CCFL Bike Wheels! (Now with video!)

Step 5 All done, and final thoughts

That's the end, I bet you're exhausted! Actually, I really was exhausted, since I got the idea at about 10:30 and kept working on it like an idiot until around 1 in the morning. Up and out of bed at 7 am, yay!

So, this is a pretty neat addition to my bike. I like the way it looks, and the extra weight of the batteries really isn't very noticeable. I'm not going to be moving too terribly fast, so I don't think it will become an issue. It's definitely the wrong season for this, and here in the pacific northwest it's going to rain from now until early June, so if I want to really ride anywhere with this thing, I'll have to waterproof the batteries and the driver. The CCFL itself is already pretty well sealed, which is nice.

As I mentioned earlier, if I get the opportunity I may switch all those bulky AA's out for something smaller. I really like using AA's and AAA's, since I've got a huge pile of rechargeable batteries already, but if I can find something higher voltage that I can recharge, I might go with that.

And now we come to the end! As always, please leave me a comment if you have any thoughts on the instructable, the idea, my writing, et cetera, et cetera. Thanks for looking, and please vote for me when the time comes!

Oh, and if you make something based on this instructable, post some pictures below and I'll send you a patch!

Comments

[webcompanion]

Yeah, I've done a similar project with a battery pack in the spokes and was worried how it would feel. Turns out no effect really at all. I used LED lights but this neon job looks pretty trick too... maybe I'll try it! Here are some pics and vids of my rig http://www.flickr.com/photos/webcompanion/sets/72157609086688582/

[depotdevoid]

I love the LED's! Those are my usual light of choice, I just happened to have a few of these CCFL's lying around. Thanks for the pictures, your bike looks awesome!