Israeli Inventor Creates Working Bicycle Made Entirely of Cardboard

Mike Kayatta

Minister of Secrets
Aug 2, 2011
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Israeli Inventor Creates Working Bicycle Made Entirely of Cardboard



Using cardboard for boxes is so 2011.

While in many American and European cities, the bicycle is looked at as the cheap alternative to driving a car, there hasn't really been much thought put into finding the cheap alternative to riding a bicycle (those ratty tennis shoes you've had for eight years excluded). Izhar Gafni hopes to change that with his latest invention, a $9.00 bicycle made entirely of cardboard that he believes is "a game-changer."

"Making a cardboard box is easy and it can be very strong and durable, but to make a bicycle was extremely difficult and I had to find the right way to fold the cardboard in several different directions," Gafni claims. "It took a year and a half, with lots of testing and failure until I got it right."

Gafni's wonder-bike won't just mind-bogglingly support your weight, but is also both waterproof and fireproof, a feat accomplished via a secret organic spray that, reportedly, has kept one of his bicycles hard even after being immersed in water for several months. Currently, the chain is replaced by a car's timing belt, and the tires, created from reconstituted rubber, not only can't go flat, but last without filling for ten years.

"When we started, a year and a half or two years ago, people laughed at us," Gafni said, "but now we are getting at least a dozen e-mails every day asking where they can buy such a bicycle, so this really makes me hopeful that we will succeed."

The bike, if it works as reported, isn't just an amazing feat of engineering, but also of production. With a per unit cost of $9.00, there will be no financial incentive for businesses to produce the bicycles in cheap labor markets. Perhaps even more impressive is that fact that the vehicle is made from 100% "green" materials, allowing for government grants that neutralize the production cost, and allow the bikes to be distributed completely free of charge in poor and developing nations.

While you can't pick up one of these magical voodoo bikes yet, Gafni claims that in just six months, plans will be set in motion for an urban bike assisted by a rechargeable electric motor, a small bike (about 2/3 the size of an adult's) for African children, a "balance bike" for teaching people to ride, and even a wheelchair. As for the distant future? Gafni sees his special cardboard used in cars and airplanes, though admits that's "still a way down the road."

Source & Image: Yahoo News [http://news.yahoo.com/cardboard-bicycle-change-world-says-israeli-inventor-090732689.html]

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ritchards

Non-gamer in a gaming world
Nov 20, 2009
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Mike Kayatta said:
a feat accomplished via a secret organic spray that, reportedly, has kept one of his bicycles hard even after being immersed in water for several months.
Sounds like he should be selling that, alternative to Viagra, hey-o!
 

Gilhelmi

The One Who Protects
Oct 22, 2009
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Darn, I would love too see a working Cardboard airplane.

Cheap Corp-duster lowing cost of food. Cheap long-range transport, no more needing too drive 6 hours too get to a major airport. The possibilities are truly remarkable.
 

mad825

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Mar 28, 2010
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Usually when I go to buy a bike, I tend to worry about the costs. Not really so much about health and safety...
 

Sonic Doctor

Time Lord / Whack-A-Newbie!
Jan 9, 2010
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Cool, I'd love to see the bike in person in person. A cardboard bike seems impossible to me.

ritchards said:
Mike Kayatta said:
a feat accomplished via a secret organic spray that, reportedly, has kept one of his bicycles hard even after being immersed in water for several months.
Sounds like he should be selling that, alternative to Viagra, hey-o!
The problem is that such a thing wouldn't be practical, seeing as if it stays up for more than four hours, you need to consult your doctor immediately. =P
 

Omegatronacles

Guardian Of Forever
Oct 15, 2009
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Filiecs said:
Wait, if it's made entirely out of cardboard, what happens when it rains?
As the article says, the bike is covered in a "mystery spray" that makes it waterproof
 

Braedan

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Sep 14, 2010
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Wow. A 9 dollar bike. It obviously won't be a schwin, but it will give so many people an affordable means of transportation without having to smell the hobo on the train the just threw up on himself.
 

ResonanceSD

Guild Warrior
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Dec 14, 2009
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EDIT: Read the article properly -_-

I'd like to know what the spray that they used is though XD, WD-40 variant?
 

ThunderCavalier

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Nov 21, 2009
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DVS BSTrD said:
How long untill he masters time travel?
http://www.calvin-und-hobbes.com/images/stories/welt/chdinos1.jpg
xD We will visit the distant past to solve the mysteries of the dinosaurs and the Dead Sea Scrolls, and we will visit them in our futuristic alien cardboard.

And we will not be ashamed whatsoever.
 

Avaholic03

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May 11, 2009
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Mike Kayatta said:
Israeli Inventor Creates Working Bicycle Made Entirely of Cardboard
As a journalist, shouldn't you know the definition of the word "entirely"? I can see several parts of that bike which are not cardboard. That's not to take away from this accomplishment which is pretty impressive. But why stretch the truth?
 

TeletubbiesGolfGun

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Sep 7, 2012
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ResonanceSD said:
EDIT: Read the article properly -_-

I'd like to know what the spray that they used is though XD, WD-40 variant?
seriously, that shit must be made of superman skin to be strong enough to hold a person and sufficiently bike you around for periods of time.


granted, in my area there are decent amounts of hills and stuff, so i don't think this bike would be good for it..but for mostly flat places it'd probably hold up.

really want to see a video of him biking around, still, it's damn impressive..fucking cardboard.
 

Zombie_Moogle

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Dec 25, 2008
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Mike Kayatta said:
Gafni's wonder-bike won't just mind-bogglingly support your weight, but is also both waterproof and fireproof, a feat accomplished via a secret organic spray that, reportedly, has kept one of his bicycles hard even after being immersed in water for several months.

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Wow. I don't think regular bikes could even do that