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I'll Believe It When I See It: $9 Cardboard Bicycles

September 14, 2012 / bicycle, bike, biking, cardboard, go green, good ideas, i just got a new bike a couple weeks ago it's pretty dope but it's made out of metal and has a little BRING-BRING bell on it, i once built a pretty sick fort out of cardboard i'm just saying, i'll believe it when i see it (on the market), recycled, sure why not, why such a markup?

cardboard-bike.jpg

This is a recycled cardboard bicycle built by Izhar Gafni. It can allegedly support a rider up to 300-lbs (although their ass will engulf the seat) and is unaffected by water or humidity because it's been coated with anti-water and humidity stuff. I'm scientific!

In an article by No Camels, it was reported that the production cost of Gafni's cardboard bicycles was around USD$9 to $12 each, and he estimated that one could be sold to consumers for $60 to $90, depending on the components they choose to add.

Wow, so you're gonna make a bike for $9-$12, then sell it for for almost 7 times that? How about we make $9 bikes, then ship them to third-world nations so children don't have to spend the whole day walking to the mud hole and back just to get a bucket of water? Really free up some time to play with sticks and rocks.

Hit the jump for a lengthy video about the bikes.

Thanks to thepinkbikerider, who apparently rides a pink bike. "It's purple." I can't win.

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There are Comments

  • "...anti-water and humidity stuff." (read carcinogenic) Ass cancer.

  • ZomBBombeR

    I just like the idea of a cheap bike you can completly dispose of with FIRE!!!!!

  • LMAO, 60 TO 90 DOLLARS?

    http://www.walmart.com/ip/NEXT...

    $88

    http://www.walmart.com/ip/20-M...

    $97

    All Metal and Plastic... And this guy want's to sell cardboard bikes for a similar price?.... LOLOLOL?

  • Nazhuret

    I don't believe that anyone told him it was impossible. Especially his "engineer friends".
    If they did, they suck at engineering.

  • JJtoob

    He is making the bikes now I suppose, if they went into factory mass production, I'd figure the price would go down. Right now the cost is probably just the materials, but not the hours it takes to make it by hand. He is probably not working any other jobs since making those bikes should be taking all his time.

  • Rick_McRockock

    I think the discussion should definitely focus on the relatively low cost instead of how inspired/brilliant this guy is. Let's definitely not recognize the guy in any fashion and just keep talking about the price...

    So yeah... the markup right... amiright?

  • BillGatesIsYourDaddy

    that's right. and coated cardboard not affected by water or humidity? not going to believe that one.

    and let's not miss out on complaining about that kid at the 3:59 mark that is clearly to old to still have a pacifier.

    and don't get me started on how cluttered that shop is. that is a work hazard.

  • ZerglingPack

    That's one hell of a mark up.

  • If that's what it costs to make... not really... by the time you're paying the cost of getting it to stores, marketing and then the stores marking it up to that final 60-90, not unreasonable. Most things you buy on a daily basis are closer to 1500% markups and beyond....

    Very cool idea, I would love to see this come into production

  • you also got stuff like research and development to pay off, whenever anyone comes up with something new they have to put money into researching and improving and then have to make that money back

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