Two-liter Pop Bottle Bike Bundle

 

I recently brought my restored cruiser out from my parent’s garage and into my tiny apartment. There really is no room for it, so it sits awkwardly wherever there is un-cluttered floor space available. Ah, but how delightful it is to zoom along on nice, clean, flat, and paved roads.  As a previously Ozark-hills-county-road inhabitant, my bike rides were mostly limited to dirt roads and brush-hogged paths (both involve more work and more bug bites than enjoyment.) And though I have to haul the bike down two flights of stairs, that smooth cruise is ever so worth it.  City living, you win this one. 

This bike weighs 800 pounds. 900 on the second flight.

Snap, interior, vintage button montage.

I was literally walking out the door to buy a bike basket (what for to keep my phone, keys, mace—yeah, city living, you lose on the having to carry mace issue), when I spotted an empty 2-liter pop bottle.  Here’s what I did, and you can do it too…

First cut off both ends of the pop bottle. 

Maybe wash the pop out too.

Trace the bottom on some cardboard and cut out two circles. 

Then cut about a three-inch segment out of the tube. This will be your flappy part. Now, pop those cardboard circles in the ends. Hot-glue. Hot-glue forever. 

See, the flap part is cut out.

Now cover it inside and out with thin batting. Be sure to stick your flap back on (in-between the two layers of batting...if that makes any sense.) Hot-glue again.

Flap is back in (between the two layers of batting.)

Now, from here I won’t attempt to offer exact instructions, but rather I’ll just tell you to cover it. Cover it however you can. I glued fabric on and then stitched it all together.  You could use oilcloth or laminate or leather. 

Note the vintage button slam-dunk and the chicken fabric on the inside. When I bought that chicken fabric, I thought, “what am I ganna do with chicken fabric?” Clearly, this is what chicken fabric is meant for.  

Chicken fabric win.

Tie-on attach.

Took it for a spin last night and it was pretty perfect. Sun-dress on, snazzed up bicycle, well! hello, Mr. Summmer, care to join me for some lemonade? 

Questions? Comments? Leave 'um down yonder.