In need of furry bike advice

[diaji]

Hi eplaya!

I'm looking for a bit of advice one would go about evolving a metal bike into a fur covered animal bike. has anyone gone about doing this and have some words of wisdom?

here is my trusty stead:




and im looking to cover her in some shag leopard print:




It would be preferable to have a removable option for this, but it would probably add a lot of complexity. was thinking maybe some sort of button or Velcro option but i don't have a sewing machine. also one of the things i was worried about going the permanent route is burning the fabric with a harsh glue. anyway, just looking for someone who has embarked on this kind of project before, or someone who is handy with fabrics/metals and might have some insight. Thanks!

[Annexai]

This might help: http://ridingpretty.blogspot.com/2008/0 ... -bike.html

[Roberto Dobbisano]

Put grommets or eyelet holes and LACE it on, Darling!

Your Stead looks SteadFast.

[Bounce530]

Search around on youtube for furring bikes, or something of that nature, There's this pink guy that has a full on how-to on wrapping your ride.
Somebody will be along shortly who knows this guys name..

[Coastburner]

If you don't want to use glue, you can use doublestick rug tape to keep things together. That and some plastic twist ties should do the trick. The glue guns I've used in the past come right off but it will ruin a small portion of the fabrik.

Coastburner

[Bounce530]

here he is:

[youtube][/youtube]

[gaminwench]

I've wrapped my bike frame with knitted skinny furry neck scarves (thrift store, if you're not crafty)...when you get home, unwrap and voila! all you need is a good vinegar wash/chain cleaning to restore...no gluey mess! Also, think about your seat...is it black? ouch! is it narrow? ouch! I use padding covered with fur, or a stuffed animal over the seat for comfort...good luck!

[diaji]

fantastic! i had not even thought of hot glue, but its defiantly one of my elementary school favorite mediums!

also the eyelet/lacing sounds like a great idea. but i think i'm going to go for the quick and dirty hot glue.

this is going to be a fun weekend project, and ill be sure to let you all know how it goes!

[Annexai]

BTW, I've found fun fur actually rips in a good straight line. If you start cutting (about an inch) with scissors, and just tear it from there, it can save you time and jagged edges-- not to mention all the furry mess that comes from cutting it, as the stuff actually stays in the fabric. :)

[diaji]

is fun fur like a brand name, or just shaggy furry cloth in general? not sure the brand of the stuff i got. it was an ebay purchase from someone in Israel. ahhh the joys of our evolving global market place.

[Token]

I just go out to the Mojave with a good pellet gun a few weeks before and get the real deal. Whitetail Hare.

You go out at night with a good headlamp and pop a bagfull of rabbit and move on. Takes about 20 o the varmints for a nce hide.

Skin em, gut em and put on ice.

I like to hang the meat for about a week to age and tenderise.

The hides are so much stronger and playa resillient than faux fur plus them critters is some good eats.

[Oldguy]

Fur and hides can be obtained at Tandy leather shops.

Boy, that last post brought back memories. My family used to raise rabbits for meat. We charged $5 apiece, cut and wrapped. My job was to dispatch them by breaking their necks with a brisk reverse head snap. Instant painless death. I bleed them out and gutted them. My mom would then skin them, cut them up, and wash,wrap, and deliver them. We had several French and Italian families as steady customers. We just buried the hides and offal under the trees in our orchard. We didn't want to scrape, streach, and tan the skins/furs.

My suggestion is to wrap frame like a baseball bat handle or bandage with overlapping long strips. You can cut a neverending circular strip from a split half or full hide, like making harness straps only wider. You can secure your hide/fur strips with thin cut thongs...or punch in snaps and clasps instead of thong holes.

People who croche' could knit their bike a colorfull sweater with strips chainstiched to frame. Glue melts, runs, and creates moop. Tie that sucker on.

[theCryptofishist]

Hot glue melts on playa.

[Coastburner]

This will be my seventh year and the 4th bike I've furred out with a hot glue gun. I haven't had any problems losing my fur on my bike even in high heat. When I get home, I let it sit in the sun for about an hour and then I pull off the fur. On one of my bikes I leave it on all year and take it back to the playa. That bike is getting retired this year as it's seen it's days and needs a break.

[diaji]

Well its that time of year again and i thought someone else might find this information useful. The project was super fun last year before the burn, spent a week covering the bike in fur while sitting on the couch with the GF watching the Tour de France!

Anyway, here is the finished product last year at the burn!

[ZenoBoy]

Last year I wrapped my beach cruiser with orange fur.

I bought 2 yards and cut it into 3" wide strips the length of the fabric and then wrapped it edge to edge at a slight angle, trimming the pieces to fit the various areas on the bike.

At the ends of each piece I just zip tied it down tight. It's been on for the whole year and hasn't moved an inch.

[Elliot]

Good and well.... But for all those burners who now suddenly want to cover their bicycles with faux fur and other decorations, please take a moment and consider this:

Does your bicycle have any cable-operated devices? Like gears or brakes?

If you have a single-gear coaster-brake bicycle -- great, glue away.

But if you have gears, or lever-operated brakes, please make sure your decorations do not interfere with the movement of those cables.

Yes, it has happened several times -- Mr. Bicycle Repairman has been asked to repair a bicycle -- only to find that the problem was faux-fur-and-glue jamming a cable.

No charge.