blogicycle

How To Make GPS Bike Mount

2011-02-22T14:14:00.000+07:00

Android phones with built-in GPS | accelerometer | digital compass make it apt for outdoor activities including bicycling, especially the weather-proof ones. Add that with many applications available to utilize these features e.g.: maps, speedometer/odometer, shock-meter - you'll have a very bike-friendly gadget.

Mount an Android phone securely to your bike is what we'll discuss here. This is how I mount Samsung Galaxy 5 (GT-i5503) on my Polygon Premier.

Tool :

scissor

Material :

unused Kyocera belt-clip
mouse pad
band with Velcro

How to install :

Kyocera belt-clip has a matching wide size, but too deep, so I had to insert cut mouse pad between the belt-clip and the phone and that makes Samsung Galaxy 5 locked inside the belt-clip. It already has a clip so it was easy to attach it to stem with a Velcro-ed band .

You can use another cut mouse pad between stem and belt clip to secure its position.To make it even secure, you can use rubber band from unused inner tube.

If you own a custom belt-clip specifically for your phone, it will be more secure.

Give it a try, on your own risk :)

Home Made Helmet Light | DIY

2011-02-22T09:16:00.001+07:00

Ready-to-use helmet light doesn't come cheap. Want to save some money and make your own?

AFAIK, helmet light cost more than 10 $, my home made helmet light cost me less than 8$, although actually it cost me nothing since I already have the items laying around my house.

Materials :

Energizer Headlight that comes with 3AAA batteries (~7 $), the advantages of this light are :
- swivel head to fine tune the light angle,
- two light modes : 2 white LEDs or 1 red LED,
- bright enough to light dark road (49 lux),
- claimed to last 50 hours
zip ties (less than 0.1 $)

Tools : nothing

Installation :

Very simple., just find the right spot on your helmet then fasten it with zip ties through helmet holes. You can cut the headlight rubber band, but if you don't want to, you can hide and fasten it with zip ties.

how to fasten headlight onto a helmet

white bright light mode

red night vision mode

I am satisfied with the result, and because of the light and antennae like zip ties, it looks like Power Ranger + Masked Rider helmet :)

Disadvantages of this home made helmet light :

to replace batteries, zip ties must be cut, fortunately zip ties are cheap and it is not that frequent to replace batteries.
not water resistant, although it depends on what kind of head light you use.

Before using on night ride, test it first to see if it fit your need or not. Have a safe night ride.

Use this tutorial on your own risk.

Home Made Head Light | DIY Project

2011-01-28T14:30:00.001+07:00

Head light is an important item to have on your bike, especially if you are a night rider. I just made a DIY head light and it costs me less than 0.2 US $, because I got the most expensive item i.e. LED flashlight for free as batteries purchase bonus.

Here's what I did.

Materials :

2 pipe clamps, match it with handlebar and flashlight diameters,
2 bolts and enough nuts to secure the flash light and makes sure it holds handlebar tight enough,
LED flashlight,
used inner tubes, to line inner part of clamps to prevent scratches on handlebar and flashlight.

Method :

Here the sketch :

Finished project :

Tips : use two nuts on the bolt end to prevent them from loose because of vibration.

Have fun and stay safe at night!

Apply this how to on your own risk.

Bike Anatomy Typogram

2011-01-19T17:50:00.001+07:00

Remembering all the parts names is not easy, especially if you are new. There's an helpful picture to memorize them, here's a bike anatomy typo gram. You know like "Word Worlds" children show, where every character is made of words.

Why you should know bike parts names? To communicate easily of course e.g: when talking to fellow bike enthusiast, when consulting a bike problem, or just asking for parts price.

For example :

"Excuse me, how much thing-that-shift-front-gears costs?"
or
""Excuse me, how much front derailleur costs?"

By Aaron Kuehn via ManMadeCreation.

Home Made Bike Hanger (DIY)

2011-01-19T17:40:00.001+07:00

Storing a bike can be a headache, especially when your house and garage is no longer have horizontal space left. The solution? Go up.

If you have extra cash to spend, I believe many bike stores provide ready to install (or even install it for you) bike hanger. But if you are like me who find satisfaction in D-I-Y things, (and don't have extra cash to spare) then you may want to keep reading.

I just made one myself, and here's how I did it. It cost me less than 2$.

Materials :

12"/14" bracket : 3 pieces (I am not sure "bracket" is the right term, it is an 90 degree angled steel, like the ones to install shelf on a wall).
screws and and washers 18 each
used inner tube

Tool :

Electric Drill
screw driver

How to :

measure your bike top tube (yellow line in picture below), make sure the brackets fit right to each top-tube ends,
drill holes in wall and install the brackets with screws and washers (red lines in picture below). Longest bracket side goes to wall,
because my bike is heavier on the rear, I doubled the brackets on the rear part (hence two red lines below the saddle),
to prevent scratches, cut an used inner tube to fit the brackets like a sock,
make sure the brackets are strong enough to hold your bike, your bike may break or worse it can injure someone if it falls.

You may want to modify it to your need.

Warning :

Apply on your own risk.
Check that brackets are firmly attached to the wall and the bike are secured so it will not fall on anyone.
Wear protective goggles to avoid debris flying into your eyes when drilling.

Male Blindness? Auger? Honk? | What the…

2009-02-20T18:03:00.001+07:00

Still in the dark about Mountain Bike jargon?

Ever experienced "male blindness" or "mantrap"? Don't even know what that means? Then you definitely need a Mountain Bike Glossary. Very useful, when you are new to bike community but hate when people see you as newbie.

keyword : bike dictionary

via : mtnbikeriders

This Is How Japanese Store Their Bikes

2008-12-18T14:40:00.001+07:00

None other than mechanized automatic underground parking. If it were for cars I’ll be less impressed but this is for bikes, not technologically speaking of course, but the willingness to support cyclists. Awesome.

See Danny Choo’s site for more pics and details.

Technorati Tags: japan bike storage

My Regular Track

2008-12-09T23:33:00.001+07:00

This is my regular bike track. Hidden behind settlement and paddy field, it’s a beautiful and easy track to spend some quality time with my bike. It’s so quiet I can confidently practice some “bike moves” I am yet to master but to shy to try it in the open :)

This track is used by local farmers to commute between their field and home. So its “rush hour” is sometime around sunrise and before sunset. Other than that this track is practically mine.

Not shown in this series of pictures is a small creek and small bridge with big trees around it, perfect spot to relax after session of long distance biking. And fishing too, apparently. I never tried fishing but I met groups of fishermen every now and then.

Just like any other track, its difficulty changes over weather. Sometimes it was smooth ride the other times it was all mud. But both are enjoyable. Did I mention you can find cows along the way?

Sorry for not so clear photos, they were taken with my old 640 X 480 pixels camera phone that I always resides in my bike bag in case my wife needs me. Next time I’ll bring better camera.

Until then, have a safe ride.

Technorati Tags: bike track

My Bike | Polygon Premier

2008-12-02T19:42:00.001+07:00

Technorati Tags: polygon premier

It’s been 11 posts and quite a while. I never introduced and put my bike picture here. So being a polite biking guy, guess this is the perfect time and excuse to have it now.

Meet my Polygon Premier, it’s not a super bike spec-wise, but it’s my friend, a loyal friend. You can read Polygon Premier details and price here on Polygon official site. (Un)fortunately it’s not an affiliate link :)

Cycle Truck

2008-12-02T19:26:00.001+07:00

Alex Wetmore made a beautiful front loader cycle truck. Although I like to call it Cyclo Freighter, for being able to haul a considerable mass of cargo.

He is really creative not just makes bicycle mind you, almost everything he can imagine.

Go to Alex Wetmore’ Blog for more pics and details.

BuzzNet Tags: cycle truck

Global Financial Crisis = Bike Business Opportunity

2008-10-19T17:37:00.001+07:00

If you think everyone is suffering from global crisis, you are wrong.

Global financial crisis force people to readjust their financial balance sheet due high inflation and slow economy and rising cost. Riding a bike to work or else where is a smart and healthy choice to decrease expenses.

Taiwan as a bike exporter country enjoys the rise of bicycle trend. It sees jump in demand. If you are an avid cyclist then somehow you must know made-in-Taiwan Giant, right? Probably you are waiting for one to be delivered.

See, there is always silver lining somewhere.

So do you want to start a bike shop?

Technorati Tags: financial crisis, bike business opportunity

Wind-powered Bicycle Headlight

2008-10-16T12:40:00.001+07:00

You don’t have to memorize all those complex physics formulas or have Ph.D. title to invent something useful.

That’s the moral of this story of Taiwanese students who invent wind-powered bicycle headlight.

They saw abundant head-on wind as bicycle moves not just as cooling agent but a source of energy as well. A convertible to electricity energy and that energy is used to light headlight and stored in rechargeable batteries to be used when the bicycle stops e.g. : at traffic lights, looking for something dropped.

This is where we say “Why didn’t I think about that!”

Technorati Tags: bicycle invention

Don Your Helm and Get Ready To Be Hit

2008-10-15T14:04:00.001+07:00

Alright, don your helm and what?

Dr. Ian Walker said so. He put himself to test. Riding his bicycle that equipped with ultrasound distance meter. After passed by 2500 times and hit twice (ouch) he concluded that drivers passed closer to a cyclist that was wearing a helmet.

That’s because drivers feel that cyclists with helm are safer (and even if they hit they are protected) to pass by and therefore drivers are more confident to pass closer.

I’ll remember this. So I’ll wear hair-colored helm.

Technorati Tags: risky helm

My Dream Bike | Polygon Xtrada

2008-10-14T18:11:00.001+07:00

Ironic as it can be, I blog about bike and yet I don’t have a bike right now. I had one, long time ago. And now yearning for one.

I blog, therefore I bike.

This blog is my way to earn myself some money to buy a bike. No I don’t ask for donation. Just stick around, and do some Amazon shopping maybe :) and watch me get this bike. It’s a Polygon Xtrada.

Polygon Xtrada specification:

Frame Alloy XC Biaxial frame

Front Fork SR Suntour XCT 80mm Travel

Handle Bar MTB Alloy Rise

Handle Stem Alloy Ahead

Head Set Oversized Ahead set

Handle Grip Velo Kraton Rubber Grip

Saddle Selle Royale Energy

Seat post Alloy Micro Adjust

Clamp Alloy seat clamp with QR

Chain Wheel SR Suntour XCC-T202 42/32/22T Alloy Crank

Pedal Alloy Cage

BB Set Cartridge

Chain KMC 8-sp

Free Wheel Shimano CSHG30 8 sp

Shifting Shimano STEF50 24-sp

Front Derailleur Shimano C050

Rear Derailleur Shimano Altus RDM310

Tire & Tube 26x2.0" AV Tubes

Rim Alloy Single wall

Spoke Stainless Black

hub F: Formula Alloy w/QR

R: Shimano FHRM30 w/QR

Brake Lever Shimano STEF50

Brake F: Tektro IOX Mechanical Disc Brake - 160mm Rotor

R: Shimano V-Brake Alloy Tektro

Price about US$ 300

I know for some of you this bike is far from being a dream bike or even an ideal bike. But it is for me, for now.

OK then, I have some bike to catch.

Technorati Tags: polygon xtrada spec

Financial Meltdown and 5 Things You Could Do With Bicycle

2008-10-11T18:23:00.001+07:00

Having a bike is more and more beneficial these days. We see prices go up, assets and stocks plummet. The end is nowhere to be seen, even optimists will say the end is not near.

If this financial mess blows your days (not your life I hope) and wondering what that old bike of yours that laying on your garage could do, read on. Now is when your bicycle comes to rescue the day.

How?

let’s start with something obvious, bikes do not need gas to commute you around, let’s say you spend a gallon a day, with bike you save about 4$ X 30days = 120$ a month, and that if you spend a gallon/day, and you know you spend more than that,
biking maintain your health, increase your fitness, decrease your stress level and that means minimum health expenses, no expensive fitness center membership, no sleeping pills and better sleep,
increased fitness and healthy body lead to more productive life, more creativity and with these two you could attain and achieve more with your time,
biking could make you easily builds community of fellow bikers, having good and vast network never do any harm unless you were a secret agent, and opens more potential money making, life changing chances,
those above, or you could simply sell your bike to make some extra cash :)

The best part is, biking can save your most valuable asset : your health. Money and all good things it can bought is replaceable if not now sometime in the future, but you can’t say the same thing about good health.

So start biking today!

Technorati Tags: save money, health, life with bike

How Safe is Your City? Use Your Bike to Find Out!

2008-10-09T12:58:00.001+07:00

Well, what do you know. Bicycle is not just used as a mean of sport or transportation only. It can be used as Crime Indicator as well.

An Argentine publicist has developed a bicycle test to gauge crime in different neighborhoods (news via Reuters). They place unchained bike throughout different neighborhoods and check how fast a bike is stolen or not at all. Interesting method.

And if the bikes was planted with GPS, they could track the crime traffic. So the police could track where are their hideouts, where the criminals go to sell stolen goods. It could be a mean of crime fighter.

A Farmer Bike in Indonesia – not in Argentine

Technorati Tags: crime indicator bike

Female Cyclists Beware

2008-10-07T09:25:00.001+07:00

If you are a female cyclist or know ones, make sure you know that (according to a study) women who bicycle frequently run the risk of decreased sensitivity in their genitals as well as pain.

Choosing the right saddle and bike pant becomes more and more crucial.

Technorati Tags: female cyclist risk

Bicycle Is The Most Effective Vehicle Out There

2008-10-01T18:45:00.001+07:00

Bicycle only needs 35 calories/passenger/mile while a car needs … 1,860 calories/passenger/mile…wow. That’s 53 times higher.

Not just the most effective, bicycle is the most popular. Need evidence? There are over 1.4 billion bicycles and only 400 million cars.

When you think about what vehicles’ source of energy are, you’ll come to this creepy conclusion : bicycles run on one alive organism and cars feed on millions of long dead organisms.

Technorati Tags: most effective vehicle

Solar Powered Bike

2008-09-30T10:51:00.001+07:00

A bicycle that runs on solar power, how hot is that?

The Cycle Sol has a canopy of solar cells, that serve as a shade to the cyclist as well as the original purpose that is to capture sun’s ray power.

One advantage compared to other solar powered vehicle is clear, bicycle has lighter weight, so it doesn’t much power to operate.

This is a perfect answer for those who want to bike to work (b2w) but can afford to drop a sweat :)

Technorati Tags: solar powered bicycle

Fastest Bike On Earth

2008-09-29T22:33:00.001+07:00

Faster than speeding scooter!

Technorati Tags: fastest bike

Privacy Policy

2008-09-01T13:44:00.000+07:00

Third Party Advertising
Blogicycle (BC for short) uses Google AdSense and other third-party advertising companies to serve ads. These companies may use information (not including your name, address, email address or telephone number) about your visits to this and other Web sites in order to provide advertisements on this site and other sites about goods and services that may be of interest to you.

Third Party Cookies
In the course of serving advertisements to this site, BC third-party advertiser may place or recognize a unique cookie on your browser. You can turn this off from your browser setting.

Personal Information
BC does not request any personal information or collect any information that personally identifies you or allows you to be personally contacted. Since BC do not collect any personal information on this Web site, BC do not share any personal information with any third parties nor do we use any personal information for any purposes.

External Links
This site contains links to other sites. Blogicycle is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such Web sites.


Frame	Alloy XC Biaxial frame
Front Fork	SR Suntour XCT 80mm Travel
Handle Bar	MTB Alloy Rise
Handle Stem	Alloy Ahead
Head Set	Oversized Ahead set
Handle Grip	Velo Kraton Rubber Grip
Saddle	Selle Royale Energy
Seat post	Alloy Micro Adjust
Clamp	Alloy seat clamp with QR
Chain Wheel	SR Suntour XCC-T202 42/32/22T Alloy Crank
Pedal	Alloy Cage
BB Set	Cartridge
Chain	KMC 8-sp
Free Wheel	Shimano CSHG30 8 sp
Shifting	Shimano STEF50 24-sp
Front Derailleur	Shimano C050
Rear Derailleur	Shimano Altus RDM310
Tire & Tube	26x2.0" AV Tubes
Rim	Alloy Single wall
Spoke	Stainless Black
hub	F: Formula Alloy w/QR
	R: Shimano FHRM30 w/QR
Brake Lever	Shimano STEF50
Brake	F: Tektro IOX Mechanical Disc Brake - 160mm Rotor
	R: Shimano V-Brake Alloy Tektro
Price	about US$ 300