Transform your once loved bicycle into a beautiful object of art, a wall mounted memento of all the good times you shared together, courtesy of architectural designer Regan Appleton and his Bike Taxidermy business.

You know the feeling. You’ve had some great times together; conquered mountains, sprinted over finish lines, cruised through country lanes or flown down rocky, rooty trails.

All good things come to an end, and now what was once your beloved pride and joy lies unloved, reprovingly catching your eye from it’s cobwebbed corner in the garage, buried under parts and kit in the back room, or simply left behind when it’s newer, shinier replacement gets taken out for a spin.

But somehow you can’t quite bring yourself to get rid of it.

Architectural designer Regan Appleton might just have the answer. He will take the handlebars of your once-prized possession, and mount them on a plaque made of finest European Oak. Below this, a stainless steel epitaph is added with the wording of your choice and the steed’s model, pet name, and dates ridden.

You can then mount your trophy on the wall, or perhaps above the fireplace, as a lasting and decorative reminder; a little like the antlers that adorn the wall of some Scottish houses and hunting lodges.

This, in fact, is partly the inspiration behind Bicycle Taxidermy. Appleton, a student of the Royal College of Art, explains he was inspired by homesickness for the Scottish Highlands to transform some of his fathers old road and mountain bikes into unique memento mori.

He describes the idea behind Bicycle Taxidermy as ‘a somewhat sentimental take on a mass produced object becoming defunct’ as the handlebars are ‘given the care and craft of a preserved family pet. The bikes have now been re-appropriated as a family heirloom’.

The loving and lasting solution for your mechanical bereavement

So what do you need to do if you would like a bicycle preserved in this way? To have your handlebars mounted as taxidermy will cost you £70, and the first step is to contact Appleton directly via the Bicycle Taxidermy website. You choose the plaque you would like, pop in what epitaph you would like inscribed, and send the handlebars off to him.

We love some of the epithets listed on the site, such as ‘The Highland beast, put out to pasture on London fields’ and ‘The Yorkshire moors shall she forever roam’.

Love the idea but don’t have suitable handlebars? Appleton also produces a range of ready-made plaques, complete with shiny new handlebars. You can choose from a range of handlebar styles, like chopper or butterfly, or you can even purchase a set of three or five.

To find out more, visit the Bicycle Taxidermy website.

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