A product design student at Sheffield Hallam University in the UK wanted to address the problem of prevalent bike theft so he created this bike for around US$30. It doesn’t say whether this was just for the frame or for everything. And no, it doesn’t melt in a rainstorm. He used hexacomb board, which is waterproof. No much to look at, but if it gets your groceries home…
Cardboard bike aims to put brakes on theives [via Inhabitat]
12 thoughts on “Cardboard bike”
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Cool looking bike, but I don’t see how this could be made for around $30, maybe $30 in cardboard.
The price for tires, tubes, seat, chainring, chain, cog, hub, chainring bolts is well above $30.
-Joe
Yeah, I bet it was $30 for the board and he used hardware from an existing bike. I looked around online and Hexacomb sheet goes for around US$8-10 for a 40″ x 48″ sheet.
The cheapest walmart bikes start at about $60, and they’re actually hobbled by things like multiple gears and shock absorbers. A single speed coaster brake version of these bargain bikes would be cheaper, more reliable and theoretically compete quite well with the idea of a $30 cardboard bike. The big question is who would buy such bicycles? You’d think outfits like Walmart and Target have run the numbers already and already know what most folks would buy.
Cool idea, sucks it has to come to cardboard bikes though…. we have a bike library here in Arcata CA pick up a ride for $20; I often leave my bike unchained.
Also are your roads smooth? to many potholes here…people cracking their Al frames :( Id be concerned with developing creases around the post.
Is there an actual ridable prototype out there? It would seem not from reading the links.
man, you are screwed if you leave this thing in the rain,
there’s no way this can last more than a few months. at the most.
engineering feat though.