At his table during the River Jam Festival, Fabian Cruz-Thompson stayed busy fastening tire belts to gleaming, rugged buckles. Out of curiosity, almost every passerby paused for a moment, drawn in to learn more about the unique upcycled product and the young man who makes them.
Fabian typically sources his tires by visiting local bike shops. More conveniently, he also gathers them from Apex Youth Connection in Biddeford, where he works as the Bike Shop Manager and Lead Mechanic. Fabian has been with the nonprofit organization since he was 14, and has become incredibly incredibly skilled at fixing bicycles over the years; so much so that he now teaches other kids how to do the same.
His interest in making bicycle tire belts begins with a memory: a friend once owned a belt made from a bike tire, purchased from someone in Germany. Fabian had really wanted one for himself, but the cost, plus the international shipping, was too steep to justify. So instead he made his own.
Beyond the tires, Fabian collects other essential components by regularly visiting Goodwill outlets, where he buys old leather belts, often cracked and worn with age. That leather becomes the backing of each new belt. He also salvages the buckles from those same secondhand finds, giving new life to forgotten pieces.
Buckles, rivets, and snaps spill from shallow containers and scatter across his table. It’s part workshop, part traveling art studio. The rubber edges are trimmed, sanded, and cleaned, tough material made smooth by careful hands.
When someone purchases one of his belts, it becomes a collaboration. Each belt is cut and sized specifically for the individual. Only then does Fabian begin his work in earnest. First, he slices the tire into long, clean bands.
Then, using his old, modified drill press, he punches precisely spaced holes for the buckle and adjustment points. The same press, fitted with a rivet die, is used to secure snaps and buckles with clean, consistent pressure.
When Fabian talks about his craft, his voice lifts and his face lights up. His enthusiasm is unmistakable. It’s clear he loves the process just as much as the product.
For him, the best part is knowing he’s creating something meaningful through sustainable, reusable effort. Each tire takes on a second life, a second story. His belts are built to last — 40 years or more, he says — and that longevity brings him joy.
