(Photos © J. Maus)
The other day on my ride home from the grocery store, a man pulled alongside me towing an interesting trailer. Upon closer inspection I realized it was made completely out of used bike parts. I was sufficiently intrigued and, after snapping a few photos (that’s why I always keep my camera in my front basket!), I asked if I could follow him home to learn more.
Turns out the guy, whose name is Johnnie Olivan, lives just a few blocks from me in the Piedmont neighborhood of North Portland.
Detail view of rear of single-wheel trailer.
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Aerial view of cargo bin chassis. Note use of handlebars, stems, and rims.
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Olivan moved to Portland back in January after hitchhiking and biking through the Netherlands with his girlfriend, Paige Common. Olivan comes from what he calls a “welding family” and also works with Delia, a metal furniture production shop and studio a few blocks away (they have welding classes if you’re interested).
About a month ago, Olivan — along with Paige and friends Mat Heitel and Boris Genovker — formally launched Rejuiced Bike Concepts.
Rejuiced makes several different models of bike trailers. What caught my eye about them is Olivan’s creative and ingenious use of used bike parts. The right angle bar that leads to the trailer hitch? A bike stem. The trailer’s main stanchion bar? A handlebar. The cargo platform? A bicycle rim with a wooden overlay. The rear wheels? They’re simply left in their forks and welded on.
Olivan has a production-ready single-wheel trailer as well as more traditional, two-wheeled versions. He also has a kid-sized trailer (which I loved) and he’s beginning to work with vinyl coverings.
Rejuiced has been spreading the word about their products at Last Thursday on Alberta and plans to have a booth and display at the upcoming Sustainable Shift event.
Learn more at RejuicedBikeConcepts.com or drop them an email at trailers[at]rejuicedbikeconcepts[dot]com. For more photos of my visit to Rejuiced HQ, check out the slideshow below…