Cycling Art Re-Tired Artwork from old Bicycle Tires and Parts

Re-Tired began with Cindy Chinn’s interest in the bicycle tire as a sculptural material, one whose tread, texture, flexibility, and history of use remain visible even after it has been transformed. The series incorporates discarded tires, tubes, wheels, bicycle components, and other reclaimed materials into figurative and abstract sculpture. Rather than disguising their original function, Chinn often allows familiar fragments of the bicycle to remain recognizable within the finished work.

Re tired artwork made from bike tires parts cindy chinn 02 — Re-tired artwork made from bike tires and parts, Cindy Chinn

SELECTED WORKS

Re-Tired Chimps
“Hear No Evil”. November 2024 / “See No Evil” – February 2025 / “Speak No Evil” – August 2026
Reclaimed paper and cardboard, bicycle tubes
“The Three Wise Monkeys”. The challenge was to create them from recycled bicycle tires, tubes, and other parts! After researching further, I knew that I couldn’t replicate the skin tones with black tires, so I decided to make the base of the bodies from recycled cardboard and paper. This would give me a more natural color for the skin and a solid structure for applying the hair. See the process here.

Three Wise Chimps recycled art cindy chinn FINAL 02 1500 web

The Re-Tired Series moves freely between technical construction and humor, from birds and animals to kinetic objects and larger narrative works. As the work has developed, additional materials including paper, cardboard, steel, and glass have expanded the possibilities of the original idea while retaining the bicycle as its point of departure.

Re-Tired Raven, 2024
Bicycle tires, bicycle rim, steel
The first work in the Re-Tired series, Raven established many of the visual ideas that would continue through later pieces, using the texture and layering of cut tire rubber to suggest feathers while leaving the source material visible.

Re-tired art from bicycle tires - Raven by Cindy Chinn

Dave, 2024
Reclaimed bicycle tires, bicycle parts, steel
Humor runs throughout the Re-Tired series, and Dave pushes that tendency into character and narrative, transforming bicycle components into a dog enthusiastically taking to the road. Check out my video of Dave on my YouTube Channel

Dave dog riding bike re tired art bike parts Cindy Chinn

Chromawheel, 2025
Reclaimed bicycle wheel, glass, steel
Combining salvaged bicycle components with scrap stained glass, Chromawheel uses the circular geometry of the wheel as both structure and reference to the traditional color wheel.

Chromawheel - scrap glass and metal sculpture by Cindy Chinn

Squirrel-go-Round, 2024
Reclaimed bicycle parts and tires
Here’s a fun piece, the “Squirrel-go-Round” 😀 Two squirrels on the chase go round and round in this animated wall-mounted piece.

RE-TIRED BLACKBIRDS

The Re-Tired Blackbirds- having a conversation: Two little blackbirds, expertly crafted from recycled bicycle tires and parts, perched on the handlebars of a repurposed bike, engaging in a lively conversation. It’s hard to say what they could be discussing – maybe they’re just biding their time until their next thrilling ride?

Re-Tired Artwork "Black Birds" made from old bike tires and parts by Cindy Chinn

The Re-Tired Blackbirds- building a future: The art installation consists of life-sized blackbirds that have been carefully crafted from recycled bicycle tires and other discarded bike parts.

Re-Tired Artwork made from bike tires and parts by Cindy Chinn

Blackbird Pie, 2024
Reclaimed bicycle tires and glass plate
Drawing on Sing a Song of Sixpence, the piece turns the familiar nursery rhyme into a literal sculptural joke, with four tire-rubber blackbirds emerging from an equally unconventional pie.