Upcycle your bicycle

Cycling is a great form of transport – it’s better for the planet, better for you, and there’s nothing quite like heading for an afternoon ride in the sunshine and taking a picnic with you!

We love reusing old materials and turning them into something new and useful – and adding a picnic box to your bike’s frame is a great DIY project for the cooler months. Once summer rolls around you’ll be able to pack a cool drink and a few sandwiches to keep you going on your cycle trips.

So go and dig out your old bike from the dusty corners of the garage or hunt down a vintage version at your local car boot fair, garage sale or recycling centre. You only need a few basic materials and tools to recreate this fun, practical addition that will have your fellow cycling folk turning their heads in awe.

You’ll need

• Bicycle – old or new
• 12mm ply board, measuring approximately 1220m x 1100mm (we used ply from an old packing box our oven was packaged in, but Mitre 10 sells this relatively cheaply)
• 2m cord or string
• 1 hinge measuring no more than 70mm long x 25mm wide (if you know your hinges well, a piano hinge is the perfect type for the job, but a normal hinge will work fine)
• 4 saddle pipe clips
• 3 metal eyes
• 2 clasps
• Small piece of recycled fabric or oilcloth to line the inside of the box
• 20 small nails or panel pins (no longer than the thickness of the ply board)
• 12 screws (no longer than the thickness of the ply board)
• 1/2 litre Resene Woodsman Exterior stain (we used pitch black to tie in with our bike, but they have a great palette of colours to choose from)
• Double-sided sticky tape
• Small piece of elastic or similar (we used an old piece of exercise band)

Tools required

• Screwdriver (or power drill if you have one)
• Bevel or similar tool to help you find the correct angles of the bike frame
• Hammer
• Sandpaper
• Paintbrush
• Measuring tape
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Saw

Step-by-step guide

Step 1

Using a bevel, find all the correct inside angles of the bike frame. Write these angles down as you will need them later. Measure the distance between the two pedals – this will determine the width of the picnic box. You need to be sure the pedals can still spin round after the picnic box is in place.

Step 2

Measure the inside length of each side of the bike frame from corner to corner – be sure to measure high enough above the chain sprocket so the picnic box does not affect the mechanism. You should by now have written down five measurements.

Step 3

On your piece of ply wood, measure out the five inside lengths by the width and cut out each piece using your handsaw. You will need to cut the end pieces of wood on the angles established in step 1. This will enable each end of the wood to fit nice and firm.

Step 4

Once all lengths and angles are cut, lay the pieces of wood out to resemble the shape of the picnic box – this will be identical to the shape of the inside bike frame. You may need to trim each piece if the shape does not look correct.

Step 5

Start screwing each side of the picnic box together using your screwdriver or screw gun and screws.

Step 6

Place the picnic box frame on to your remaining plywood. Trace around the outside of the picnic box frame and cut the shape out using your handsaw. You will need to cut two of these: one for the door and one for the back.

Step 7

Sand all the edges of the two sides so they are nice and smooth.

Step 8

Using your hammer and nails or panel pins, attach the back piece of the picnic box. Be sure to attach the back to the correct side of the picnic box – the side that the chain sprocket is on.

Step 9

Now attach the hinge on the door-side of the picnic box – screw the hinge on accordingly. The door should open and close correctly.

Step 10

On the remaining plywood, measure the length of an inside shelf to fit inside your picnic box. Be sure to leave enough room at the end of the shelf so a drink bottle can still fit. You will need to cut the right-hand end of the shelf on an angle so it fits correctly – you can do this by establishing the angle like you did in step 1. Screw the shelf to the back panel using your screwdriver or screw gun.

Step 11

Using Resene Woodsman exterior stain, paint the interior and exterior of the picnic box – allow to dry overnight.

Step 12

On the top of the door attach the two clasps so the door can be clipped shut. These come pre-packed with screws.

Step 13

Place the picnic box on to your recycled fabric or oilcloth and trace around it. Cut fabric to size. On the inside of the door, stick the fabric down firmly with double-sided sticky tape. When the door folds down, this will become your table. Too cute!

Step 14

Get your three metal eyes. Attach one metal eye to the inside top of the box.

Step 15

Attach the other two metal eyes along the inside top of the door.

Step 16

Thread the cord through the three eyes and tie. Be sure your door lies flat at a 90 degree angle when the string pulls tight. This will hold the ‘table’ in place correctly so your drinks and sandwiches don’t fall off!

Step 17

As an optional step, to hold your cups/glasses in place on the shelf, we have attached a small piece of stretchy rubber to the back panel. We screwed one end of the rubber to the back wall and used the remaining metal eye from the packet as a hook on the other end of the rubber. We attached a small screw for the hook end of the rubber to clip over, holding the two glasses firmly in place.

Step 18

Close the door of your picnic box and fit the completed unit to the bike frame. All going to plan, this should fit perfectly! Attach your four saddle pipe clips – screw two along each side of the unit. The saddle clips will sit over the bike frame and you will screw them directly into the picnic box. All done!

If you love this idea but really can’t see yourself whipping out the tools and making it, we are happy to take orders and make it for you. Contact us at [email protected] or visit our website www.lennoxwoodcraft.co.nz for more details.