Fascinating read in Nature Magazine published July 2016
Tag: bicycles
Recycled Cardboard Bicycles for under $10
I am simply curating the post as part of the ongoing watch on providing low cost environmentally simple bikes for ordinary use.
They are made of recycled cardboard, can withstand water and humidity, cost nearly nothing – and might change the concept of green vehicle. Izhar Gafni is a Kibbutz resident, who decided to prove to his fellow engineers that he could make a bicycle at nearly no cost.
“They said it was impossible”
Izhar Gafni, originally from Kibbutz Bror Hayil in the Negev, took the most popular and widely sold vehicle in the community and decided to turn it into an entirely green private venture.
Gafni’s bicycle redefines the idea of green transportation in every way, being environmentally friendly from early stages of production all the way through creation of the final product. The bicycles are made out of recycled and used cardboard.
Restoring a Vintage Dumpster Bike with Instructables.com
Restoring a vintage Dumpster Bike
The old song goes "the best things in life are free".. and the same goes for bikes.
I have had two bikes which I found in the dumpster (rubbish bin here in Australia). With some time and elbow grease, and sometimes a little bit of money you can restore a bike which was destined for the dump into something that is fast and fun to ride around.
This instructible shows you how to restore a dumpster bike – in this case a 10-speed road/touring bike. These bikes are commonly thrown out, can be converted into a single speed or easily renovated into a working bike.
I have concentrated mainly on providing the resources and hints, rather than the in-depth detail for each section of the bike. The reason for this is that no two bikes are the same and if I go into too much detail for one part (eg. the headset).
Loaves and Fishes: Meal on Wheels (TWO)
What do I need to participate?
- A bike capable of pulling a Burley cargo trailer (the trailer hitch attaches to your bike’s rear wheel quick-release)
- The ability to safely navigate the streets on your bike
- A helmet
- If it’s your first time delivering meals for Loaves & Fishes Center via bike or car, you’ll need to fill out a complete registration form on your first day. OHS (Oregon Health Services) requires us to perform a criminal background check to ensure the safety of our seniors.
You may deliver meals using:
- Your own bicycle and cargo cart
You will be loaned a safety vest and spare bike lock, if needed.
- Your own bicycle
You will be loaned a cargo trailer with hitch attachment, safety vest and spare bike lock, if needed.
Optional Equipment:
- Safety flag, bike lights, map holder
- Mobile phone to call the center in case of emergency
When do I deliver?
We’ll work around your schedule. If you can deliver once a week or once or twice a month, we will do our best to accommodate you. If you want to be a substitute rider, let us know and we will contact you when we need your help!
Plan to arrive at your assigned center around 10-10:30 a.m. to get the trailer, coolers and meals.
I want to help, but I’m not sure about riding a bike. How else can I help?
We invite you to consider investing our community by sponsoring one or more bike trailers for the Meals-On-Two-Wheels Program. There are several sponsorship levels from which to choose. Click here for more information.
Also, we’re always in need of volunteers for our daily Meals-On-Wheels routes. Click here to let us know you’re interested in helping!
If you’d like to make a donation to Loaves & Fishes Centers, click here.
For more information on the “Meals On Two Wheels” program, please e-mail mealsontwowheels@lfcpdx.org
What I Want for Christmas -> Bar End Brake Light: BEBL
Bar End Brake Light: BEBL – More DIY How To Projects
Overview
Group riding would be much safer if bikes had brake lights. The lack of brake lighting on bicycles has lead to the audio cues of “SLOWING” or “STOPPING” being shouted at every turn. While this may enhance safety, it certainly cuts into the serenity of a ride.
This project offers a viable solution that can increase both safety and serenity on a group ride. With embedded programming made easy by the Arduino integrated development environment, electronics getting smaller, more capable, and cheaper, this project is possible for the do-it-yourselfer.
BEBL Challenge! Be the first, and get your hardware cost reimbursed. I will award a $35 reimbursement, by mail or PayPal, to the first person to post a video online that demonstrates a functioning and mounted Bar End Brake Light made from these plans. Looking forward to seeing your project.
Design Criteria
Other than the obvious criterion — light up when braking, I wanted this light to look cool, cool enough to mount on any expensive racing bike. This rules out any visible wiring. I also wanted the light to be portable, meaning it will work on more than one bike. Thus no brake-lever specific triggering should be used.
Solution
The final design is centered around a 3-axis accelerometer board provided by Pololu.com . This product is simple to use with an Arduino, small enough to fit inside the handle bars, and best of all cheap at $15. Also, this accel has an on-board voltage regulator that we will take advantage of to power the whole circuit.
The processing takes place in an ATmega328 programmed with Arduino. These chips can be also be programmed directly in C, but Arduino takes care of a lot of setup and generally makes programming less tedious. Arduino has everything this project needs. The ATmega168 would probably suffice for this project but the ATmeta328 at $1 more, provides 2X the program space.
Mounting the computer inside the handlebars provides an enclosure for the project.