crash replacement warranty, however, the replacement sent by the manufacturer will likely be the closest, new-year model to the old bike. When this replacement arrives, the rider may find their rim brakes, quick release skewers, and mechanical shifting components can’t be transferred onto the new frame, suddenly driving the out-of-pocket price up $1,000 or more to upgrade to new components. Additionally, the pandemic-fueled surge in the bike industry has pushed the availability of new components out nearly a year, or sometimes longer, meaning you may be off your bike for an indefinite amount of time. With carbon fiber repair, if the damage to the frame is safely fixed, there’s no need to scramble to gather new components to replace the existing ones that would have otherwise been incompatible with a new frame. This saves time and money and also cuts down on the demand for manufacturing and the associated carbon emissions.
Choosing to repair increases the lifespan of your bike and breaks the cycle of waste
Right to Repair enforcement will also allow smaller, mom-and-pop-type businesses to hang on in an increasingly competitive environment that favors a reliance on major brands directly for product repair and replacement. While a bike company might tell their customers that all repairs done must be completed by their authorized service centers, many people outside major metropolitan centers may not have the access to easily comply with those requirements, and may eventually choose not to purchase bikes at all. Additionally, smaller shops that may be fully equipped with a repair staff with the experience to repair a bike may be overlooked by consumers who feel they must take their bikes back to the retailer for all services. Imagine only ever taking your car back to the dealership when you need something minor inspected, although you may drive past fifteen great independent auto shops on the way there. The legislation behind the Right to Repair movement acknowledges the skills and craftsmanship of smaller, independent businesses and retailers required to repair consumer products, allowing for these businesses to continue to stay afloat, as well as keeping money within the communities they serve, lessening the negative environmental impact of needless additional manufacturing, and keeping more happy cyclists out on the roads, doing what they love.
Curious about the future of Right to Repair? Want to see how you can help your community move the repair industry forward? For more info on those topics, the progress of your state’s individual legislation, and more, check out The Repair Association’s website, https://www.repair.org.
Sources
1) Nixing the Fix: An FTC Report to Congress on Repair Restrictions https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/reports/nixing-fix-ftc-report-congress-repair-restrictions/nixing_the_fix_report_final_5521_630pm-508_002.pdf
2) The Repair Association https://www.repair.org
3) Right to Repair Europe https://repair.eu
4) Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/07/09/executive-order-on-promoting-competition-in-the-american-economy/
5) LAW: 15 U.S.C. §§ 2301-2312 https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/statutes/magnuson-moss-warranty-federal-trade-commission-improvements-act
6) Policy Statement of the Federal Trade Commission on Repair Restrictions Imposed by Manufacturers and Sellers https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/public_statements/1592330/p194400repairrestrictionspolicystatement.pdf
7) What You Should Know About Right to Repair https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/what-is-right-to-repair/
8) Trek Bicycle 2021 Sustainability Report https://view.publitas.com/trek-bicycle/trek-bicycle-2021-sustainability-report/page/1
Specialized Bicycle Sustainability
https://www.specialized.com/us/en/sustainability
9) Global bicycle demand growth drives carbon fiber demand growth https://www.compositesworld.com/news/global-bicycle-demand-growth-drives-carbon-fiber-demand-growth