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!

Belt-Driven, Hubless Rear Wheel Bicycle

The aim was to use a hubless wheel to create a compact bicycle, with the benefits of a large wheel and belt drive.Hubless wheels have appeared in bicycle concepts already, and were first invented by Sbarro. However, few concepts have made it to prototype and when only used for aesthetic purposes, the disadvantage of extra cost out weights the visual gain. Lunartic uses the hubless for a reason; to house the working parts, reducing the wheel base but not sacrificing conventional riding geometry. Lunartic is supposed to be as compact as possible without folding or being awkward to ride, however there is the potential for the front wheel to fold up into the rear or for that space to be used for a laptop back, motor or dynamo.

Continue Reading April 7th, 2011 Sean Michael Ragan48

Old Bike Refresh

There are a lot of old, broken down bikes out there — we have at least one in our garage. It’s a good bike. It’s a little beaten and bruised, a little rusty, but a quick strip-down, a few fresh coats of paint, some lubrication, new tires, maybe a new seat, and it’d be back […]

Continue Reading April 6th, 2011 Gareth Branwyn24

Skill Builder: April is Bike Month!

This month’s skill set is a little different than the previous Electronics, Woodworking, and Mechanics series. For starters, we tweaked the name. We think Skill Builder has a more active ring to it, more about the process than the thing. Increasingly, we want to get you, the maker community, more involved in these series. There’s […]

Continue Reading April 5th, 2011 Gareth Branwyn6

GPS Messenger Bag Bestows Bikers with a Better Sense of Direction

Josh wanted to wander the streets of Chicago on his bike while ensuring he was heading in the general direction of his destination. He therefore created the MapBag, a LilyPad Arduino-based “proprioceptive augmentation device.” Here’s how it works: The MapBag contains a small microcontroller, a GPS chipset, and a series of 8 vibration motors sewn […]

Continue Reading March 21st, 2011 Matt Richardson4

The Cyclotrope: Amazing Bike Wheel Animation

Who would have ever thought that there were so many ways to combine cycling and persistence of vision? Here’s another cool one to add to the list: much like a zoetrope, Tim Wheatley’s Cyclotrope is a bike wheel that gives the illusion of animation when it’s being spun on camera. [via Neatorama] More: Embroidered Animation […]

Continue Reading March 16th, 2011 Matt Richardson16

Sew a Drawstring Bike Seat Cover

In this edition of the CRAFT Video, Becky Stern shows you how to make a custom fabric bike seat cover. You might make one if your bike seat is in disrepair, needs protection from rain, or, if you’re like me, you want to cover up your nice saddle to deter potential thieves from lifting your seat while your bike is locked up outside. http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2010/05/sew_a_drawstring_bike_seat_cov.html

Continue Reading March 14th, 2011April 14th, 2015 Makemagazineuser

CRAFT Video: Bike Tube Headband

Learn to recycle a broken bike inner tube into a chain-link headband, necklace, or belt! Becky Stern shows you how. Britt McMaster designed this project for her blog, cucumbersome.com. Head on to craftzine for more details: http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2010/03/bike_tube_headband.html