Do-It-Yourself Bicycle Projects

Here are some of the homebrew projects I've done that have attracted interest from other riders. Feel free to ask questions about any of them, or copy the designs for your own use.

Disclaimer: I have made these things for myself and they work for me, but I can't guarantee you will be able to make them or that they will work for you. Caveat lector. No warranties express or implied. Your mileage may vary. Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.....

Clothing, Shoes, Etc.

• Clipless combat boots for rough riding conditions, or if you can't find cycling shoes that fit. The basic technique works with any shoes, from loafers to hiking boots.

• Sew your own cycling clothes. Patterns, suppliers, and ideas for sewing your own cycling jerseys and shorts.

Bicycle Parts and Accessories

• An adjustable-reach stem with accessory mountings. Great for touring. Besides having an adjustable reach stem, it lets me move all my accessories and my handlebar bag off of the handlebars so there's actually room for my hands.

• Amber, not dull red, LED tail lights are more conspicuous in the rain and may be more visible to color blind drivers.

• Aids to visibility for after-dark cyclists.

• A 20W halogen headlight with a 3+ hour run time, made for under $100 using common hardware-store components. (Note that this is an old article and I no longer use this headlight. But some people may find the ideas useful.)

Other Projects

• Faster rack and fender mounting for tourists or people who race and commute on the same bike.

• A rear-rack camera mount for taking pictures of riders while still riding yourself.

This page written by Josh Putnam. Please feel free to email questions, comments, corrections, suggestions, etc.

© Joshua Putnam