From my 'might come in handy' stash

[jonrev]

I've collected a fair bit of 'stuff' since playing with bikes of various types. At the moment I'm happy with my E-bikes and am not now building. Other things have taken over for now. Over thr last year or so I've used various bike bits for some odd creations and enclose a pic (I hope) of three.

Had mole invasion the last few years and have made some windmills with clicker things to make a noise and disturb the little b....gers. They've worked pretty well out front but rear is too shaded by trees to catch enough wind so still problems there and on allotment area.

Have found the wind direction in front is often affected by house and workshop so when I want to have a bonfire on the allotment I often find wind is blowing over next door's washing line. The windvane is high enough to give a good indication of the direction on the allotment without me having to traipse over there to check.

My bird feeder was being invaded by magpies and recently crows. They scared the sparrows and tits away while they stripped the feeder of everything edible. The cage has stopped the larger birds getting at the feeders so my little birds are happy.

Not much to do with bikes I'm afraid but these projects have made use of some of my pile of bike bits and there will no doubt be more to come.

John

 

[undertoad]

I like the bird feeder cage - We have squirrels, a lot of squirrels ........

 

[jonrev]

Glad I don't have to worry about squirrels. They are real clever little so and so's and a simple cage surely wouldn't keep them out! OTOH I'd prefer them to the damned moles I've got. I've got 5 traps and managed to get only one mole in the last year. My lawns are like a minefield with 'sink holes' all over the place. The noisy windmills do keep the above ground molehills down so at least I can pretty much mow the lawn every now and then.

 

[undertoad]

The noisy windmills do keep the above ground molehills down so at least I can pretty much mow the lawn every now and then

Ha!
I don't have a lawn worthy of the name - Just a cleared area in front of the property, that I hay down a couple times a year with a brush mower.
It's a nice nature preserve for the moles, and they are welcome to it - But the squirrels are another story

 

[bendenvor111]

Hey John, love how you’re repurposing your bike parts into practical, creative stuff! Using bike bits to make windmills and a windvane is seriously clever—turning that mole problem into a chance to get inventive. The sound-makers to scare them off? Genius. And having a windvane to check the direction before a bonfire? Smart move to keep things neighbor-friendly.


Also, your bird feeder setup sounds like it’s doing a great job protecting the smaller birds from the bullies like magpies and crows. It’s cool to see how a bit of DIY with bike leftovers can make such a positive impact beyond riding.


Definitely not “not much to do with bikes” at all—this kind of creativity is what keeps the bike community interesting and resourceful. Would love to see more pics or ideas as you keep turning parts into solutions. Keep it coming!