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The primary use, like any bicycle, is to prevent pollution while encouraging physical activity and exercise. I don't know about other people, but my primary us

The primary use, like any bicycle, is to prevent pollution while encouraging physical activity and exercise. I don't know about other people, but my primary use for my bicycle is transportation. Edit: Also, does anyone else think that disposable bikes are a step backwards, not forwards, in terms of environmental responsibility?

pohl 14y ago
My answer to your last question is that it depends heavily on the expected mileage/lifetime one gets out of one. Surely they're not single-use, but they're also probably won't last multiple decades.
makmanalp 14y ago
I agree that it's a step backwards. My current bike is over 50 years old and I got it for $100. Performance is not top notch but better than a new big box store bike for 3 times its price. I would estimate that it has seen at least 5-6 previous owners. Or, you know, I could have bought a cardboard bike. I feel like while this is a fun project, some people need to sit back and take a big picture view before spending years to develop a product only to realize that you've been bested by the tech of 60 years ago.
jmduke 14y ago
Agreed. I still think there's a lot of room for improvement in modern bikeshare paradigms. The most common time I tell myself 'man, I wish I had a bike' is when I want to get to a convenience store/lunch spot one-three miles away, where walking isn't really feasible but driving seems exorbitant. I wish there was a system where I could pay fifty cents at a bike station and get the use of a bike for an hour, or something similar. That's my ideal system.
- wtvanhest 14y ago
  They have it in Boston and many other cities for $80 a year. Stations set up all over the city.
  - 1337biz 14y ago
    I absolutely love these - they are just "there" without ever having to invest any time or money in maintenance. Almost the perfect no-brainer transportation alternative.
- maayank 14y ago
  There is a system like that in Tel Aviv. Interestingly, the #1 criticism of it is that the system doesn't recognize correctly if there are or aren't available bikes at the station. A software/hardware bug.
- brc 14y ago
  The original system like this started in Copenhagen, and doesn't cost anything - when you return the bike to the special rack, you get your 20Kr piece back. Lots of other cities around the world have bike sharing programs now. The more fancy ones have a smartcard system that you charge up and it deducts money for usage.
jlarocco 14y ago
"Fun" is another big use, but I don't think that's the market he's going for. Being made of cardboard, I don't think the disposable part is so bad. Cardboard is easily recycled, and, if not recycled, biodegradable. And the trees used to make the original cardboard are a renewable resource. That still leaves the non-cardboard components, but they're a small part of the overall bike.
- patdennis 14y ago
  The same applies to paper plates. I think the difference arises that once you factor in the energy it takes to make a cheap product repeatedly (then collect it and recycle it) vs the energy it takes to make a quality product only once.
freiheit 14y ago
For a "real" bike (the kind you buy for $500 US or more from a shop that basically just does bikes, or buy used): yes For a "department store" bike aka "bicycle shaped object" (the kind you buy for $100-$300 from Walmart, Sears, Costco or another store that doesn't actually have anybody that knows how to properly assemble a bike): no. Those department store bikes are estimated to average something like 75 miles of use in their lifetime (showroom floor to landfill) and are generally not made to be very serviceable. So if we assume that a $60 cardboard bike is intended to compete with $100 disposable bikes, it's probably still a good step forwards.
- Retric 14y ago
  IMO 500+$ bikes are far more about fun/ego than transportation. A cheap bike that let's you comfortably travel 3 miles and not really care if there stolen is worth a lot. A bike that weighs 10lb's less but is more likely to be stolen and costs 2-3 times as much is far less useful.
  - comicjk 14y ago
    Even for short distances, a better device is more pleasant to use. Not sweating is worth a lot if you can't shower at your destination. And what if you want to travel 10 miles? Or 50? Carry more cargo, climb steeper hills? I think you should adopt this moderate position from a competing industry: "your mileage may vary."
    - Retric 14y ago
      That's assuming it's still there when you want to use it. A well maintained cheap bike might take 5% more effort to use, but being able to use it in more places IMO is worth more than being slightly less tired when you get there.
    - DanBC 14y ago
      > a better device is more pleasant to use. A cardboard bike is probably not great. Bt getting people on bikes is important. If they have an okay experience on a lousy $10 cardboard bike then there's a chance that they go on a buy a bike and use it. And, like everything else, there's a lot of nonsense spoken about bikes. Most people do not need carbon fibre frames and titanium widgets etc.
brc 14y ago
Yes, as a lifetime cyclist I find it quite annoying that people now assume I'm riding my bike to make some sort of statement. I'm riding my bike because I like doing it and always have.

pohl 14y ago

My answer to your last question is that it depends heavily on the expected mileage/lifetime one gets out of one. Surely they're not single-use, but they're also probably won't last multiple decades.

makmanalp 14y ago

I agree that it's a step backwards. My current bike is over 50 years old and I got it for $100. Performance is not top notch but better than a new big box store bike for 3 times its price. I would estimate that it has seen at least 5-6 previous owners. Or, you know, I could have bought a cardboard bike. I feel like while this is a fun project, some people need to sit back and take a big picture view before spending years to develop a product only to realize that you've been bested by the tech of 60 years ago.

jmduke 14y ago

Agreed. I still think there's a lot of room for improvement in modern bikeshare paradigms. The most common time I tell myself 'man, I wish I had a bike' is when I want to get to a convenience store/lunch spot one-three miles away, where walking isn't really feasible but driving seems exorbitant. I wish there was a system where I could pay fifty cents at a bike station and get the use of a bike for an hour, or something similar. That's my ideal system.

wtvanhest 14y ago
They have it in Boston and many other cities for $80 a year. Stations set up all over the city.
- 1337biz 14y ago
  I absolutely love these - they are just "there" without ever having to invest any time or money in maintenance. Almost the perfect no-brainer transportation alternative.
maayank 14y ago
There is a system like that in Tel Aviv. Interestingly, the #1 criticism of it is that the system doesn't recognize correctly if there are or aren't available bikes at the station. A software/hardware bug.
brc 14y ago
The original system like this started in Copenhagen, and doesn't cost anything - when you return the bike to the special rack, you get your 20Kr piece back. Lots of other cities around the world have bike sharing programs now. The more fancy ones have a smartcard system that you charge up and it deducts money for usage.

jlarocco 14y ago

"Fun" is another big use, but I don't think that's the market he's going for. Being made of cardboard, I don't think the disposable part is so bad. Cardboard is easily recycled, and, if not recycled, biodegradable. And the trees used to make the original cardboard are a renewable resource. That still leaves the non-cardboard components, but they're a small part of the overall bike.

patdennis 14y ago
The same applies to paper plates. I think the difference arises that once you factor in the energy it takes to make a cheap product repeatedly (then collect it and recycle it) vs the energy it takes to make a quality product only once.

freiheit 14y ago

For a "real" bike (the kind you buy for $500 US or more from a shop that basically just does bikes, or buy used): yes For a "department store" bike aka "bicycle shaped object" (the kind you buy for $100-$300 from Walmart, Sears, Costco or another store that doesn't actually have anybody that knows how to properly assemble a bike): no. Those department store bikes are estimated to average something like 75 miles of use in their lifetime (showroom floor to landfill) and are generally not made to be very serviceable. So if we assume that a $60 cardboard bike is intended to compete with $100 disposable bikes, it's probably still a good step forwards.

Retric 14y ago
IMO 500+$ bikes are far more about fun/ego than transportation. A cheap bike that let's you comfortably travel 3 miles and not really care if there stolen is worth a lot. A bike that weighs 10lb's less but is more likely to be stolen and costs 2-3 times as much is far less useful.
- comicjk 14y ago
  Even for short distances, a better device is more pleasant to use. Not sweating is worth a lot if you can't shower at your destination. And what if you want to travel 10 miles? Or 50? Carry more cargo, climb steeper hills? I think you should adopt this moderate position from a competing industry: "your mileage may vary."
  - Retric 14y ago
    That's assuming it's still there when you want to use it. A well maintained cheap bike might take 5% more effort to use, but being able to use it in more places IMO is worth more than being slightly less tired when you get there.
  - DanBC 14y ago
    > a better device is more pleasant to use. A cardboard bike is probably not great. Bt getting people on bikes is important. If they have an okay experience on a lousy $10 cardboard bike then there's a chance that they go on a buy a bike and use it. And, like everything else, there's a lot of nonsense spoken about bikes. Most people do not need carbon fibre frames and titanium widgets etc.

brc 14y ago

Yes, as a lifetime cyclist I find it quite annoying that people now assume I'm riding my bike to make some sort of statement. I'm riding my bike because I like doing it and always have.