One thing that every athlete or sports enthusiast may have in abundance is a collection of old sports gear. Since I started rollerblading, I have this whole collection of rollerblades right from the first one I tried to the last one I replaced.
Sometimes I wonder if I can put them to any good use rather than showing them up as an antique in my personal collection of things. So, I decided to surf the net and figure out how to constructively use my old sports gear?
I figured out that many people give away their old equipment to the newbies who either cannot afford to buy a new set every time or do not want to spend more until they understand the sport well enough.
It is always a good idea to give away your sports gear to someone in need, however, sometimes the old sports equipment is not in its best condition to be used by someone else. Can you still put it to some good use?
I was surprised to see how creative can people be, when it comes to the things they can do with old rollerblade wheels. Now, I have some amazing ideas for using my old rollerblade wheels too and I am going to share them up with you in this article. So, let’s buckle up and figure out some stunning techniques for using old rollerblade wheels.
Using Rollerblade Wheels in Skateboard
Before we enter the realms of creativity, here is one thing you can do with your old rollerblade wheels until they are ripped beyond repair or reuse. Put them into your skateboard and go rolling on the streets. Many people use metal wheels from old skates to put into handmade skateboards. A great reuse option for old rollerblade wheels that are still in good shape.
Using Old Rollerblade Wheels for Home Decor and Furnishings
A great idea to upcycle old rollerblade wheels is to add them to an old dresser or a side table. Again, it is a fine approach to kill two birds in one shot. You get to use your dearly kept rollerblade wheels and you get a table on wheels for easy relocation and placement.
Your dressers, cabinets, and tables need those wheels every now and then, so next time, one of them needs a replacement, just take a pair of old rollerblades, get the wheels out and put them on the furniture. And voila! Your piece of furniture will be as good as new.
If your old rollerblade wheels are pretty clean, you can think out of the box to create some DIYs with them. How about using them as doorknobs for your room or a cabinet? Or creating a DIY coatrack using the wheels as studs. Sounds ideal room decor for a lover of rollerblading and a gear junkie like myself. Isn’t it?
Hey if you are into gardening, you can even attach the wheels on board to create a cart or a small trolley to move stuff around or heavy pots around the garden area.
If you have also kept the trucks along with your old wheels, you can attach them to a table drawer to use as a drawer pull handle. Keeping the trucks, the wheels, the bearings, and the rusty but sturdy lock nuts will eventually pay off in the form of cool drawer handles.
I am sure if you let loose your imagination you can come up with some more creative DIYs with your rollerblade wheels [source]. One of the craziest use of the rollerblade wheels that I came across is a gear shift with a wheel knob.
Recycling Old Rollerblade Wheels
You can take up a green initiative and donate your old rollerblade wheels into recycling programs like the one initiated by Satori Wheels [source]. You can send them your old rollerblade wheels and they will recycle those into a brand new set.
Sounds pretty simple but with this very small step you can play your part in reducing the junk in the landfills and getting the surroundings more environment-friendly.
Rollerblade wheels are often made up of urethane or precisely polyurethane, which makes them highly difficult to recycle. The various chemical in urethane bond together when subjected to heat. The recycling process is quite expensive and hence rare. As a result, most of the wheels end piling up in the dumpsters.
Companies deter to take recycling because it is cheaper to build new wheels from a fresh stock of urethane. Lately, some companies have taken up the initiative of recycling rollerblade wheels to reduce the burden in landfills and take a step to turn eco-friendly. Some recycling programs also include the provision to leave old bearings inside the bins in paper bags or drop them at the local scrap storage yard [source].
With that said, the best and most effective means is to conserve your wheels as far as possible. Wheel rotation is a good idea to prevent your wheels from dying prematurely because of uneven wear and tear from regular use.
So, here is my three-stage formula of reuse, recreate, and recycle to get the most out of your old rollerblade wheels. This is all for this session. Do not forget to share in the comments if you have any new ideas about things to do with old rollerblade wheels.
If you liked this reading please check this related post: How Long Do Rollerblade Wheels and Bearings Last?