Upcycled Bicycle Stool

Cort Sommer
Post 3 - 2025 : Upcycle Progress, Student Work
4 Comments

 

I am currently making progress on my upcycle project, a stool made from vintage bicycle parts. I’ve acquired a vintage bicycle seat from an old tandem bicycle. It is made with tanned leather and metal springs, and currently, it’s fixed to a seat post of 1-inch diameter, which fortunately is a standardized size from tubing, making it easy to fix onto other pieces. I have a design laid out, where a repurposed seat tube will hold the vintage bike seat, and three metal tubes will extend from its bottom and touch the ground. I haven’t decided how to attach the three tubes to the main one, but I’m leaning to weld them together. This way they can have stronger support. The three extended tubes with be supported on the ground by rubber feet shown, below, this way they can be supported by the friction the rubber creates.

Additionally, the paint job will be the biggest representative of the aesthetic. I’m currently thinking a spray paint job will be sufficient for the scope of this project, meaning a coat of primer and then a coat of the main color. I am currently leaning towards a yellow, something that’s indicative of the 70s, with smaller decals being added as I get closer to the finished product.

4 Comments. Leave new

  • Chrisanna Bertuccio
    February 9, 2025 4:37 pm

    Hi Cort,
    This is a super cool and creative project! I think yellow paint would be fun for this. You could add some stickers or draw on the metal as well to help cultivate an aesthetic. I’m looking forward to seeing the final product. Good luck!

  • Jules Fischer-White
    February 7, 2025 9:03 pm

    What a cool project! I think this could turn out to be an awesome piece of vintage style decoration. I especially like the three legged design with rubber legs idea, as three points define a plane and so it will make it impossible for the stool to wobble, and therefore the build doesn’t have to be super precise, which is great. Do you plan on using it as a stool sitting in the same direction as you would sit on it on a bike? I imagine that that could be a little painful since you won’t be putting weight on the petals in the same way… maybe it would be more comfortable to sit on it backwards… I’m excited to see how you attach the legs of the chair, as that might prove to be difficult. Maybe if you also have a bike frame to repurpose you could incorporate one of the pre-welded angles in it to make two of the legs.

    • Cort Sommer
      February 11, 2025 6:20 pm

      Thanks for the comment! The seat itself is pretty well cushioned with springs and padding, its also leather-bounded, so hopefully, the comfortability won’t be an issue.

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Cort Sommer
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