One of the most painful parts of cycling is when it comes time to throw out old gear. What do you do with cracked tires, punctured inner tubes, rusty chains, bent chainrings, worn out cogsets and the plethora of other parts that outlive their usefulness? Some particularly creative people have figured out ways to recycle these consumable items into unique products that look good and continue to serve a purpose. So for those of you with eco-conscious cycling friends, here are some great gifts where old bike parts have been given a second life by being repurposed into cool and useful products.
Green Guru Bags
Designed and manufactured in Boulder, Colorado, Green Guru makes a complete line of backpacks, purses and messenger bags from items such as old inner tubes, wetsuits, climbing rope and plastic bottles. Made especially for the holidays, Green Guru has both a “Commuter” Gift Kit and “Spinner” Gift Kit. The Commuter kit includes a Upcycled Bike Tube Backpack, zip pouch and other fun accessories. The Spinner includes the backpack, a bike tube wallet and a few little extras. Both are wrapped with holiday packaging and ready to go.
MSRP: $74.95 (Commuter) – $99.95 (Spinner)
More Info: www.greengurugear.com
Recycled Desk Pendulum Clock
It’s always time to ride. With the Recycled Desk Pendulum Clock handmade in Oregon by artist Graham Bergh, now you can know exactly what time that time to ride is. Every year Graham and his team of artisans collect thousands of pounds of used parts from bike shops nationwide and repurpose them into items like clocks and bottle openers. Smartphones and Strava might be cool and convenient for clocking your ride, but they have nowhere near the style and character of say a desktop clock made from old chainrings and cogs.
MSRP: $84
More Info: www.uncommongoods.com
Bike Chain Picture Frame
I don’t know about you, but my garage is swimming in a sea of old, greasy bicycle chains, and I hate throwing them out. Fortunately, there are many ways to repurpose those chains. One of the best is by making a picture frame like this one. If you don’t have enough time or chain to make your own, HipCycle offers bike chain frames in both 4”x6” and 5”x7” sizes.
MSRP: $36.00 (4”x6”) – $40.00 (5”x7”)
More Info: hipcycle.com
Totally Tubular Design Wallet
Handmade on the beautiful shores of Santa Cruz, California, Totally Tubular Design uses old tires and tubulars to create stylish wallets, bracelets, bags and purses for men and women. By using colorful old tires from brands such as Michelin, Vittoria and Continental, each product has its own unique style and flair. The Pleasure Point is a bi-fold wallet with its own unique section of tire tread stitched on the inside. Every wallet also comes with a special card telling where the product material originated from.
MSRP: $40
More Info: www.totallytubebags.com
Velobling Skinny Tire Cuff Bracelet
The only thing cooler than a cuff bracelet is a cuff bracelet with tire tread on it. Handmade in Boulder, Colorado, the Skinny Tire Cuff Bracelet comes in three different widths with different tread patterns, and can be stretched to fit any wrist size. They even make a Fat Tire Cuff Bracelet for mountain bikers. Velobling also offers a complete line of unique jewelry made from old chains, spokes, nipples and more.
MSRP: $27
More Info: velobling.com
Make Something Yourself!
If you’re especially creative, have old bike parts laying around and some time, why not save some money and just make a gift with your own hands. Ideas are abundant on Pinterest and include cool creations like a saddle and handlebars mounted on a wooden plaque that look like an animal’s head but function as a coat rack.
MSRP: Free
More Info: Pinterest.com
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