DIY Simple LED Bike Tires

A simple way to make your tires light up the night. This can work on bikes, scooters, and mabey even cars. Ok probably not cars since their tires might just send this little array flying and possibly breaking something or hurting someone. Also if you dont have any leds sitting around you can take apart a flashlight for them.

Step 1 Materials

This project will use a varation of the "LED Throwie".

Materials:
-4 leds(any color)
-2, 3v battaries
-electrical tape
- a bike or another slow moving form of transportstion

Comments

[mjes]

can make is project for car is good.

[hamletpri]

this is a very nice idea, i think i'm gonna do it seeing as my parents are always nagging me about having no light on my bike. What about el-wire? although maybe that wouldn't be necessary as the wheels are spinning so it would create the same effect of like a circle of light.

[izzy83]

very nice idea. ill do-it-myself and add them to my bike when it stops raining.

[Lutchmun]

eeeh i thought.. D: I thought if you had your anode and cathode covered up with some sort of waterproof electrical tape the actuale LED light will still light.. i mean, the plastic is waterproof right?

[izzy83]

what i meant was that my bike was right at the end of the garden, and it was pouring with rain.i have tried it and the bike looks awesome.

[Lutchmun]

What if you add a switch to it? instead of it being on ALL the time, finishing your battery... Try that and take some pics id like to see that :)

[lamboboy732]

For extended use that would be a great addition. When I thought of this it was just for a simple one time thing that you would take off after you are done with it.

[skaterqwertyuiop]

Great instructable. May I recommend having something in between the LED wires, and the battery, when stored, so the battery does not die out. Or, you could just take it apart after using it :P

[lamboboy732]

Yes that would be a good idea if you didnt take this apart after each use.

[ikoda]

Wait. When you're riding does it make a continuous circle of light or not? I'm thinking no... =S

[lamboboy732]

Very close to it when you are moving at a good rate of speed.

[shaggs31]

If you put two lights on the opposite sides of one tire you might have a better circle effect.

[lamboboy732]

Yea that helps when you go slower making a complete circle with less speed.

[Flying_MashedPotatoes]

Does this remind anyone of TRON ?

[hamletpri]

yes

[Ugifer]

If you have steel rims, you could attach these in traditional throwie-style with rare-earth magnets. Great idea.

[lamboboy732]

Yes it would stick but you would probably want to tape it just to be shure it dosent stick around.

[lamboboy732]

Just to make shure it dosent slide around.

[shaggs31]

cool idea. I have been wanting to do something like this for a while. I guess you beat me to it.

[pleabargain]

Very simple yet clever. I'll outfit my daughter's bike with some of these tonight. We've a small 'no-car' playground nearby, we'll make use of it!

[zerty0n]

very simple yet so effective tho I'm not sure how useful it would be for cars to avoid you since they do looks pretty trancing

[lamboboy732]

Yea also where I live in New Jersey it is illegal to add non stock lights to your car that dont meet some extremely strict color and brightness requirements.