Cardboard bicycle

A cardboard bicycle by Phil Bridges

A cardboard bicycle is a bicycle composed mostly or entirely of cardboard. Only prototypes have been made as of 2012.[1][2][3] Reported benefits include low cost,[1] and construction from recyclable[3] and renewable materials.[4] The low cost is also expected to act as a theft deterrent.[5][6]

Phil Bridge's prototype

In 2008, Phil Bridge created a cardboard bicycle as part of a three-year degree course in Product Design at Sheffield Hallam University.[5][7][8][9] It was intended to discourage theft,[8] supports a rider up to 169 pounds (77 kg),[7] and is constructed from a structural cardboard called Hexacomb.[5] It is waterproof, but is only expected to survive six months of constant use.[5] The drivetrain and brakes are metal, as on a conventional bike, and it rolls on standard pneumatic tires.

Izhar Gafni's prototype

I.G. Cardboard Technologies cardboard bicycle.

In 2012, Izhar Gafni, an Israeli mechanical engineer and cycling enthusiast,[10] unveiled a prototype bicycle made almost entirely out of cardboard in his workshop in Moshav Ahituv.[2] The components, including bike’s frame, wheels, handlebars and saddle,[3] consist of sheets of cardboard folded and glued together.[1] The complete bike weighs 20 pounds (9.1 kg),[2] and is treated to be fireproof and waterproof.[1] Gafni reports that it can support riders up to 220 kilograms (490 lb).[10] It has solid rubber tires made from recycled car tires.[1] Power is transferred from the pedals to the rear wheel with a belt, also made from recycled rubber.[3] Gafni and a business partner plan to mass-produce a bike based on the prototype and retail it for 20 USD,[2] with a unit cost of 9 to 12 USD.[3] The target market is low-income countries.[3] The prototype was featured at the November 2012 Microsoft ThinkNext event in Tel Aviv.[11] Gafni has been trying to raise $2 million on Indiegogo to fund the project.[12] As of 25 June 2013, he had raised $10 thousand.[13] The campaign has ended with a total of $40,107 raised.[12]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Deborah Netburn (October 16, 2012). "Ride on! $20 cardboard bike may go into production soon". The LA Times. Retrieved 2013-01-26. And because it is made of cardboard, it will also be cheap
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Ruth Eglash (December 7, 2012). "Izhar Gafni invents a cardboard bicycle that may revolutionize transportation His two-wheeled creation, a $20 bike made out of cardboard, could revolutionize bicycling, especially in the developing world.". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2013-01-26.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 "Re-cycling". The Economist. Dec 1, 2012. Retrieved 2013-01-26. First, he folds the cardboard—commercial-grade material, made from recycled paper
  4. ↑ Karen S. Garvin (Nov 21, 2011). "Renewable & Nonrenewable Materials". Livestrong Foundation. Retrieved 2013-01-26. Renewable materials are sustainable materials, which means, according to the Rutgers University Center for Sustainable Materials, these materials do not use up non-renewable resources. These raw materials are abundant and biodegradable, and are used to make diverse products such as adhesives and cardboard.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "Cardboard bicycle". BBC. 2008-06-16. Retrieved 2013-01-26. If you make a bicycle from cardboard, no-one will want to steal it!
  6. ↑ Erik Sherman (July 14, 2012). "This Man Made the Coolest Cardboard Bicycle Ever". The Fiscal Times. Retrieved 2013-01-26. If someone stole the bike (and it's hard to believe that something so cheap would have appeal to thieves), the replacement cost would be negligible.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Addy Dugdale. "Cardboard Bicycle Costs Just $30, Don’t Leave It Out in the Rain". Gizmodo. Retrieved 2013-01-26. 'The prototype does work but it is still quite limited and there are a few problems,' he says. Rain, however, is not one of them, he claims.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Cardboard bike aims to put the brakes on thieves". Sheffield Hallam University. 12/06/2008. Retrieved 2013-01-26. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ↑ Hilary Whiteman (June 18, 2008). "The ultimate in recycling". CNN. Retrieved 2013-01-26.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Adam Williams (October 16, 2012). "Israeli man creates bike from recycled cardboard". GizMag. Retrieved 2013-01-26. supporting a rider who weighs up to 220 kg (485 lbs)
  11. ↑ David Shamah (November 8, 2012). "Beyond the bike". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2013-01-26.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "The Cardboard Bike". Indiegogo. 2013-06-24. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
  13. ↑ Memmott, Mark (2012-10-15). "Cardboard Bike's Fundraiser Is Rolling : The Two-Way". NPR. Retrieved 2013-06-25.

External links