Good friend of Recycle This and The Really Good Life, Su, has got a question for us:

Bicycle panniers – mine have a really useful stretchy mesh pocket on the outside, unfortunately now more hole than mesh. Any ideas on repairing them? The actual pannier part is absolutely fine.

The summer before last, I bought some mens’ shorts for myself and since I don’t have things down there in need of containment, I removed the “netting” layer – that wouldn’t have been pretty but would have fit the bill perfectly – stretchy white mesh. (I ended up using it in the greenhouse to store bulbs.) Can anyone think of anything else in the same vein to reuse instead? Heavy (so they won’t run) nylon tights maybe?

Another idea which is less reusing/recycling but still repairing: could you crochet a flat mesh from a plastic twine using a variant on a string bag patten? I used to make a version of this bag from all sorts of different yarns when we were short of shopping bags – makes up very quickly because it’s so much hole :)

Any other ideas?

(Photo by arifm)

Jami has asked what can be done with “broken bike helmets”.

Like children’s car seats, hardshell bike helmets have to be retired after a bump in case they’ve been damaged structurally and so might not be as protective at the critical moment.

Like hard hats, I bet they’d made fun hanging baskets – or even used for something like growing tomatoes upside down.

Any other suggestions?

Other bike related Recycle This queries

• How can I reuse or recycle a bike saddle?
• How can I reuse or recycle a bicycle inner tubes?
• How can I reuse or recycle a crooked bicycle wheel?

(Photo by charlotel)

We’ve already covered the wheel rims but Erika has emailed asking:

I was wondering if there were any ideas about old bike tubes….

I’m presuming we’re talking inner tubes anyway – it’s quite possible there is another type of bike tube since I’m not a terribly keen cyclist – I live at the top of a steep hill and prefer to tackle it on foot. If there is some other ‘bike tube’, please feel free to answer about both ;)

(Photo by kikashi)

We’ve had an email from James:

I had a bit of a ding on my bike the other day, nothing serious but the front wheel ended up a bit crooked. I’m going to change it at the weekend but don’t know what to do with the slightly bent one. Ideas?

You could see if a bike recycling group (like re-cycle) could fix it – or if they work with youth groups, use it as a teaching aid.

Aside from that, train ivy/honeysuckle or something up it in the garden to make a themed feature?

Any other ideas?

(Photo by przybysz)