Classic & Vintage - Steel Wheel and Rim Challenge

Wasting stuff is, well, wasteful. But I don't like using crappy stuff just because it's there, either. Through various purchases, trades, upgrades, finds, and bulk acquisitions I've ended up with a number steel wheels and rims, none of which I care to use. Usually they have a hub or free wheel I want to salvage and usually the spokes have had enough weathering that you wouldn't be able to true them. They're all 27-inch, clincher 10-speed rims.

The challenge: What clever, useful purpose can these rims be put to (with or without hubs/spokes)?

One example: A local bike shop attaches old wheels to the ceiling and hangs merchanise from the spokes. I may screw one into the basement rafters above the laundry sink or maybe do the same in the garage. (An old wire rack from a dead refrigerator might be better...)

Difficulty: No garden carts or the like.

The prize: Smug satisfaction that everyone in the group is busily implimenting your idea around the house. We'll probably even name it after you.

Donate them to one of those inner-city non-profit bike rehab centers.Every major city seems to have one of these charity groups.
Dont throw them in the city dump,some of us will end up draging it home and pissing off the wife.

--A rim only hung horizontally at three points and then with S hooks through the spoke holes would be a nice rack if you had high enough ceilings.
--A baker's rack for the kitchen?
--Partially buried rims would be croquet hoops for a giant?

Neal

Wasting stuff is, well, wasteful. But I don't like using crappy stuff just because it's there, either. Through various purchases, trades, upgrades, finds, and bulk acquisitions I've ended up with a number steel wheels and rims, none of which I care to use. Usually they have a hub or free wheel I want to salvage and usually the spokes have had enough weathering that you wouldn't be able to true them. They're all 27-inch, clincher 10-speed rims.

The challenge: What clever, useful purpose can these rims be put to (with or without hubs/spokes)?

One example: A local bike shop attaches old wheels to the ceiling and hangs merchanise from the spokes. I may screw one into the basement rafters above the laundry sink or maybe do the same in the garage. (An old wire rack from a dead refrigerator might be better...)

Difficulty: No garden carts or the like.

The prize: Smug satisfaction that everyone in the group is busily implimenting your idea around the house. We'll probably even name it after you.
Build single wheel sling style trailers like that Australian trailer on the cheap?

Last year, for his grade 7 structures project, my son constructed a dining room chair from old bicycle rims. I can easily imagine using them to construct all kinds of furntiure, though I suspect some spouses might object.

A LBS I used to hang around was giving old wheels to a guy who used the hubs for his handcrafted yard ornaments. He made birds with spinning wings and used the hub axle as a spindle for the wings, the hub was mounted somehow inside the birds body.

I always wondered if he charged more for Campy and Dura Ace birds than, say, 105s. Maybe some bird owners planned to upgrade to Record some day. :D

we used to have a chandelier made out of an old wagon wheel. maybe instead of regular chain to hang it you could use bike chain. you could put as many bulbs as you want. our had five and provided more than adaquate lighting for a large room. And you could use the screw in type florescent bulbs to make it more efficent.