biky pants

our bike signals are finished. to see the pictures check out the bike tech blog. this project makes me really happy, and i have decided to go further with it. the first step is to add a front light to the system. also, rather than having a brake pressure sensitive brake light, it has occured to me, that we need to stick to just the traditional blinkin' brakelight.

t. igoe suggested that rather than having all these tangled up wires going all around the bike, to instead hack a pre-protocolled object. his suggestion, that either the ethernet or telephone cable contains multiple wires, and also has connectors on either end makes it a perfect candidate for a system that is easily removeable. since we are already using velcro as the attatchment system for the lights themselves, we are already working with detachability in mind, and this suggestion is the perfect addition. thanks t. for being so damn sustainable.

speaking of sustainability, why on earth are we using 9V batteries to power this system!?!?!?!?!?! why would we use disposable batteries on a bicycle, when the action of pedaling is the perfect motion for generating electricity!? AHAHAHAH, a dc motor when spun, outputs a healthy 12 volts, so why not use it? well i'll tell you, its because in order for the program to run on arduino, the board has to have constant power, otherwise it will restart and there will be a lag time everytime it starts, and it will just suck all together. ok, so we need a battery right? thank you s. eraslan, for that driveby on wearables when you suggested that a slightly repurposed cell phone battery can be implemented in a wearable curcuit. gee, i wear my bike, why not use the dc motor to keep the battery charged when in motion. i like it. i like it a lot.

bike accident

i got hit on my bike today.

i was almost an e. sandwich.

all that happenned was i broke the mirror of the fucker that hit me and kept goin. i was so mad i was almost screaming. i think the veins in my face must have been so hot that blood was seeping out my pores. but no blood was drawn. thank goodness. riding on bowery is my third least favorite so far. my first is canal street. i don't understand how all the delivery and casual bikers ride that street. it is a veritable wasteland of potholes mini-semi delivery trucks, and PEDS OUT THE YANG. i think that the delivery trucks and the potholes have a special deal together to try to kill bikers. next least favorite is flatbush ave. ugh. it seems like 17 lanes wide, and everybody goes 50. there are millions of lights and construction everywhere. god i hate it. luckily i have found alternate routes to both flatbush and canal. but not bowery. i hate bowery only slightly less than these other two, but, definately hate, especially after getting hit today. gugh.