How to Build a $10 Bicycle Whip Light: Be seen and be safe

Welcome,
In this Instructable I will show you how to build a Bicycle Whip Light from some pretty common materials.

This idea came to me as I was working on a similar project for an ATV Whip Light (which I hope to post some time soon.

This is a really good tool for being seen when riding your bike at night. It has 3 different setting that can be used, well four if you count being turned off, we can call that stealth mode).

1. Slow blinking
2. Fast blinking
3. Constant on

Any of these are eye catching and can be seen from a great distance.

I have made a video of it in action but the camera didn't capture it well at all. I don't know if it was the camera or the settings, but the light is very bright at night more so than the movie shows. The small you video window virtually blacks out the light in the demonstration. I am pretty disappointed that you can't see it in the video.

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Step 1: Safety Stuff/Awareness

Ladies and Gentlemen Boys and Girls in this first step I will try to briefly cover safety concerns of this project.

1. You will be using power tools - Wear goggles or other eye protection

2. You will be using glue - Gloves and eye protection

3. Sharp objects and blades - Use intelligence

4. Heat source - Use your asbestos jacket- Just kidding. Just be aware of things being hot and can burn down your house, or you.

5. You will be using your "I-M-A-G-N-I-N-A-T-I-O-N", ok well maybe not since I have done all of the thinking for you.

apburner says: Jun 14, 2008. 6:06 PM

You could mod this idea to fit on a car antenna also

anyoldmouse in reply to apburnerApr 7, 2010. 5:38 AM

-OR- Since you're driving a car, you could just turn on the stock lights. Most places have laws against adding extra lights to your vehicle. Especially if they're a color that emergency vehicles would use (like blue and red).

Because I don't have a full shop, I love the simple, low-tech ideas. If I can find a suitable light, I'll put one on my kid's Power Wheels Jeep.

C7mb says: May 24, 2009. 2:15 PM

I have the LED Lenser... Its sooo cool. You should extend the fiberoptic glass extension though. It would look cooler.

Foaly7 says: May 15, 2009. 1:34 PM

Cool. A whip light now so you don't have to sue for whiplash later!

Mr. Rig It (author) says: Jul 11, 2008. 11:12 AM

Thank you for you comments. Yes I could have put in in the vice on my drill press. However I didn't want to crush the coupler and hand pressure by, channel locks, provided better accuracy for pressure hold than a vice. Also the drill bit was spinning very slowly so I didn't burn through the nylon, but I understand what you are saying. A hole through the finger would certainly hurt, and it is nice to hear safety concerns. There are different quality blinky lights on the market, the cheaper ones are not as effective so you get what you pay for. These particular lights are very bright and putting them higher up helps drivers see better over parked vehicles. I wish the video wasn't such poor quality. I use these on my ATV also.

tygger_ted says: Jul 11, 2008. 7:13 AM

SAFETY FIRST, PLEASE! When I saw your first picture in step 3, holding a drill in one hand and the target, a nylon coupler in pliers in the other, I shuddered and almost stopped reading. I suggest using a vice or some other device to hold the "nylon barb" -- if you don't have a vice, use a clamp or scraps of wood or something besides your flesh to hold that itty bitty piece of plastic securely. Otherwise, this project looks very interesting -- the little blinky lights for bikes are mostly inadequate. Signed, Someone Who has Drilled Through His Finger