Drill-Powered Tricycle
German designer Nils Ferber designed a sleek, futuristic-looking drill-powered trike, and built it out of stainless steel, with the help of his team.
Bikes
Bikes have been a popular way of transportation and recreation for many years, but they’re also an increasingly interesting DIY project! Whether you’re new to bike building or a seasoned veteran, there’s no shortage of news, parts and projects that can inspire your imagination. In these blog posts, we’ll dive deep into trends in the world of biking; from custom designs to engine-powered inventions and much more — get ready for some truly awesome things! Plus, learn about tips for getting started with small bike-building projects around your home. So strap on those gear helmets and join us as we explore what makes biking great today!
Wood Bikes: Art You Can Ride
Bill Patchett and Bill Holloway create complete bike frames out of wood, following the entire process from felling a tree in the urban forest, to shaping and finishing it. This creative example of reuse becomes a piece of rolling art at Maker Faire Bay Area 2011. Subscribe to the Maker Faire Podcast in iTunes, download […]
DIY $4 Grocery Panniers
A good set of bicycle panniers can cost a chunk of change, but if you’re thinking of heading to the store to pick up a few essentials they’re pretty indispensable. Check out these cheep and easy DIY bicycle panniers you can construct from a couple of reusable grocery bags, some masonite, and a bungee.
Opabinia Regalis: A Pyrotechnical Precambrian Pedal Car
The day before Maker Faire Bay Area opened, we ran into Kurt and Bobbi Pires putting the finishing touches on a unique quadricycle in the South Lot of the fairgrounds. Dubbed Opabinia Regalis, the vehicle is named after an extinct Precambrian creature and has now been reborn as an angry, fire-spewing art bike.
R2D2 Motorcycle Helmet
Philadelphia area maker Jenn Hall improved the visual quality of her motorcycle helmet by turning it into a R2D2 helmet. The process included scuffing up the existing paint job and adding consecutive coats of spray paint and laboriously cut masking tape. The whole thing is finished off with some PVC tubing, some blinking lights, and plenty of clear coat. What a great way to liven up an otherwise mundane safety apparatus.
Bike Theft: Thinking Outside of the Lock
Since most urban cyclists can never be sure what they’ll be locking to, they’ll often keep both a chain and a U-Lock for versatility’s sake. If you had an extra twelve pounds to make your bike theft-proof, how would you do it?
Maker-Spotting in the Wild
New York City is often analogized as a “concrete jungle.” For me that might be very fitting, as I often find myself hunting makers, But unlike a machete-wielding jungle-clearing Amazonian, my approach usually involves asking questions such as “What does this do?” and “How’d you make that?” So earlier this week, I was out for a lunchtime stroll when I spotted this guy Tucker on his bike.
