DIY

OUTDOORS

SOLAR-POWERED BIKE GPS

Green handlebar navigation from recycled parts. By Brian Nadel

I’ve spent much of my adult life dealing with either computers or bicycles. Writing about computer technology has put food on my family’s table and a roof over our heads, while riding helps me unwind, clearing my head of the jargon that accumulates throughout the workday.

During the summer, I’ll disappear for hours on long rides to nowhere and back. But I have to admit on some rides I’ve gotten so lost I have trouble finding my way home. Happily, I was able to build a solar-powered GPS mapping machine, mostly from old computer parts and software I had sitting around my office. I’ve seen motorcycle-mounted GPS navigation screens, but have never come across one on a bicycle, even though it seems like a natural mix of appropriate and functional technology.

134 Make: Volume 10

The navigational screen I made not only shows me where I am, but also reminds me when it’s time to head home, and leads me along the quickest route if I’m in a hurry. It even speaks directions to me, and will also play music. Here’s how I put it together.

Cheap to Keep

Car GPS units can cost $1,000, but my bike GPS cost me next to nothing because I had most of the parts on hand already. (To my wife’s chagrin, I keep bins of old, working parts for possible future DIY projects. To me, this is the essence of recycling!) If you don’t have the parts, you can probably find them for about $150 total by combing through eBay and closeout retailers. It’s all out there, and probably cheaper than you think.

Photography by Brian Nadel