Israeli Says His Cardboard Bicycle Will Change The World

[skb12172]

Just as long as you don't ride it in the rain...

http://news.yahoo.com/cardboard-bicycle ... 32689.html

[Jericho941]

Reminded me of Donald Duck's "plastic airplane" until I saw this:

Once the shape has been formed and cut, the cardboard is treated with a secret concoction made of organic materials to give it its waterproof and fireproof qualities. In the final stage, it is coated with lacquer paint for appearance.

[Erik]

This reminds me of a bike that a local company introduced in the early 80's. I think it was made with recycled plastic or some other "environmentally friendly" material, and they claimed it was a great new innovation that would make everyone want to take a bike everywhere. They even got Jimmy Carter to try it for a photo op.

Of course, it didn't turn out that way. As I understand from those that bought it, it was very unstable, and didn't hold up for long. And it was a pain to fix when it broke. Never heard of anyone using it more than a year.

[Aglifter]

If you get the resins right, there's no reason why it couldn't work.

[Yogimus]

Because metal is cheaper?

A high quality bike can run tens of thousands of dollars, true, but a soviet bloc piece of shit would cost 3 or 4 bucks a pop, mass produced. This dude offers a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

[Erik]

If you get the resins right, there's no reason why it couldn't work.

Sure, you'll get a bike, and you can ride on it. So technically it might work.

If the bike is anywhere as good as a cheap metal bike is another question. Not even the inventor seems to believe it can compete without Government funding:

Nimrod Elmish, Gafni's business partner, said cardboard and other recycled materials could bring a major change in current production norms because grants and rebates would only be given for local production and there would be no financial benefits by making bicycles in cheap labor markets.
<..>
He said that apart from the social benefits this would provide for all concerned, it would also garner government grants for the manufacturers.

So it will be "cheap" as long as Government pays for it.

[JAG2955]

If only there was some natural, renewable material that someone could make a bike out of that would be waterproof, strong, and cheap. Wait, wasn't there a material from history that we made into lots of stuff?

Someone kludge a 2x4 frame together with some rubber-capped plywood wheels and a fan belt drive and we'll improve on his design in every way.

[Aglifter]

Wood has almost no tensile strength - great for compression, though.

I think there is a, high-end, non-subsidized, manufacturer using bamboo.

[Windy Wilson]

Wood has almost no tensile strength - great for compression, though.

I think there is a, high-end, non-subsidized, manufacturer using bamboo.

Yep:
Odd, I recall them as being originally from Zambia

[evan price]

It's one of those really interesting technical achievements that has little practical use unless it is paid for by someone elses' money.

So the bike costs $9 to produce- and is given away for free- but requires $500 million in capital investment to build the factory to make them. But if we make government pass a law making them subsidized by public tax money it will all work out in the end, just like electric cars!