The cardboard bike is being touted as an ideal solution for city-dwellers who require an inexpensive and environmentally-friendly way to commute, in addition to a potential mode of transportation for people living in emerging countries.
Gafni, a mechanical engineer and a cycling
enthusiast, was inspired to make the cardboard bicycle after overhearing a
conversation about somebody who had made a canoe constructed from cardboard.
Thus began a project of three years, during which the inventor busied himself
in his workshop, producing several prototypes, before settling upon a design
which is cheap to make, robust, and suitable for daily use.
The cardboard bike is constructed in stages. First,
the cardboard is cut into the desired shapes to be used as parts, then they are
folded and pressed several times, the strength of the structure increasing
markedly as a result. The cardboard is then made even stronger by being treated
with a secret coating of the inventor’s own design, before finally being
painted and assembled.
Weighing around nine kilograms the cardboard bike
is on the light side for an adult-sized bike, which generally weigh somewhere
in the region of 14 kg and it can withstand exposure to water and humidity,
while supporting a rider who weighs up to 220 kg. It requires no servicing or
adjustment, and the solid tires are made from reused car tires, with a car
timing belt serving as a chain. Not quite sure how smooth the ride would be without suspension and solid tyres.... but we wont knock it until we see the end result.
While the manufacturing process is still being
refined, Gafni believes his design could eventually be sold in stores for just
$20, making it an attractive solution for commuters who do not wish to worry
about an expensive bike being stolen and reducing their environmental footprint.
Additionally, the cardboard bike could be a useful method of transportation in
emerging countries, where a standard metal bike is often too expensive to
produce and maintain.
In the future, the cardboard bike will be produced
in both children's and adult's sizes, with the latter model also featuring an
optional electric motor.
We think it has potental - good work Gafni!
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The cardboard bike can support a rider who weighs up to 220 kilograms, and it won't fall apart in the rain. |
