Bicycles could quite possibly be the most popular maker vehicles. Here are some bikes and bike accessories for the cycle-friendly folks on your gift list.
College bike trunk, DIY on Make: Projects by Frank Yost, from MAKE 23
Growing up, I would often visit my grandparents in Dinkytown, the southeast Minneapolis neighborhood near the University of Minnesota that was named after the freshman cap worn there a century ago. I remember seeing students on ten-speeds carrying their stuff in milk crates that they strapped to the rear rack with bungee cords. Inspired by that image, I wanted something better and more secure. Car drivers can lock things up while running errands, so why should cyclists have to carry everything around with them? So I designed this sheet metal bike trunk. I sized it to hold two 1-gallon jugs of milk with a little room to spare. Its top angles away from the seat like a saddle does, so nothing rubs against the rider. And its 2 latches will accept 2 padlocks to secure the contents against casual theft.
“Road Popper” bike seat bottle opener, $40 printed by Shapeways
The Road Popper is a bike-mounted bottle opener that we developed for our own use and decided afterward to share. We designed it to fasten discreetly to the rails on the underside of the saddle to help keep your bike looking crisp. So far, it’s worked on all the bottle caps we’ve tried it on. Material options are bronze infused stainless steel. Finish options are plain (on the right in the photograph), matte gold, glossy gold, matte antique bronze, and glossy antique bronze. The Road Popper is not intended for alcoholic beverages. Chromoly does not condone cycling while under the influence of alcohol.
Warranty Voider Leatherman PS4, $36, Maker Shed
New from Leatherman! The new Squirt PS4 is small enough to fit on your key chain, this pliers version now also comes with built in scissors! The MAKE: Warranty Voider is the perfect companion for mobile fixing, hacking and MacGyvering. This is a limited offering with custom “Make: Warranty Voider” laser etched using a 35w laser.
Bright Bike reflective tape kits, $18 by Michael Mandiberg
The fiercely reflective tape in the kits by Bright Bike will help you vanquish your foes, or at least help prevent them from running you over. Available in many colors.
Sew a bike seat cover – DIY on CRAFT
Monkey Light, $65, MonkeyLectric
Persistance-of-vision (POV) device that lights up your wheel with patterns while you ride.
Sew a cycle cap – DIY by Panda Face on Flickr
Build a Single Speed Bike – Make: Video Podcast
In the Maker Shed:
Want more? Stop by the Maker Shed. We’ve got all sorts of great holiday gift ideas, Arduino & Arduino accessories, electronic kits, science kits, smart stuff for kids, back issues of MAKE & CRAFT, box sets, books, robots, kits from Japan and more.
Holiday Shipping Deadlines in December:
15 (Wed) – Postal shipping deadline
14 (Mon) – Ground shipping deadline
18 (Sat) – 3-day shipping deadline
20 (Mon) – 2-day shipping deadline
21 (Tue) – Overnight shipping deadline
*Orders placed after these dates using these shipping methods may arrive on time; however, the dates listed are what we consider likely “safe dates.”
United States Postal Service (USPS):
Due to the high volume of mail that the postal service deals with around the holidays, please order by Dec 15 if you intend to select this method. However, we have had increased reports of packages sent via USPS lost or delayed in transit during this high-volume period. Since we do not replace or refund any order placed using this shipping method, we strongly encourage you not to use this method in December.
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