Useful and Artful Objects out of Bike Parts

One of the tricky things about working at Recyclistas is determining the quality of used parts. Do they go into the second-hand bin for sale? Do we put them on a bike we’re going to sell or rent? Does it go into the Africa box? Or maybe it’s even too shoddy for that? In that case there is a bucket destined for the foundry. But sometimes, a piece just looks too cool to be melted down. Well, many times it doesn’t need to be tossed. There are still alternatives.

Bikes that Became Art

Bike-art is a major component of bicycle recycling, and since it has become so ubiquitous in my surroundings, I barely notice it any more. That is, until I was inspired to address these sometimes functional, sometimes decorational cases of bicycle up-cycling, by a post by @robmolecule, of a fellow bike enthusiast, where he showed me something similar in one of his comments.

Form, Function, or Both?

The fish with the air-bubbles made of sprockets, and the eye-in-the-flower design are purely to adorn an otherwise empty wall, which they do very well indeed. This scorpion however… can you imagine it on your cosmetics-table, holding your jewelry?

The toilet-paper-holder is of essential functionality, and works quite well too, with the quick-release skewer. The chandelier, on the other hand is mostly for deco. It doesn’t even require a light-bulb to look good, which is what it was originally designed for.

Heads, Heads Everywhere!

Then there are all these heads everywhere! A seat combined with some handlebars usually makes a beautiful bull’s head… or whatever animal it may be. They are reminiscent of cattle skulls from the stereotypical desert scene, or hunting-trophies collectors like to hang on their walls. Let’s not forget that these are all bike parts, and suddenly you can put them on all your outside AND inside walls. To me they are like gargoyles, keeping away bad spirits merely by looking out of their formidable faces.

Function Over Form: The Ugliest Chairs Around

Finally, to address the pure pragmatism of Recyclistas, here is some bike-furniture: The pieces are shamelessly bike-made, so much so that they would be hard to imagine anywhere outside of a bike-shop. Here, however, we make use of them every day. And you know what? They are actually quite comfortable! And if they break, you only need to go to the scrap-pile for some more material.