Cardboard bicycle can change the world, says Israeli inventor

I like it, it's a good idea . Good cheap transportation can have a huge impact on economies and cultures. I'm not sure how I feel about all the talk of subsidies and such. Because if after subsidies there is no cost to produce doesn't that mean the taxpayer is paying for it to be built?

I don't see why something like this can't stand on it's own relying only on market forces. It looks like there is some pretty decent market demand for a consumer product. If it's easy to produce why not open places to produce it in areas that most need the jobs and the cheap transportation.

I think the $20 price point would work really well in the US, Europe, Japan, and S Korea as a consumer item. If he can sell a couple of million in those markets that would give him plenty of money to do things in less developed parts of the world I'd think.

Oh my god. I would love to buy this. Not just love, when it hits the market I'll definitely be getting one -- assuming he doesn't up the price to 50 or 100 =_=

Cardboard Bikes, heck how about a cardboard fan? Maybe a cardboard chair for my pc, or a cardboard frame for my bed. A cardboard drawer? hell yes.

Interesting...

It would still have to beat the cost of old bicycles though. (At least in the developed world.) Plenty of bicycles that are tossed to the curb and can be had for free, when more often than not it's just the wheels or other drive-line components that are shot. Those can be rebuilt or replaced. A bit of emery cloth, elbow grease, and krylon and a frame can look as good as new too.

As for new bicycles on the cheap... Although the materials are inexpensive, it still looks like making them is process intensive. For the amount of metal going into a bike, it's actually cheap too. Metal frame bikes can be made very quickly on a jig with robots doing the welds, so how does this compare to that? It's actually not the materials or manufacturing of the frame that makes "good" bikes expensive, but rather things like quality control, precision machined mechanicals, and extras like an active suspension if it's a mountain bike. (If not worried about that, a reasonable bike could be had for under $100 new. Target or WalMart has them.)

It's nice idea and shows how well cardboard works as a structural material in a composite, but it's still going to be tough to prove as being practical vs. current bicycles.

Do you need spandex & bike helmet to ride it?

Originally posted by mr10k
Cardboard Bikes, heck how about a cardboard fan? Maybe a cardboard chair for my pc, or a cardboard frame for my bed. A cardboard drawer? hell yes.

How about a cardboard Cathedral
Cardboard Cathedral Project Approved

Originally posted by kryton
To the person who said he wouldn't be able to make bearings without metal, they said recycled materials, so I imagine it's recycled steel they are using. No way it's a cardboard bearing if you want to ride it more than a few miles.

Once ready for production, the bicycle will include no metal parts, even the brake mechanism and the wheel and pedal bearings will be made of recycled substances, although Gafni said he could not yet reveal those details due to pending patent issues.

You were saying......

Originally posted by mr10k
Cardboard Bikes, heck how about a cardboard fan? Maybe a cardboard chair for my pc, or a cardboard frame for my bed. A cardboard drawer? hell yes.

Cardboard furniture!-oh wait....Ikea

Might as well start making some furniture.....pretty cool idea...

when have you seen anything sold in n.america for $20.

if and when it does hit n. america i see a $70 price tag.

You can tool around on your cardboard bike I'll take a Aluminum Foil Porsche.

reply to post by buster2010


Awesome.

Does it come in gold foil?

reply to post by Jaellma


make a cardboard mountain trike please

I vote for a cardboard electric bike. I need to go at least 40 mph. My E-bike does 28 now.

Any word on if you can cycle faster because you are lighter with this design?

As for the Cardboard Cathedral, I just saw a video on youtube made on sept 16. They just started and the building will be finished in December. It will weigh 1,112 lbs when finished. If the congregation gets ticked off at the preacher they can steal the church!

Originally posted by OccamAssassin
reply to post by buster2010

 

Awesome.

Does it come in gold foil?

Only in Saudi Arabia. Or if you have a can of spray paint handy.

people are lazy, why would they buy a cardboard bike?or a actual bike?

ive thought long an hard about this for the last 30 second's. and i have to say i think i'd rather have a car.

Pretty cool. I see he had the schematics in the computer, so I wonder if he could the schematics to a 3-D printer that could handle the cardboard and it could manufacture these bikes for little or nothing making them ultra cheap.

Even still it seems like a lot of manual labor would go into making the Origami folds he used; therefore driving up the price.

Food for thought.

This is really great!....now some poor african peasant will only have to work for a year or perhaps two to purchase one.....way to go

It would be even better and stronger if made of Hemp

reply to post by incoserv


Yeah! I'll give him 20 bucks right now! Will they become widely available for $20 before you can 3d print one for 50? Or less. I read that the cardboard bike can be built from all recycled parts. Perhaps someday we can recycle all the junk into 3d printer ink... If one likes to ride through fire, though, the cardboard bike may not be the best option.

www.3d-printers.com.au...

reply to post by RussianScientists


Where are you getting your information from on the use of cardboard in the use of aircraft???

In all my years in the US Air Force working on B-1 Lancers, and working on commercial aircraft as a licensed FAA Airframe and Powerplant mechanic I have never once seen or heard of cardboard being used in anything other than the cup you drink out of when the flight attendant is serving drinks.

However, as far as laminate go the strength comes from the composite fibers warp, if you use a warp clock and lay out fabic in 360 degrees you will have on heck of a strong part... The matrix (aka hardner and catalyst) do not provide strength, it only keeps the layers together... As far as honeycomb core goes most of which are usually made of out Aluminum, Aramid fiber, carbon fiber, fiber glass, high density foam, as well as phenolic material as well as other exotic composite materials.... cardboard my friend just isnt one of them based mainly on the fact of its construction which is similar to plywood or compressed wood, it has no warp, weft, or bias... there is no strength in any given direction in a given sheet. Only in the honeycomb core can I can see strength but even if it were used in aircraft and I'm 99% sure that it is not it would never be used for anything structural or in any area subject to tensil, shear, or other stresses..

I have been a aircraft mechanic for the better part of 15 years now and I've seen a lot of airframes and have not yet come across cardboard... If i'm wrong please give me a source id love to know how they did it and where they use it. However if you cant stop scaring people who fly often and dont know much about aviation... they dont need to know that on 95% of aircraft the only thing that holds the engines on are 2 or 3 1/2inch bolts and or a few small clamps...