This article describes the use of asbestos in bicycles including bicycle saddles or seats, tires, brakes, construction joints and other parts..

Asbestos Uses in Bicycle Components

In countries world-wide, asbestos was used various bicycle parts including saddles or seats, bicycle tires (talcum power that contained asbestos), some structural joints of the bicyle frame, and bicycle brakes.

Note: while asbestos was used in a range of parts on bicycles, there we have found no research claiming a hazardous asbestos release or exposure from bicycles under normal use.

In fact on the contrary, researchers found the opposite. (Hwang 2016).

Question: was asbestos used in bicycle seats?

2018/11/21 Jared said:

was asbestos used inside.the seat cushions of 1950s bicycles?

Sketch shows the Hoskinson saddle with the inner layer of asbestos at #7

[Click to enlarge any image]

Reply: Yes

Jared

Your photo [above] looks like jute (not an asbestos material), apparently underlaid with a layer of felt, probably cotton.

There is no doubt that there were some very early bicycle seats (Ca 1900) that included asbestos.

• Englebert, Louis Guillaume Marie. "Bicycle-saddle." U.S. Patent 654,720, issued July 31, 1900. [shown just above]
  Excerpt:
  
  The saddle is of a very simple but substantial construction and comprises a suitable foundation-plate on which are held by means of a similar plate two perforated plates of celluloid or other suitable material, each of said celluloid plates supporting a rubber pad or cushion on which lies a leaf of asbestos, and the saddle thus formed is suitably faced with soft leather, fabrics, or the like.

Remarkably asbestos was used in bicycle seats or saddles as late as 1971, as we illustrate in the Hoskinson patent below!

• Hoskinson Sr, John Donald. "Method of making a foamed article and said article." U.S. Patent 3,616,171, issued October 26, 1971. [Click image above to see details]
  
  Excerpts:
  
  This invention relates to a foamed article having a foamed core and a vinyl resin skin wherein the inner layer of the skin adjacent the foam contains asbestos fibers.
  
  Also, since the inside part 7 of the skin has asbestos fibers therein, these fibers give a better bond between the foam and the skin.

Interestingly as late as 1986 when asbestos would no longer have been used in bicycle seats - at least not in most countries, asbestos was still used in the production of plastic bike seats.

• Noyes, Howard B., and Rene Aelion. "Pneumatic bicycle saddle." U.S. Patent 4,611,851, issued September 16, 1986.
  Excerpt:
  
  A two-piece, cast aluminum mold is utilized, and the outside of the top half 42 of the mold is provided with a 1.5 inch thick layer of asbestos insulation. The two halves of the mold are separated and loaded with 185 grams of a blend of Hytrel 5556, polyester polyether block copolymer and a small amount of pigment.
  
  Note that this describes the production apparatus, not the final product. The seat itself is described (in part) as
  
  A pneumatic saddle for vehicles, comprising:
  
  a completely hollow rider-supporting shell made of a single plastic material in the shape of a bicycle saddle, said shell having a narrow forward portion, a rear portion relatively broader than said forward portion, an upper wall which constitutes the top of said shell, and a lower wall which constitutes the bottom of said shell;

Additional Examples Trace the History of Use of Asbestos in Bicycle Saddles or Seats as well as Tires & Tire Leak Sealants

These additional patent disclosures, arranged chronologically, help trace the use of asbestos in bicycle seats. More asbestos uses in other bicycle products are given below.

• Paul, Kauffmann. "Saddle-suspension device for bicycles, motor cycles, and the like." U.S. Patent 1,498,282, issued June 17, 1924.
  Excerpt:
  
  Upon the axle of the apparatus and between the arms a and b may be mounted two washers g of steel, copper, asbestos or the like for separating the rods a and in such manner that during the oscillation oi the arm b they shall not come in contact, and also for absorbing the shocks of the device ...
• Holloway, Robert L. "Bond joints for a bicycle frame." U.S. Patent 3,030,124, issued April 17, 1962.
  
  Excerpt:
  For example, Bond Master M688 manufactured by Rubber and Asbestos Corp. of 225 Bellville Avenue, Bloomfield, New Jersey, is one example of a non-thermosetting adhesive which employs a catalyst and requires no baking.
• Ginsburgh, Irwin, and Benjamin D. Pennington. "Injection leak sealing apparatus and method." U.S. Patent 3,472,285, issued October 14, 1969.
  Excerpt:
  
  The leak sealing materials are sawdust or asbestos fibers, the fibers having a length within the range of about /2-1 /2 inches.
• Asbestos in Bicycle Tires
  
  Watch out : because talcum powder or talc was used as an ancillary coating on many other products ranging from ballons and bicycle tire tubes to rubber bands and sports equipment, asbestos from the talc source might be found on older versions of those products that have not been cleaned of the pwoder. In our OPINION, a rubber band with some talc on it is not likely to provider a detectable airborne asbestos nor talc hazard.
  
  See details at ASBESTOS in TALCUM POWDER

Research on Uses / Release of Asbestos in / From Bicycles in Various Bicycle Components

This list expands the uses of asbestos in bicycles, tricycles, and exercise bicyles to include at least Bicycle brakes, coaster brakes, rim brakes, bicycle mud flaps, bicycle tires, bicycle seats, bicycle frames, bicycle motors, asbestos packing at hubs or wheels or cranks, asbesto in bicycle lamps, lights, reflectors, lanterns, and other bicyle parts.

Some of these parts and uses will also pertain to motorcycles and scooters.

Image: of uses of asbestos in modern bicycle parts (Hwang 2006) cited below.

[Click to enlarge any image]

• Benedict, Francis Gano, and Walter Guyton Cady. A bicycle ergometer with an electric brake. Vol. 167. Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1912.
  
  Cites use of asbestos in electric brakes on bicycle ergonometer..
• Daniels, David. "Seat back warmer." U.S. Patent 2,731,542, issued January 17, 1956.
  
  Excerpt: The cover 18 for the pad 17 may be made of asbestos or the like.
• Disbrow, Richard A., and Russel O. Blanchard. "Exercise equipment." U.S. Patent 4,305,578, issued December 15, 1981.
  Cites use of asbestos on brakes on exercise bicycles
  
  Excerpt:
  The central portion of pivot plate 48 and brake pad 50 generally conforms with the circular shape of crankshaft 42. Preferably, brake pad 50 is made of an impregnated asbestos material.
• Disbrow, Richard A., and Russel O. Blanchard. "Unobstructed adjustable V-frame exercycle." U.S. Patent 4,811,945, issued March 14, 1989.
  Cites use of asbestos in brakes on bicycles
• Hopkins, Nelson S., Motor for Bicycles, U.S. Patent 543,094 24 July 1895
  
  Excerpt: immediately below the opening 88, is a small quantity of asbestos or other absorbent material ...
• Hwang, Sung Ho, and Wha Me Park. "Evaluation of asbestos-containing products and released fibers in home appliances." [PDF] Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association 66, no. 9 (2016): 922-929.
  
  Abstract: The purpose of this study was to detect asbestos-containing products and released asbestos fibers from home appliances. The authors investigated a total of 414 appliances manufactured between 1986 and 2007. Appliances were divided into three categories: large-sized electric appliances, small-sized electric appliances, and household items.
  
  Analysis for asbestos-containing material (ACM) was performed using polarized light microscopy (PLM) and stereoscopic microscopy.
  
  Air sampling was performed to measure airborne concentration of asbestos using a phase-contrast microscope (PCM).
  
  The results of the analysis for ACM in appliances show that large-sized electric appliances (refrigerators, washing machines, kimchi-refrigerators) and household items (bicycles, motorcycles, gas boilers) contain asbestos material and small-sized electric appliances do not contain asbestos material.
  
  All appliances with detected asbestos material showed typical characteristics of chrysotile (7–50%) and tremolite (7–10%). No released fibers of ACM were detected from the tested appliances when the appliances were operating.
  
  This study gives the basic information on asbestos risk to people who use home appliances.
  
  Implications: All appliances with detected asbestos material showed typical characteristics of chrysotile (7–50%) and tremolite (7–10%).
  
  No released fibers of ACM were detected from the tested appliances when the appliances were operating.
• Lesage, Alfred, "Spreadable brake body particularly adapted for bicycle hubs." U.S. Patent 2,236,508, issued April 1, 1941.
  
  Excerpt: The brake lining members [4 consist of a suitable artificial material which may be pressed into the desired shape and of hard particles eventually in combination with a filling material, such as asbestos fibres.
• Lu, Tsung-Yueh, Shu-Li Wang, Mei-Fang Wu, and Feng-Tsung Cheng. "Competitive Price Strategy with Activity-Based Costing–Case Study of Bicycle Part Company." Procedia CIRP 63 (2017): 14-20.
  
  Excerpt: ... asbestos brake, crank gear, seat tube and handlebar.
• Olmsted, Aaron B. "Mud-guard for bicycles." U.S. Patent 660,306, issued October 23, 1900.
  
  Excerpt: I may use different materials for this purpose-such as rubber, leather, asbestos, 850.; but in general I prefer to use rubber.
• Schoch, Robert. "Rim brake for a bicycle." U.S. Patent 4,163,481, issued August 7, 1979.
  
  Cites use of asbestos in bicycle rim brakes.
• Winn, Thomas, "Bicycle Lantern", U.S. Patent 594,452, November 30, 1897,
  Excerpt:
  
  The remaining reflectors may be either of glass thus silvered or they may be of highly-polished metal, and the reflectors may be separated from direct contact with the casin g and housing by the interposition of a suitable filling or packing, such as asbestos, and such a filling would have the further desirable effect of absorbing a certain amount of heat transmitted to the reflectors, thereby preventing the latter from being unduly heated.

...

Continue reading at ASBESTOS LIST of PRODUCTS or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see

Suggested citation for this web page

BICYCLE ASBESTOS USES at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

Or see this

INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to ASBESTOS HAZARDS

Or use the SEARCH BOX found below to Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia

Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia

Try the search box just below, or if you prefer, post a question or comment in the Comments box below and we will respond promptly.

Note: appearance of your Comment below may be delayed: if your comment contains an image, photograph, web link, or text that looks to the software as if it might be a web link, your posting will appear after it has been approved by a moderator. Apologies for the delay.

Only one image can be added per comment but you can post as many comments, and therefore images, as you like.
You will not receive a notification when a response to your question has been posted.
Please bookmark this page to make it easy for you to check back for our response.
Our Comment Box is provided by Countable Web Productions countable.ca

Citations & References

In addition to any citations in the article above, a full list is available on request.

---

ADVERTISEMENT

---