Minnesota State University Reporter

Issue date: 5/1/08 Section: Art

Pictured above is a coffee table, one of many peices of art and furniture produced by reBIKE, an organization that recycles used bikes and turns them into works of art or useful objects.

Recycle, reduce, reuse is a phrase we hear often when throwing away garbage, but not necessarily when we look in our garage. Beau Layman, 27, is a former Minnesota State interior design student doing just that.

Layman takes donated bikes from local thrift shops and restores them into working condition and into works of art as part of an organization called reBIKE.

Most of the donated bikes available at reBIKE are vintage bikes from the 1960s and '70s, he said, but only about 10 percent of the bikes received are worth fixing. Last month, reBIKE had a garage sale and managed to clear out about 200 bikes before spring with another 200 remaining.

Prices on restored bikes usually range from $10 to $150, but that's only if they get something exceptionally nice, like the mint condition green Schwinn he has available on the wall.

"Ultimately if a person doesn't have any money to buy a bike we'll give it to them," Layman said. "Or have them just kind of help us around the shop and sweep, tear stuff apart."

Layman said they try not to compete with local shops because many of them donate used bikes, parts and tools.

The rest of the bikes are used for parts, recycled as scrap metal or used by Layman to create artwork and furniture.

reBIKE was originally started by Ralph Hall through PAC Ministries and was called Bikes For All.

"It was basically just something started by Ralph to take bikes that came in through the thrift store and just kind of recycle them back into the community," Layman explained.

PAC Ministries dropped the program shortly before Layman moved to Mankato in 2002, and that's when he became involved.

"I became friends with Ralph just by collecting parts for my artwork," he said.

Layman creates mostly functional art such as coffee tables, lamps and chairs.

"Most of the stuff I do is functional art, just for the sake of it's easier to sell," said Layman. "It's a lot harder to make abstract art because people don't buy it."

Most of Layman's furniture sells immediately and what doesn't he takes to Twin Cities Green in uptown Minneapolis.

He also has several lamps on display at the Fillin' Station Cafe on Front Street in Mankato.

It takes Layman only a few hours to make a one-of-a-kind lamp or smaller sculpture depending on the design, but it takes up to 30 hours to make a coffee table and larger pieces.

"It all depends on what parts I have and what new ideas I come up with at the time," he said.

The piece he is most proud of, however, is his sculpture the "reCYCLIST." The "reCYCLIST" is a life-size, motorized bicyclist made entirely out of bicycle parts and other scrap metal.

"That's probably my favorite one, just because I don't even know how I came up with it. I just did it," said Layman.

Layman has been riding bikes for as long as he can remember and began racing BMX when he was 7 years old.

Layman has repaired bikes since 1995 and created art out of the pieces since 2002.

"I had drawn a little bit and stuff, but I took a sculpture class just for fun and found out 'whoa, I can do stuff,'" said Layman. "So, I think school helped a lot, I don't think I would have realized I can do a lot of this stuff unless I came down and went to school here."

For more information, contact (507) 382 6996.



Brittney Hansen is a Reporter assistant news editor

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