Used Bike Tube Uses

This started out in the monitor recycling topic I thought I'd make a separate one for it.

So what do you all do with your used bike tubes?
I'm always looking for fun projects.
currently, mine are all wrapped around the legs of a coffee table in my living room.
Uses for old bicycle tubes (instructibles)

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Permalink Reply by RodimusPrime on February 16, 2009 at 7:39am
John said:
Cut up inner tubes make a great improvement over most rim tapes. Working Bikes or West Town might have a use for them; Alan at Working Bikes cuts up the worst tubes to make patches for those that can be salvaged. I've been making old tires into belts - if anyone wants to do a recycling craft day, I'd be up for it.
Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on February 16, 2009 at 9:24am
I've used a cut up section as a drainage pipe for an air-conditioner that was acting up here at work.

Once I get my new computer mount kit, I'll be putting pieces under the zip ties to protect my frame.
Permalink Reply by GabeW (not the other Gabe) on February 16, 2009 at 9:45am
A long time ago when I was building radio control boats, I was looking for a way to "supercharge" (oops, sorry h3) the engine (not a green post here, I know, but it did involve a tube). I didn't have the machining capabilities to make a real turbo or supercharger for a little 2.5cc engine, so I had the idea of using pipes and a one way valve to connect a section of bike tube and presta valve. It probably wouldn't have worked, but the plan was to be able to run the engine normally, then have an extra channel control a servo that would open the presta valve, shut off the normally aspirated air supply, and let the pumped up tube empty into the engine for a boost of forced air intake. Crazy, I know.

For a more bike and environmentally friendly use - I've heard of cutting a tube and sliding it over a chain (like krypto's NY chain) for a better scratch guard that won't slide off.
Permalink Reply by Primitive Don on February 16, 2009 at 11:10am
I saw some tubes of vulcanizing cement at REI for like a dollar. Can you can make patches out of old tubes?
Permalink Reply by Todd Allen on February 16, 2009 at 12:42pm
Tie down straps, padding to protect bike frame when attaching accessories with home brew mounts, weather stripping on doors and windows, suspension mount for microphone, supporting garden plants - esp. tomatoes, fat rubber bands for zillions of uses - best one is to make 'parking brake' for bicycles, gaskets on rain barrel fittings. ...
Permalink Reply by David the Great on February 16, 2009 at 12:56pm
Someone mentioned handlebar tape right?
Permalink Reply by Alan Lloyd on April 8, 2009 at 7:54am
I don't cut them up to make patches, I've tried this and it isn't very successful, but I have made rim-strips out of them!

RodimusPrime said:
John said:
Cut up inner tubes make a great improvement over most rim tapes. Working Bikes or West Town might have a use for them; Alan at Working Bikes cuts up the worst tubes to make patches for those that can be salvaged. I've been making old tires into belts - if anyone wants to do a recycling craft day, I'd be up for it.
Permalink Reply by Alan Lloyd on April 8, 2009 at 8:02am
As noted, I sometimes make rim-strips for Working Bikes out of those we don't and/or won't and/or can't patch but those I can fix I do patch - with proper patches, which I buy from the UK (the cheapest I've found, yet still some of the best).

Whilst you can glue strips of tubes back together to make rim-strips, I find it easier & better to use smaller tubes to make rim-strips for larger wheels (EG: use 24" tubes to make rim-strips for 700 & 27" wheels).

Working Bikes gets inner-tubes from Rapid Transit and Cambell Street Bike Shop and well as reusing it's own, so we have a pretty damn good supply of gash tubes already!

I'm also just starting on a project to make black armbands for the Chicago & Arlington Heights rides-of-silence on May 20th from old inner-tubes deemed beyond patching.

I hear Alchemy Goods in Seattle, http://www.alchemygoods.com/, no longer accept inner-tubes unless you are actually a reseller of their products, I imagine that supply has ny now far outstripped their demand for them as raw material?
Permalink Reply by Alan Lloyd on April 8, 2009 at 9:11am
A friend and I also tried to make our fortunes by making (2nd-generation) iPod Nano covers from sections of used inner-tubes, see http://bitubes.com/, but needless to say we're both still poor.

The 3rd-generation iPod didn't really lend itself to a cover made from a piece of gash inner-tube, although the 4th-generation may be a candidate - although we haven't done anything to date.

Try some of the links at http://bitubes.com/links.htm to see what others are doing - but, unfortunately, my favourite at www.wheels-on-fire.nl appears to be blank or broken? Some of the work by Jan Willem Van Breugel can still be found at & http://www.designspotter.com/product/2007/05/wheels_on_fire.php & http://www.picassomio.com/jan-willem-van-breugel/exhibition.html (click on any of the three images for a larger picture & more details)
Permalink Reply by John on April 8, 2009 at 11:15am
I like the armband idea - I have enough trashed tubes to make a couple dozen for the ride. Tubes do make excellent, very grippy bar tape as well.
Permalink Reply by root on April 8, 2009 at 11:17am
i used part of an old tube with a short length of chain to keep my saddle from being nicked

Permalink Reply by UV Metal Arts - Powder Coating on April 8, 2009 at 4:32pm
yes you can Don, I'm speak from experience. Just use the Thin black rubber ones, not the thick gray ones.

Primitive Don said:
I saw some tubes of vulcanizing cement at REI for like a dollar. Can you can make patches out of old tubes?

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