How To - Overview

How To

Contents:

 

 Making use of old bicycles is a key part to Re~Cycle's work. This page should give you a comprehensive guide on how you can get started, constructing tools from old bike parts (including our famous bike trailer), or just learning a bit about how to look after your own bike.

 

Repurposing Bikes & Bits (top)

 

Adapting Cycle Technology

Re~Cycle has a fantastic trailer design made from unwanted bike parts and cheap materials. Overseas, partners manufacture the XtraBike, a simple device that greatly increases the load capacity of a bike. This makes bikes suitable for many tasks including fetching water, taking goods to market, mobile vendors, and collecting recyclables. The potential for turning a discarded bicycle into a labour saving, job-creating tool for change is enormous. Re~Cycle sells a fantastic 'Western version' in the UK, to raise funds.


Make tools and contraptions from 'dead' bikes:

  • DIY bike trailer-

    We set out to design a robust, low cost, simple trailer made from globally available materials and unwanted bicycle parts.

  • DIY Workstand
    • One of our volunteers designed a bicycle workshop stand made of repurposed bike parts.
  • Electricity Generator- Use your old bicycle as a generator
  • Water pump
    • Mayapedal have a impressive instructions for a rope pump and mobile pump, as well as a video of the mobile pump HERE
  • Mill/Thresher
    • Mayapedal have designs and instructions for a cycle powered mill/thresher on their website HERE.
  • Blender
    • Mayapedal have designs and instructions for a cycle powered Blender on their website HERE.
  • Nut Sheller
    • Mayapedal have designs and instructions for a cycle powered Nut Sheller on their website HERE.

How To make Bike Art out of 'dead' bikes and parts:

Projects like Re~Cycle generate a phenomenal amount of spare bike parts, some are sent along as spares in our shipments, others stay at our depot to use ourselves. However, they do hold other uses! You may well want to give some of these ideas a try yourself.

  • Art
    • Picasso made a bull's head from a saddle and handlebars, have a look at it here!
    • Kenneth Armstrong has a blog showcasing his amazing bike art HERE

Chains are surprisingly versatile, why not try...

  • House 'numbers'?
  • Coat hooks?
  • bottle openers such as the ones here and here (or maybe try making one from a crank arm?)

How To make clothing and related items from 'dead' bikes and parts:

belts such as the ones here and here

 

How to look after your bike (top)

These are some links to helpful guides on how to take care of your own bike