Meet Alfa, the Incredible Cardboard Bicycle That Can Support Over 400lbs and Costs $9-$12

By: Kuljit Grewal | September 26th, 2012 | Gadgets, Health, Living

An incredibly gifted machine designer and devout bicycle enthusiast named Izhar Gafni has created a bike that is 100% recycled and fortified to be stronger than carbon fiber. The designer, who has created machines in the past that have sewn shoes and peeled pomegranates, became fascinated with the idea of using recycled cardboard to build a bike after hearing that someone had used the material to fashion a canoe.

The journey to the end result was a three year labour of love. The actual task was deemed impossible by many however if a person mixes desire with faith incredible results are achieved. Gafni’s process is an example of that as it involved the mastery and understanding of paper and cardboard’s fundamental composition. The latter of those led to several patents and resulted in the genius frame of the bicycle called the Alfa.

The Alfa weighs 20lbs yet is capable of supporting an incredible 485lbs. The entirety of Alfa is composed of 100% recycled materials. The majority of the frame is intricately folded cardboard. The pedal system is belt-driven rather than chain meaning that maintenance is next to zero. The sleek Alfa’s design process was created to manufacture units for $9 to $12. A children’s version will also be made available for $5. Retailer markups will likely be added upon that total, but the price point is comparable to used or flea market fodder.

Gafni has recruited a company to help him raise funds for the manufacturing process. We at TQ sincerely hope that the Alfa becomes a reality as it represents a means of transportation that has huge scale. The price, production materials and fact that bicycles are a major way for people to get around could bring bicycles to parts of the world where they are rare.

There is also incredible potential for the Alfa as it could be made more durable for unpaved roads and could also be attached to a small motor for serious travelling. Check out the video below describing the design process.