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Bike Manufacturers Are Making Bikes Less Repairable

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207 points LorenDB | 2 comments | 14 Oct 24 19:27 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
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acyou ◴[14 Oct 24 20:17 UTC] No.41841463[source]▶
Lithium ion batteries and battery modules are never ever gonna be user repairable. The main reason is that the electrolyte is a highly toxic, carcinogenic and extremely flammable organic solvent. AAs are user swappable because the electrolyte is water based.

Bikes started being less repairable when manufacturers noticed that steel frame 10 speeds were lasting multiple decades. If parts continue to be available, those frames are still going to be in use another 50 years from now. Particularly where cartridge bearings are used.

Carbon fiber bikes are part of the trend. Will we eventually see a straight up plastic adult bike frame?

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userbinator ◴[14 Oct 24 21:39 UTC] No.41842309[source]▶
Lion cell electrolytes are nowhere near as toxic as those of NiCd or lead-acid. Flammability is the biggest risk. Toxicity is comparable to acetone.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propylene_carbonate

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diethyl_carbonate

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethyl_acetate

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acyou ◴[14 Oct 24 21:59 UTC] No.41842474[source]▶
Yes, but unless you drink the lead acid battery acid, you're not exposed to it. Ditto for NiCd. No one is drinking battery electrolyte. The key is that all of the above in Lithium ion are VOC and highly available, including what you mentioned and worse, specifically NMP.
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userbinator ◴[14 Oct 24 22:47 UTC] No.41842989[source]▶
"In the US, propylene carbonate is not regulated as a volatile organic compound (VOC) because it does not contribute significantly to the formation of smog and because its vapor is not known or suspected to cause cancer or other toxic effects"

"Diethyl carbonate is used as a solvent such as in erythromycin intramuscular injections."

Ethyl acetate: "The LD50 for rats is 5620 mg/kg,[24] indicating low acute toxicity. Given that the chemical is naturally present in many organisms, there is little risk of toxicity."

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1. acyou ◴[15 Oct 24 01:19 UTC] No.41843982[source]▶
Yes, just need to watch out for the ethers, NMP, various other volatile additives. And even worse, the HF. That's the one that melts your bones.

Lithium ion electrolyte is extremely hazardous when inhaled. I would not attempt to handle, open or modify cells without engineered ventilation and appropriate training and protection. If a cell is punctured or suspected to be leaking, I would evacuate to fresh air immediately and activate a hazardous substance control team.

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2. userbinator ◴[15 Oct 24 01:39 UTC] No.41844084[source]▶
It appears you're far too paranoid for your own good. If by NMP you're referring to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone ,

"N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone is a relatively innocuous compound with an LD50 of 4150 mg/kg (oral, rats).[5] It is non-mutagenic."

HF is only formed in combustion, but then so are a lot of other more hazardous chemicals.

But getting the occasional whiff of electrolyte (which I admit actually has a quite pleasant smell) or having some skin contact from a leaking cell is certainly nothing to worry about.

I know plenty of people who regularly work on cars, washed their hands with gasoline and probably came into contact with much worse, yet still lived healthily into their 80s and 90s.