Make: Bicycle Projects

Book excerpt: What is a bicycle? The answer is a little trickier than you might think. More than just a form of transportation, your bike is a framework on which you can explore and display your own inventiveness.With a full history of the bicycle and information about commercial mods such as adding baby seats and fenders--as well as instruction on wheels, tires, and regular maintenance--this book gives you the tools and ideas to hack your ride your own way. You'll not only find out how to strip down your bike so that you can actually put it back together again, but you'll create a complete bike hacker's workbench, ready for any idea you might have! In Make: Bicycle Projects, you'll learn to: Add EL wire, LEDs, and NEOPixels for cool nighttime travel Install a SpokePOV kit to see things only your bike sees Add a DIY Smartphone Rig that keeps you connected Paint your bike so that it stays painted Turn your geared steed into a fixie Weld and braze your frame Make a rad chopper Let the sun power your projects Give an audio component to your frame for alarms, horns, and just making noise Haul cargo in a basket or mini-trailer Turn your ride into a veritable party trailer replete with color organ!