My bike has had a flat tire for longer than I’d care to admit, so I’ve been commuting recently by foot and by bus. This leaves me with plenty of time to think, but mostly just thoughts about walking and/or taking the bus.

If you’ve spent time waiting for erratically-timed buses, you know this question well: Will I get there faster if I continue waiting or if I start walking? You can look to recent literature in recreational mathematics for some general guidance on this dilemma [1] [2]. But while waiting may pay off for the lazy mathematician, I like to get some exercise in the process. So here’s a twist on the problem: How far can I walk without missing the next bus? I’ll propose three practical solutions:

1. Walk backwards, so you can spot the bus as soon as it becomes visible. When you do, make a run for the closest stop (preferably in the direction of your destination.)
2. Move to a city that displays bus arrival predictions at bus stops. Run to the first such display, check out the next arrival prediction, and do some quick mental math as you start to walk.
3. Live somewhere that offers open access to city datasets including real-time bus location and prediction feeds. Write the following iPhone application, and then email me when it’s ready.

App description – Given your current location (determined by GPS), your walking speed (based on past commutes), and your destination and bus route (stored in preferences or assumed based on time-of-day), it calculates two commute options and displays each with an estimated time of arrival. The first option minimizes your commute duration while maximizing the portion traveled by foot, and the second option minimizes your foot-only commute time. For example:

Your best commute options today are:
* ETA 8:55am – Walk to Church St, then get on #48. (0.5mi exercise)
* ETA 9:05am – Walk directly. (2.5mi exercise, saves $2.00)

Any takers? Seems like it would be a great candidate for the DataSF App Showcase.

The idea is to build an automatic continuous transmission for a bicycle, by wiring up a controller for a NuVinci CVP designed to maintain a constant level of effort from the rider.

In the past year or two, I’ve spotted articles and reviews discussing an interesting new technology for bicycles: the NuVinci CVP from Fallbrook Technologies. The “CV” of the NuVinci CVP reflect the fact that the gear ratio is continously variable: While most bicyclists are familiar with the clicking feeling of switching between discrete gears, the NuVinci CVP offers an alternative in which a continuous spectrum of gear ratios are available. The demo video gives a nice overview. While a few high-end bicycles now incorporate the NuVinci into configured bike, you can also purchase just a hub or purchase just a pre-built wheel. Most user reviews so far have been quite positive about the technology, ratio speed range (350%), and test rides, but have been less positive about the added weight (~8lbs), reduced efficiency, and price (~$400). (See the reviews at bikehugger, veloblog, and bikecommuters).

…build a controller that continually adjusts the NuVinci’s gear ratio to maintain peak efficiency.

So let’s assume for the moment that the NuVinci CVP lives up to its billing. I’m suggesting that rather than constantly adjusting the NuVinci’s “CruiseControl” twist-shifter to maximize your efficiency, we build a controller that continually adjusts the NuVinci’s gear ratio to maintain peak efficiency. If I’m not mistaken, the effect should feel something like riding a stationary exercise bike. Or am I mixing up effort, power, and cadence? I did a bit of looking and came across one off-the-shelf power output sensor (the Polar Power Output Sensor Kit), and there are a whole slew of relatively cheap cadence sensors available.

Automatic controls for gear-shifting has made a recent resurgence, thanks to the three-speed Shimano Coasting group. Bicycles built on the Coasting components (or a similar system) automatically switch gears based on the bike’s speed (?? correct me if I’m wrong on this.) The goal of the Coasting system has been to enable simple bicycle designs for non-riders, by removing those pesky hand controls for shifting and braking. Clearly I have a different goal in mind than Coasting: elegance, not simplicity.

A bicycle that automatically and continuously maintains the preferred gear ratio (or cadence?) for the rider. Too good to be true? A simple afternoon hack? Please share your thoughts on the NuFixie Challenge…

Let me start by saying that I believe in visibility. And not in the dim-red-blinky kind of way. A healthy dose of LEDs and reflective tape cover both me and my bicycle when I ride after dark. But while my 4-AA front Cateye is quite bright, and my PlanetBike SuperFlash on back is nearly unmissable, my side visibility falls short. So a few years ago I picked up a pair of Hokey Spokes, and attached one to each wheel. (These battery-powered units attach to a spoke and fill the wheel with light from 16 yellow LEDs when it is spinning.) Last week, I took off the Hokey Spokes to try out something new: the Monkeylectric Monkey Light (m132s model.) I’ll start with a few videos…

I first heard of Monkeylectric last summer, when I met Dan Goldwater in Cambridge to see his then-current prototype. Dan, the force behind it, is a bona fide Maker. Prior to Monkeylectric, he was a co-founder of Instructables, a community site for how-to’s and DIY projects. He has contributed a large number of projects there, both LED-themed and bicycle-themed, and the Monkey Light clearly draws on this body of work. Where the Monkey Light differs, however, is in accessibility: It is for sale, already assembled and ready to use.

I will compare the Monkey Light to the Hokey Spoke based on the three criteria that I believe to be most important to the bicycle commuter: enjoying the commute, practicality, and staying safe.

Enjoying the commute:
There’s no questions about it: the Monkey Light is fun. Bright colors, in a variety of patterns, constantly changing.

I’ll repeat a request I made when reviewing another fun bicycle accessory: I’d like to see the lights blink to the beat of the music, a la iTunes Visualizer. Dan has posted schematics online, so perhaps this may not be impossible after all. If you figure this one out, please let me know…

Practicality:
Installation does take some time, but you only need to do it once. The included instructions are a bit skimpy, but Dan has posted a detailed guide on Instructables, which I recommend printing out. The unit is attached to spokes with zip-ties, and a set of rubber spacers eliminates any rattling. The Hokey Spokes, on the other hand, rattle incessantly, regardless of how much they are tightened. On the other hand, they were designed to be easily removable (with a screwdriver), and that does advantages over zip ties. I used the Hokey Spokes in the winter, when I ride home in the dark, but take them off in the summer, when it remains light longer. Now that the Monkey Light is zip-tied on, it’s not coming off again (unless someone cuts it off.) One suggestion: Before using the zip-ties, think about which side of the bike you stand on more often, and orient the Monkey Light so that the buttons are accessible from that side of the bike.

Unfortunately, the battery cage of the Monkey Light is not water-proof. You can either remove the batteries when parked outside on rainy days, or follow Dan’s Instructable on waterproofing the batteries, themselves. On the other hand, everything electronic outside of the battery cage has been coated with a water-proof layer, so you can use it in wet weather, if you so choose. The Monkeylectric website has photos of wheels partially-submerged in puddles during a downpour, to reassure you. I have yet to leave mine in the rain, but will update this review once I do… Monkey Lights now ship with a waterproof rubber cover for the battery cage, which works just fine.

When it comes to bicycle accessories for daily commuting, my preference is generally for road-ready manufactured products over homemade DIY products. Rain, snow, salt, constant jostling, and potholes are eventually unavoidable, and so my bicycle and the things on it must be able to handle that. So while it looks like a great project, I haven’t assembled a SpokePOV kit. Aside from the Hokey Spokes, there are other approaches to side-lighting for bicyclists. Commute by Bike reviewed the Pedalite Self-Generating Luminescent Bike Pedals earlier this year, and while it doesn’t look particularly bright, it wins points for not requiring any batteries.

Hokey Spokes do offer one feature missing from the Monkey Light: multi-unit synching. This is a cool trick in theory, but I found that the IR sensors were often triggered by bright sunlight, and frequently found them already running when I returned to my bicycle at the end of the day (Partially covering the sensors with electric tape solved the problem.) This synching and the fully-waterproof enclosure were two areas that the Monkey Light still lags behind. Perhaps next revision.

Staying safe:
The Monkey Light is significantly brighter than the Hokey Spokes (I included a direct comparison photo in the gallery above.) So to the extent that higher visibility means increased road safety, that’s good. I’m a bit worried about the swirling color light show being too visible, and causes a distraction to drivers, so, for the time being, I’ve been setting it to a single-color (orange.)

Summary: If you are concerned about cars not seeing you at intersections, the Monkey Light is a remarkably bright wheel-based light set. The customizability, hackability, and color variations may be unnecessary for a visibility-focused commuter, but hey, they definitely add to the fun.

Dan is offering a discount to readers of Bits and Bikes. Use coupon code “BIKECULT” when ordering to receive a 10% discount at the Monkeylectric web store. You can also purchase the Monkey Light through Amazon.

There are only three spots (that I can think of) to reliably mount a peripheral onto a bicycle: on the handlebar, on the rear rack, or in a water bottle cage. The front bar is a good spot for smaller trinkets that require attention, such as lights, bells, and electronics. The rear rack is a good spot for mounting assorted cargo, either in a milk crate, kitty litter buckets, or in plain old panniers. The water bottle cage, with one exception, is really only good for carrying one thing: a water bottle. The exception? When you bike sports a second cage.

A second water bottle cage opens up a slew of new possibilities. The iPod speaker is but only one option. There are all sorts of other creative uses for this space, ranging from home-brew lighting upgrades to a repair kit to the “Gadget Bottle” to other fully patented inventions. Know of others? Leave a comment.

What I like about these various designs is the creative use of the fixed space. iHome cheated a bit by shipping a larger-sized cage with their speaker, but in general, the size is a hard constraint. This reminds me of the large number of creative uses of Altoids tins in electronics projects, ranging from the MintyBoost to hundreds of Altoids tin projects posted on Instructables.

So what’s the right bottle to house your next DIY bike project? After some quick browsing on Amazon, my best find is this one from 3dRose LLC.

Related Post: My review of the iHome iH85b iPod Speaker

I want my bicycle commute to be as safe, practical, and as enjoyable as possible. This is, and will continue to be, the underlying theme of the bikes portion of Bits and Bikes. And this is also the criteria I use when deciding what to bring along while commuting. If the result weighs 70 lbs, so be it.

——

Practical:
Old 21-speed mountain bike
full fenders (for rainy days),
rear rack and panniers for carrying my cargo: clothes for the day, laptop and accessories, assortment school books and papers
rain gear for me and my cargo (forecast dependent)
glasses (sun and clear)
U-Lock and 6-foot cable

Safe:
helmet
water bottle
LEDs everywhere: front white light, rear red bright LED, side lighting (i.e. Hokey Spokes)
reflectors and tape, plastered everywhere.

Enjoyable:
Being dressed appropriately for the weather
Powergrips up or down, depending on the day
And a nice sound system!

The Soul Cycle mobile audio systems look excellent, but are clearly overkill for commuters (at $475 for a head-unit that still requires speakers, or $3200 for a complete Soul Cycle Classic). I also liked the idea of a DIY solution, like the Bike Stereo instructable, but I’m always skeptical about how the DIY projects and kits will fare in commuting conditions (jostling from bumps on uneven roads, moisture from rain and snow, etc.)

Enter the iHome IH85B Bike to Beach Speaker System for iPod…

What is this? First and foremost, the iH85B is designed specifically for an iPod with a dock connector. This is the only audio interface, so if your music is on a Zune, Blackberry, or even an iPod Shuffle, there’s nothing to see here. This is an iPod speaker for your bicycle, and not a bicycle speaker for your iPod. Two aspects of the design are bicycle-specific. The speaker itself has been designed to fit in a water bottle cage (either your own or the one provided). And the iPod can be controlled with a wireless remote that is handlebar-mounted (but removable for when you park your bike.) The remote includes all of the standard buttons: play/pause, previous/next track, volume up/down.

I’ve been using this speaker for about a month of commuting, and am happy to report that it has been a fantastic addition to my day. Music plays loud and clear, the handlebar-mounted controls are easy to use (even with gloves on!), and the attention to design is clear. Including batteries and my 4G thick iPod, the whole setup weighs just over 2 lbs. But these are definitely the most fun 2 lbs that I’ve added to my (70 lb) commute, so the weight has been fully justified.

Functionality:
The iH85B speaker itself only has a single button (power on/off). I was pleasantly surprised to find that turning the speaker on also turns on the iPod (and starts the music playing). Turning the speaker off also turns the iPod off. Nice! The controls on the remote are well-designed and can be used without looking down. The remote communicates with the speaker wirelessly, and I have noticed occasional problems with the connection dropping (and the remote being ignored.) I think that adding audio feedback (a beep or blip) when a button is pressed would help here.

twist it open to set up the iPod

the wireless remote clicks into a handlebar mount

Power:
This speaker runs off of 4 AA batteries, which makes it sufficiently loud for most commutes. I’ve never needed to turn the volume up to the max limit, which is great. The box includes an AC adapter plug, which simultaneously powers the speaker and recharges the iPod inside. Sounds great, but this is of little value to the bicycle commuter. It means that you can use it as a speaker at home, but if you already have a good sound system, this will power adaptor will likely end up in a drawer (along with the included case and extra iPod inserts.) I haven’t tested the limits on battery life, as I generally recharge mine over the weekend. I’d love to see a version that runs on a battery pack, that recharges using the included power cable. If it didn’t affect the price much, that is. The only real drawback I found here is that the remote control runs off of two CR2032 coin cell batteries, which cannot be recharged. I haven’t had to replace these yet, but once I do I’ll add an estimated lifetime here.

inside, iPod docks on one side, 4 AA batteries sit in the other.

Fit:
I found fit to be a weak point. The speaker can be squeezed into an existing water bottle cage, but you’re much better off installed the included plastic cage, which is slightly wider. I initially installed it on my seat tube (I prefer to leave the down-tube for a water bottle), but found that the snap-closure mechanism on the new cage couldn’t quite clear the position of the other cage. I swapped the two, giving me a setup just like the bike diagram above. I’d like to see future versions of the cage allow more clearance for double-cage use, ideally allowing for seat tube mounting. I’ve also had some trouble with the remote. Removing it from the handlebar mount is often quite difficult, due to a poorly-cut corner on the mounting. Are others having this same problem? My favorite aspect of the design is that it can be carried easily off-bike. The remote control “puck” snaps into the main unit, simultaneously protecting the speaker grill and the remote buttons. I stick the whole thing in the side of shoulder bag, where it fits perfectly in the water-bottle side pocket. Nice!

cage design should be revised to sit higher on tube

One corner of the mounting square catches.

It fits nicely anywhere a water bottle would!

The remote doubles as a cap for the speaker grill when not in use!

Overview:
Overall, iHome hit on a great idea here, designing a wire-free sound system that can easily attached, controlled, removed, and carried. The wireless remote is great (as long as it works), and the overall design feels rugged and commuter-ready. How could this product be improved? Fix the location of the cage mounting holes, slim down the unit (if possible, to fit cleanly in an existing cage), add some audio cues to the remote button presses for feedback, and of course, make it more visible. I stuck a few reflectors on the sides of mine, but would really love to see a version with LEDs built into the sides of the unit, pulsing lights to the beat of the music.

Purchasing an iHome iH85B speaker through the Amazon links provided in this post helps support the Bits and Bike blog.