Re-cycle

Through trial and error, Israeli cycling enthusiast Izhar Gafni has succeeded in making a bicycle from cardboard. "I worked for 4 years to cancel out the corrugated cardboard's weak structural points. 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. It took a year and a half, with lots of testing and failure until I got it right," he says. Once mass-produced, which is expected to begin in a few months, the bike (photo above, slideshow here) will cost about $9 in materials and will retail for about $20. It weighs around 9 kg (20 lbs) and will not need maintenance or repair. The bike is made waterproof and fireproof by applying a secret organic solution.  It includes no metal and uses only recycled parts, for instance solid tires made of reconstituted rubber from old car tires that won't need inflating, will never get a puncture, and can last for 10 years. There are no financial benefits to be gained by outsourcing production to cheap labor markets, and government grants will offset the cost of paying seniors and the disabled to supplement the largely automated production lines. Rebates for using "green" materials and advertising on the finished frames will cancel out production costs and allow for bicycles to be given away for free in developing countries. Production is due to begin on 3 bicycle models (an urban bike assisted by an electric motor, a 2/3-size youth bike, and a balance bike for youngsters learning to ride) and a wheelchair (made for Africa in partnership with a non-profit organization). The bicycles will be so inexpensive that longevity will not be an issue. And the old ones can be recycled.

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Cycling in the Cabinet 

starts here