Creating a Bionic Bike Bag with Ben Heck

I produce a weekly web-series hosted by the electronics enthusiast Ben Heck. Every week we create new episodes to inspire the engineer and hobbyist community. Usually I stay behind the scenes, but in this episode of The Ben Heck Show, Ben and I work together to create a DIY bike turn signal system.



This is meant as a proof of concept and the basic idea of the turn signals can be modified to look however you like. It doesn't even have to be on a backpack - you could create a system for on the bike and place the switches on the handlebars. Heat up those soldering irons and see what you come up with!

Madison's Bike Boulevards and You

When biking around Madison, you likely have noticed certain streets were upgraded for bicyclists with sharrows and signed as “bike boulevards,” such as on E. Mifflin St., Main St. and Kendall Ave. A bicycle boulevard is a street with low traffic speeds and low vehicular traffic volumes where the movement of bicycles is given priority. Bike boulevards work as a good alternative to bike lanes on quieter streets, which are typically too narrow for bike lanes.

Biking in Cold Weather: Tips for Toasty Toes

If you’ve been riding in a Wisconsin winter, you likely have experience with how much insulation you need to layer on in order to retain body heat generated from pedaling. However, cold feet can be a surprisingly pesky problem on a longer commute, but don’t let them keep you from biking in the winter.  Here’s what I’ve come up with to stay comfortable:

Bicycle Typogram

Here's a cool typogram by Arron Kuehn to help you learn the parts of your bike:

Urban Biking: Overcoming Your Fears

URBAN BIKING: Overcoming Your Fears from Laura J. Lukitsch on Vimeo.

Cycle Slang: Bike Ninja

Today's bike slang definition comes from urbandictionary.com:

Bike Ninja: Someone who is riding their bicycle in dark/low visibility conditions, without a headlight or taillight. So-called because they are invisible, like a ninja.

Bike Slang: Grasshopper

Today's bike slang comes from bikehacks.com.

Grasshopper: This rider's seat is as far down as it can go and when pedaling the knees achieve chin level, mimicking the bend seen in the rear legs of grasshoppers.

DIY Skirt Guards

Skirt guards, also known as dress or coat guards, are useful to have on a transportation bicycle. They protect your clothing from getting caught in the spokes and protect you from a resulting wreck. Velouria at Lovely Bicycle! sums up the merits of skirt guards well, and her post is a good read if you are unsure if skirt guards are for you.

Best Practices for Riding in a Group

Group bike rides are a great way to socialize, whether you are meandering or have a destination in mind. Chatting with a friend along the way is easy, but communicating with the group requires an understanding of group biking norms.

Cycle Slang: MAMIL

Today's cycle slang comes from Urban Dictionary.

MAMIL: Middle aged men in lycra.

How to Change a Bicycle Tire

Spare tube? Check. Tire levers? Check. Small pump? Check. Knowledge of how to actually change a tire? Nope. I went touring for years without really knowing how to fix a flat. Luckily, I never had to.

A few months ago I was determined to install new Schwalbe cream colored tires on my Dutch bike. With the help of YouTube, I learned how. This tutorial will take you through the process and in less than five minutes you'll be ready to fix your next flat.

Cycle Slang: The Hasselhoff

This definition is from bikehacks.com:

Hasselhoff, or simply "Hoff": A male rider that chooses to go shirtless, also see Pool Boy. A "Hoff" is set apart from a simple pool boy because of copious chest hair.

Identifying the Parts of Drop Handlebars

WI Bicycle Rights: Riding 2-Abreast

Peter and I were riding 2-abreast chatting on the way home from a trip to Clasen's Bakery when a driver swung around us and shouted, "SINGLE FILE PLEASE!" 

We were pretty sure we were acting within our rights but looked it up, just in case:

Riding 2 abreast is permitted on any street as long as other traffic is not impeded. When riding 2 abreast on a 2 or more lane roadway, you both have to ride within a single lane. [346.80(3)(a)]

Cycle Slang: The Annoying Samaritan

This definition comes from bikehacks.com:

The Annoying Samaritan: Motorized human that cedes right of way to a cyclist when said right of way should not be ceded. The annoying Samaritan does not please the cyclist, who was fully prepared to wait his turn, but rather annoys other motorized humans who direct their ire at the cyclist.

DIY: Panniers

Make your own panniers! Check out this post at instructables.com.

Cracking a Combination Bike Lock

I think the lesson here isn't how to crack the lock (how hard is it to remember a 4 digit combo?), rather it's that your bike isn't as secure as you think.

I like my small combo lock because it fits easily into a purse and I don't have to add another key to my already full keyring. However, I keep a stronger key lock on my porch for any overnight parking.

How to Carry Laundry by Bike

If you have a rear rack and some bungee cords, you can haul your wash to the laundromat.  If you're not used to carrying a load and are wary of the idea, try it out in your driveway and see how your bike handles - be sure to go more slowly and give yourself more space to turn.