Upcycle

We should all be doing our part to reduce our negative impact on our planet, and a lot of us feel that by riding a bike we are doing a lot. But even riding a bike can be harmful in certain ways. One of them is all the waste. It makes me especially sad to see companies selling bikes at department stores making throw away bikes that are improperly assembled and barely ridable for a season before they are too damaged to be fixed and are just tossed in a dumpster. I hate to think how much landfill must be filled with huffys and magnas.  I wish people could understand the benefit of purchasing even a basic quality bike that might not be super fancy but at least be serviceable and safe to ride.
But another thing that we are all constantly replacing is inner tubes.  Most of us probably just throw them away, but there are a ton of good uses that these can be re-appropriated for after they are full of holes.

One of our new CB Employees, Ben, made himself a hip pouch out of recycled tubes that not only can carry all your cycling essentials but also keep everything dry.  This one was hand sewn by Ben, but he plans on getting a sewing machine to try to make more in less time.

This rug was hand loomed in India from hundreds of tubes.  This was a trend back in the 1920′s when tubes were abundant and money was not.  Bicycle and car inner tubes were cut and woven together to make durable entry mats.  This one however will cost you over a $1000.

Tubes are also great for attaching items to racks and baskets, or tying a larger item to your backpack or messenger bag.

We are always getting artists asking for used tubes at the shop, we usually keep a a bunch around just in case they stop by.  This horse sculpture was made using recycled tires and tubes.

I’m sure there are hundreds of other uses for the common inner tube, but my favorite is keeping my tire inflated.