June 2008

Phil Bridge is a Product Design student at Sheffield Hallam University, and a bike enthusiast.

The 21-year-old who's originally from Stockport created a mode of cheap and ecological transport out of cardboard for his final year project.

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When researching bikes, he found that one of the obstacles which stopped people from getting a bike was the price; a bike is stolen in England every 71 seconds on average and they're often seen as too valuable to buy and then leave in the street to get damaged or stolen.

"The lightweight quality of the cardboard, combined with its low cost, means it's possible to create a bargain bike that's also less susceptible to thieves," said Phil. "At the moment, low-cost bikes are usually very heavy which can also put people off."

Phil Bridge's cardboard bike The bike isn't made from any old cardboard though. After playing with various sorts, including corrugated cardboard, Phil tried hexacomb board which is used for industrial purposes and has a hexagon structure inside which makes it very strong - and means it won't go soggy in the rain.

"It's inherently waterproof at the point of manufacture. In some instances this cardboard has been used outdoors - in housing or advertising hoardings.

"The frame is made from two sheets of cardboard put together into a triangulation which creates much of the strength."

Bargain bike

Phil reckons that the bike could go on sale for as little as £15 and is hoping that his work will be taken on by a company who can see the bike's potential as green marketing gimmick.

"It's inherently waterproof at the point of manufacture. In some instances this cardboard has been used outdoors - in housing or advertising hoardings." Phil Bridge "You can get a whole bike out of one sheet of cardboard, including the frame and the wheels. The sheets are about £3 if you buy them in bulk. So to sell, I've priced it as £15 for the whole bike - including additional components."

Depending on how much use the bike gets, Phil says it's designed to last about six months of constant (daily) use - although not if you're going mountain biking or on the Tour de France with it!...

"It wasn't designed to be a performance bike so no, it doesn't go better or faster than a normal tubular framed bike. But it is suitable for everyday use - just cycling quite slowly in the street not for racing!"

Each year Sheffield Hallam University holds an exhibition of final year students' work. For more information, visit the link on the right of the page.