Bicycle Wheel Spoke Art With Drinking Straws.

by Snotflower

14K9812

Intro: Bicycle Wheel Spoke Art With Drinking Straws.

Show your bike some Summer love and decorate your spokes with drinking straws.

You will need:

Wheels with spokes- preferably attached to a bike.

Drinking straws.

Scissors.

STEP 1: Plan Your Pattern.

Here is my extremely slick and mean looking GT. I am giving it a bit of summer colour.

My wheels have 36 spokes.

I have 4 colours of straws.

I am going to divide the circle of my wheel into 4 block coloured quarters.

This means that each colour quarter will be 9 spokes.

STEP 2: Prepare Your Straws.

Collect 9 straws of each colour and keep them in groups.

Run your scissors along the entire length of each straw.

STEP 3: Wrap the Straws Round the Spokes.

Choose one colour first.

Slip the spoke into the slit which you cut along the straw.

Start with the spoke next to the air valve and work your way around until all 9 straws of that colour have been used.

STEP 4: Repeat With the Next Set of Straws.

Use your next colour set of straws.

If you have reflectors to work around, just snip the straw where the reflector is, and slip the snipped bit on the remaining bit of spoke.

STEP 5: Repeat With the Third Colour.

Obviously you can make up your own pattern, using less spokes for each colour section, or more... it depends what straws you have. You can use more than one colour on each spoke too, just snip the lengths down shorter.

STEP 6: Do the Fourth and Final Section...

...and repeat on the back wheel.

These are not permanent and are removed with ease- but will last for a fair few decent number of rides...

S now you have some poppin crazy spokes for your bike.

12 Comments

Gareth035 5 years ago

Do the straws stay on pernamently? I dont want straws falling off my bike at high speeds

thedud 9 years ago

j'adore.....

Penolopy Bulnick 9 years ago

Cool! I love rainbows! I wonder how it looks while you are biking? It would be interesting to see how it looks if you cut the straws up and say had the same color around the outside, on in the middle and one color in the center, then when the wheel spun it might look like the tire has like a colored hubcap or something :)

Snotflower 9 years ago

Thanks. Looks good when the wheels are moving, but I like the idea of circular colour sections... I have tried to make patterns using the circumference, but I have found the straws slip in to each other on the same spoke- I need to experiment with cutting techniques so that doesn't happen. Possibly flare out/ squeeze in the ends of each straw.

kroner 9 years ago

Cut a V into each end so that it looks like this |V| on each end. Then have each end 90 degrees to the one above and below it so that they sort of interlock. That might work.

Penolopy Bulnick 9 years ago

If you manage to come up with a method to make them stay, I would love to see it :) I just love colors!

Snotflower 9 years ago

I think putting Spokey Dokeys between each colour will be the answer... I'll let you know :)

crap chili 9 years ago

Looks beastmode while riding

Snotflower 9 years ago

Sweet! I love that pic.

Cool name change, btw :)

Tezcumpapa 9 years ago

Why not try using Polyester tape to hold the straws on a bit longer. Poly tape is not as affected by sunlight as regular tape and it can come in a variety of surface textures (especially during the holidays) BTW, I love your idea! As a child, I used to use playing cards to make that silly motor sound. Have Fun!