Inspired by water-cooler talk about a cardboard canoe, inventor and craftsman Izhar Gafni became obsessed with the idea of a cardboard bicycle. Despite a number of Gafni’s engineering buddies telling him it couldn’t be done, his enthusiasm and technical/design prowess in the field of mechanical and bio-medical engineering made it a challenge. Even though cardboard doesn’t have the structural properties required to build a usable, durable bicycle frame, he made the impossible…possible.
A presentation board showing detailed features of the Cardboard bike
Israeli cycling enthusiast Izhar Gafni has created the coolest eco-vehicle to hit the streets in quite a while – a bike made entirely of cardboard! The sturdy cycle is cheap, eco-friendly, and certainly unique. Gafni first painstakingly bends and folds pieces of cardboard, using an origami technique, into what initially will look like a shipping package on wheels. He then dunks the design in resin, adds a layer of pearly paint and voila – his one-of-a-kind cardboard creation works and looks just like a beautiful bicycle, but it only costs $20 to make. Checkout the Video!
On the streets of New York….(including one in Central Park). This is the latest mode.
Gafni describes the beginning of his cardboard obsession when he read about a man creating a canoe with the same material. He ran into his shed and began cutting and shaping his old boxes into what eventually became bicycle pieces. He then folds pieces over and over to make them strong, testing their durability under cars and cinder blocks. A coat of resin makes the cardboard waterproof, allowing riders to glide through puddles or a rain storm without fear of going soggy. An attachable electric motor is also available for those with a need for speed.
One of the top three picks at the 2014 Chicago MSI Exhibit, in September.
The bicycle is now patent pending and initial investors have been secured to build a factory for production. Once the final stages of the manufacturing process is in place a Kick-Starter campaign will be introduced for final funding.