Wordle can also generate a cloud based on del.icio.us bookmarks. Here’s mine:

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 m132s. 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 m132s clearly draws on this body of work. Where the m132s differs, however, is in accessibility: It is for sale, already assembled and ready to use.

I will compare the Monkeylectric 132s 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 Monkeylectric 132s 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 m132s 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 m132s so that the buttons are accessible from that side of the bike.

Unfortunately, the battery cage of the m132s 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…

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 m132s: 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 m132s still lags behind. Perhaps next revision.

Staying safe:
The m132s 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 MonkeyLectric m132s 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 25% discount at the Monkeylectric web store.

I, too, have generated statistics on various spellings of particular words, and have just yesterday posted them online. This includes about 100,000 spellings of about 3,000 English words, collected through the SpellBEE activity, as part of my dissertation work. So if you’ve been wondering about the relative frequency of various misspellings of the word “accommodation”, you can now rest easy: check out spellbee_errors1.txt. Details, descriptions, and downloads are here.

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’m looking forward to see what else is in the book!

Bits > Check out the videos of the Yellow Drum Machine in action. (via boingboing)

Bits > Return to Dark Castle has recently been released for Mac OS X, after “10 years in the making” (and 22 years following the original.) Looking forward to trying out the demo soon.

Bits > Johnny Chung Lee has been doing some great work leveraging the sensors in the $20 Wii Remote for all sorts of interesting applications including multi-touch interactive whiteboards and head-tracking for VR displays. For more info, check out his procrastineering blog or the wiimote project forums.

Bikes >
Yehuda Moon and the Kickstand Cyclery has been keeping me entertained.

Bikes > Robin Chase (of Zipcar car-sharing fame) has been discussing the Velib bike-share program in Paris on her blog. (Related links: bike map and the bike-sharing blog.)

For the bicycle commuter who owns (and occasionally drives) a car: Looks like there will soon be an option for pay-as-you-go car insurance. Milemeter appears to still be a few months from opening up shop, but the description posted on O’Reilly Radar makes it sound very promising. Worth keeping an eye on.

Another option for part-time drivers is to have a membership in a car-sharing program like Zipcar. I found this to be a great first step after getting rid of my own car a few years ago. I’d love to seem them provide a few more steps for recovering car owners. Perhaps by adding some utility bicycles, folding bicycles, and electric bicycles to their neighborhood-wide sprinkling of vehicles?

REI.com is now selling a Dahon folding bicycle, branded as the Novara Buzz Fly-By. While it’s missing several commuter-friendly features that some other Dahon models offer (e.g. chain guard, rear rack, hub dynamo-powered lights), REI does provide an unbeatable guarantee on everything they sell. It worth a trip to one of their quarterly Garage Sales to fully appreciate this.

Finally, for those of you wondering if you should keep waiting for the bus or give up and start walking, a recent paper might provide some direction. Longer answer: Read the full paper. Shorter answer: Stay put.