DIY bicycle lighting with LED strip. Illuminated bike wheels. Manufacturing of LED backlight

With the arrival of warm weather, every cyclist takes out his bike, starting to prepare it for going out into the world. In addition, many cycling enthusiasts want to decorate their vehicle, making it more attractive. It is not difficult and very inexpensive to equip the elements of your bike with various types of lighting, and such tuning will look very impressive in the dark. Bicycle lighting will ensure increased safety on the road, as it will ensure good visibility of the bicycle for cars, and this is a pleasant and important bonus.

You can create an attractive image with your own hands using simple tools that are not difficult to acquire. There are several ways to make a bike light. A variety of options will allow you to modernize the transport in accordance with your preferences in color, shape, as well as requirements for brightness and practicality.

Types of backlights

Today on the bicycle market you can find a great variety of ready-made lights that can be easily equipped with a bicycle. But if you decide to carry out your grand design vision yourself, you will need some tools, a little time and patience. Equipping a bike with light elements is a fun and simple process, because you can make a bike light yourself with just standard soldering and installation skills.

How to make LED strip lighting yourself

A fairly simple method for those who are friends with a soldering iron. To get started, you need to acquire some materials and tools. We will need:

LED Strip Light;
12 volt power supply;
soldering iron, solder;
hot melt glue, double-sided tape;
small switch.

When we have all the tools to create bicycle lighting, let's get to work:

The lighting for the frame is ready. All that remains is to check its operation. In a similar way, you can equip bicycle wheels with LED strips. This method will be no less effective than neon tubes or caps. If you have decided how to make illumination for the wheels of a bicycle, and the choice fell on lighting using an LED strip, let's get to work. The whole process follows the same principle as gluing to a frame, only the tape is cut into small pieces in sections and glued in parts. The main thing is to always consider polarity when working with elements.

LED lighting for wheels

Another equally effective and less expensive option. With certain skills, this method does not take much time. Required materials and tools:

diodes in the required quantity, up to 10 pieces per wheel is enough;
wires, the length of which must first be calculated by measuring the circumference and diameter of the wheels;
power supply;
soldering iron, solder;
insulating material;
small switch.

Sequencing:

We prepare the workplace, clean and degrease the surface on which the diodes will be attached.
We insulate with heat shrink or electrical tape those parts of the diodes that will be used to attach them to the bicycle.
Taking into account the polarity, we connect with wires, solder, attach diodes, isolating the contacts as we go.
We bring out and attach the ends of the wires to the location of the power source, which also needs to be secured with clamps on the wheel hub.
We attach a switch to one of the wires.
Check the functionality of the backlight, install the wheel on the bicycle.

In a similar way, you can make glowing tubes, then fix them on the rim. To do this, the connected wires with diodes are hidden in a long transparent tube. Short tubes can be used similarly.

Bicycle lighting will not only make its own adjustments to the appearance, making it bright and noticeable, but will also allow you to benefit greatly from the glow effect. Driving such a bike in the dark will be safer, because it will be clearly visible to all participants in traffic.

Cycling has been gaining momentum lately, and as a result, crowds of cyclists are appearing on our roads. And each of them wants to stand out somehow. Some people repaint their iron horse in bright colors, others install improved parts. But the most effective way is to install lighting for bicycle wheels.

The advantages of installing backlighting are obvious:

Uniqueness. Installing lights on your bicycle wheels will allow you to stand out from the crowd: a passing bicycle with glowing wheels will inevitably attract attention.
Safety. At night, the flashlights shine brighter than standard reflectors, making you more visible to both drivers and pedestrians.
Bicycles with obvious distinctive features are much less likely to be stolen, so tuning with lighting will protect your iron horse from theft.

Ready-made bicycle lighting solutions

Today there are a huge number of ready-made options that can be bought in bicycle stores.

Illuminated nipple

It is made in the form of a cap or stick that is screwed onto the nipple. They run on built-in batteries and turn on automatically when the wheel rotates, but there are models with a switch. The device usually has different backlight modes and is the most budget option.

Illuminated spokes

A similar option to the previous one, only the fastening is carried out on a knitting needle. When rotating, the entire surface of the wheel lights up. Powered by batteries, the unit with which is mounted on the wheel hub.

Programmable LED wheel lights

Much more expensive and technologically advanced models. Their main feature is the ability to program your own pattern, which will be displayed while driving. Fastening is usually carried out on the spokes using clamps.

Rim kits

It is made in the form of a “garland” and attached to the rim. One of the most practical options, since the backlight is very bright, and the price of these kits is low.

DIY bicycle lighting

However, you don’t have to immediately run to the store; everything can be done cheaply with your own hands, and the result will be no worse than the store-bought options. Before you begin, you must purchase all the necessary components. We will need:

LEDs;
wires;
power supply;
switch.

How to choose LED strip

Single LEDs are also suitable for installation on a bicycle, but it is much more practical to use an LED strip; all elements are already soldered on it, including current-limiting resistors, it can be conveniently cut and has its own adhesive layer.

There are several important characteristics that you need to pay attention to when choosing:

Power. It is measured in watts per meter and indicates how much energy a meter of tape consumes. The higher the power, the brighter the tape will shine. I do not recommend using too high a power, as the battery will drain quickly. (Optimal 4-8 watts)
Degree of protection. For our needs, we need a moisture-resistant tape (level IP 65 or IP67, IP68), but if you decide to take a regular one, then it will need to be protected from water with a sealant, which can be silicone.
The color is chosen for aesthetic reasons.

The LED housing can have different sizes, the most popular: 3, 5, 10mm. You can choose anyone. Depending on the color and size, the two most important parameters of each LED change: voltage and forward current.

Depending on them, you will need to select a current-limiting resistor and power source. All calculations are made according to Ohm's law:

R=V/I
Where R- resistance in ohms, V- voltage in volts, I- current in amperes.

Let's look at the performance of your LED. Let's say the voltage is 2 volts (V) and the current is 20 milliamps (0.02A). The power source needs to be taken at a higher voltage than the voltage of the LED, for example two 1.5 volt batteries will give a total of 3V. We count:

Resistor R = (V nutrition – V LED) / I LED

R= (3 - 2) / 0.02 = 50 ohms; This means we need a 50 ohm resistor.

The same can be done by connecting LEDs in series.

R= (12 - 2 * 3) / 0.02 = 300 ohms, where 3 is the number of diodes.

Accordingly, a 300 ohm resistor is needed.

Such assemblies can be connected in parallel, which is very convenient. In fact, this is the circuit according to which the LED strip is arranged.

Wires

Wires must be flexible, stranded, copper, with a cross-section of approximately 1.5 square. Choose neutral colors so they don't stand out too much.

Power supply

You should select a power source based on the voltage you need. For the LED strip, a Krona battery or an assembly of 6-8 finger (AA) or little finger (AAA) elements is suitable. Don't forget to buy a battery holder (holder).

But it is much more practical to use batteries in the form of batteries. A more advanced option is lithium-ion batteries with form factor 18650. They have a convenient voltage of 3.7 volts, but if necessary, they can be connected in parallel, then the voltage is summed up and will be equal to 7.2 and 11.1 volts for 2 and 3 batteries.

They have a capacity from 1100mAh and up to 3400mAh. With such batteries, the backlight will work several times longer than with batteries. Don't forget the charger. Efest or Trustfire performed well.

Build process

Cut the LED strip into equal strips in specially designated areas. Remove the protective coating and stick the LED strip onto the rim of the bicycle wheel. For better gluing, thoroughly degrease the rim with alcohol or acetone and let it dry.

If you use separate elements, they can be secured to the rim using super glue, but such fastening is not reliable. A better option is to secure the LEDs to the spokes of a bicycle using cable ties sold in hardware stores.

Solder all the pieces of tape in parallel (plus to plus, minus to minus) on special pads. In the case of LEDs in an individual housing, you need to solder everything into assemblies; I wrote above how to calculate them correctly.

Connect the battery holder and switch to the entire circuit.

Seal all exposed solder joints and joints. Any silicone-based sealant is suitable for these purposes. You just need to apply a thick layer of it to exposed areas. The excess can be removed with a knife.

The battery or battery compartment must be attached to the central hub of the wheel. If you attach batteries to the rim, an imbalance will appear in the wheel, which will create runout when the wheel rotates. Long cable ties are suitable for this, but replacing failed batteries will be difficult.

Another option is to use electrical tape or Velcro, which are sold in sewing stores, then you can easily detach and secure the battery pack.

Light tuning of a bicycle is a common phenomenon among those who like to ride around the city at night. Illumination improves visibility, makes the bike more visible on the roads, decorates it and attracts attention from the outside. LEDs are a simple solution to achieve this goal. Let's figure out what kind of LED backlight there is, and find out how to install LEDs on a bicycle yourself.

Types of LED backlight

LED backlighting is available in several options:

caps on camera nipples;
individual light bulbs;
waterproof tape;
reflectors.

Let's take a closer look.
Nipple caps are a simple solution to make your bike bright and eye-catching while in motion. As you can see from the context, these bulbs are mounted on the inner sides of the rims. While the bike is standing, they only resemble “fireflies.” But when moving, the wheels in the dark look like two bright rings. And the higher the speed, the longer the “light trail” from them.

Wheel caps - simple, affordable, effective

The second option to illuminate the wheels of a bike is to install LEDs on the spokes and rims. Individual light bulbs are connected in a circuit and connected to a power source. The system must be equipped with a switch that connects the circuit to the battery. The advantage of installing such lighting yourself is the ability to create a light pattern from lamps of different colors.

An advanced version of LEDs for bicycles is waterproof strips. In fact, this is a ready-made chain; you just need to stick it on the wheels at your discretion. Kits are sold in stores, but you can make your own lighting from ribbons. The principle is the same as with individual lamps. However, we’ll look at how to do this a little later.

Multi-colored diode strip

Reflectors with built-in diode bulbs are used for safety purposes for driving in fog and inclement weather. They can be placed on spokes or duplicate the main reflectors and headlights.

When rotating, the reflector looks like a glowing nipple cap

The last option is luminous plates, LED animators. Of all the listed types of lighting, this is the most attractive. Of course, you won’t be able to build it yourself, you can just buy a ready-made one. A little about the graphical LED display:

the picture is programmed via a PC;
the disc is secured to the wheel spokes using clamps;
the image is transferred to the plate as the bicycle moves;
there are additional flashing and transfusion modes;
Operates on AAA batteries.

Multicolor abstract LED plate

The scheme is simple, installing a ready-made version on your bike is easy. The design will not add significant weight gain, but it will please the eyes of passers-by and increase the level of safety in the dark.

How to install single lamps

At the first stage, we think about how to decorate the wheels. You can go the simple route - symmetrically arrange the lamps along the circumferences of the rims and on the spokes. But you can develop a real design from individual LEDs; all you have to do is use your imagination. But regardless of the idea, the scheme for combining light bulbs into a circuit and connecting them is standard for all solutions.

The simplest arrangement of light bulbs on wheels

For work you will need:

LED light bulbs in the required quantity;
wiring;
several 9V batteries;
clamps for lamps and batteries;
switch;
soldering iron, electrical tape;
sealant.

When the bike is standing, the glowing lights will look like a Christmas tree garland, and when in motion they will leave a “track”. Common colors are red, blue and green. Their combination in equal quantities when the wheels rotate will give a dazzling white light.

Let's start assembling the electrical circuit:

Use a soldering iron to connect the leads of each lamp to the wires. Wrap the LED pins with electrical tape.
Connecting lamps in series, as in old Christmas tree garlands, is the simplest solution. The wires, following each other, form an indivisible circuit. Essentially, power is transferred between the diodes. If one of them fails, you will have to go through the entire chain.
Using clamps, secure the bulbs to the wheel spokes.
Connect the wires to the batteries. The latter should be placed on the wheel hubs.
Run a wire from the battery to the steering wheel switch.

Be sure to wrap the light bulb plug and the junction with the wire

Cover exposed areas with additional tape. Problem areas where water can get in should be sealed with sealant. This is how it’s easy to make an electrical circuit to illuminate the wheels of a bicycle. At the last stage, check the functionality.

Installing LED strip on bicycle wheels

LED strip lights are another way to make your bike brighter and more attractive. Compared to installing individual lamps, the difficulty here is in soldering sections of the circuit. The tape is often laid on the rims. For knitting needles, you can use transparent film for wrapping and clamps.

To work you need to prepare:

LED strip;
two batteries with a nominal voltage of 9 V (same as for individual lamps);
fasteners for batteries;
switch;
soldering iron;
adhesive sealant.

Remove the wheels from the bicycle. The nipple will be the starting point for laying the tape. We cut it into pieces equal to the distance between the spokes (except for the nipple gap).

Do not cut the tape near or along the light bulb

Let's start installing the backlight with our own hands:

Glue the pieces of LED strip to the rim.
Solder the joints.
Solder the lead wire to the end of the tape (where the nipple is).
Place the holder in the wheel hub area and secure the batteries to them.
Pull the lead wire through the knitting needle to the battery.
Install a switch button in the gap between the end of the tape and the battery.
Apply sealant to open connections. For additional protection of the soldered joints of the tape, plastic caps can be installed on each knitting needle.

Securing batteries around the wheel hub

We put the wheels on the bike and check their functionality. Everything is lit - great, you can safely drive through the streets at night. If the tape does not turn on, check the connection of the wire with the lamps and batteries. In extreme cases, you will have to disassemble the entire circuit and reinstall it. True, the adhesions will break, and a new LED strip will be needed.

Glowing wheels on a bicycle are beautiful, cool and, most importantly, simple. To install homemade lighting, you do not need to look for any special tools and materials. All this is inexpensive and available for free sale.

Summer is a time for active recreation and daily bike rides. Every lover of this vehicle wants his bike to look unusual and original, wheel lights will help you with this, and we will tell you how to make it in this article.

Lighting with improvised means: using cocktail straws

Professional materials and devices used for bicycle tuning can be quite expensive. But, as you know, our people know how to think unusually and do very interesting things with their own hands. This is exactly the method we want to tell you about. You can implement this idea using available means. You will need:

high-brightness LEDs of any color, 5 mm in diameter – 18 pcs (9 for each wheel);
resistors – 18 pcs (according to the number of LEDs);
1 meter of heat shrink;
1 meter of installation wire;
foil fiberglass – 2 pieces, size 120 x 120 mm;
1 pack of ties 100 mm;
4 AA batteries;
2 generator brushes for VAZ 2101 (can be purchased at an auto parts store;
Cocktail straws according to the number of LEDs.

You can take any number of LEDs (and therefore resistors and tubes). The main thing is that it is the same on each wheel.

Cut the corrugated section of the tube with scissors. Insert the LED and the plug into the tube. Before this, the LED needs to be modified, since it is cone-shaped at the bottom and has a protrusion. In this form it cannot be attached to the knitting needles. Therefore, you need to make a cut with a needle file along the diameter of the knitting needle.

For the plug, you can take aluminum wire with a diameter of 5 mm and a length that will be sufficient for fastening with a clamp. You can also use a second LED for this. Place the plug on Moment glue or sealant.

Note! You may find that the straw is smaller in diameter than the LED. This is easy to fix: flare the tube with a pencil, or gently crimp it in a vice.

Using this pattern, make a cut along the diameter of the knitting needle.

The neon tubes are ready, all you have to do is solder suitable resistors to the LED leg and install the device on the bike.

More information about installing the backlight

When attaching the brush, you need to keep in mind that different bicycle models have their own characteristics, additional holes, and different geometry. Therefore, you need to solve this issue yourself.

Try to place the brushes closer to the wheel axis, this will help reduce the diameter of the current collector disk. As a last resort, you can install the battery closer to the center of the wheel without using brushes, but this way it will be unprotected.

For the current collector you will need foil fiberglass. It will be better if you attach the current collector to the disc brake - it already has a ready-made mount with screws.

You can use any suitable batteries as batteries, for example Ni-MH 1400 mA/h. Take the holder from the rear seat reflector and screw the PCB pad to it with screws. Glue the battery box to the pad.

To ensure that the tubes on the wheel are located symmetrically, install them on one side. During operation, it will be completely unnoticeable that they are attached to the side.

Attach the LED tubes to the plug and the LED using zip ties (clamps). In this case, the tie lock must be on the spoke. Trim the excess ponytails with side cutters to fit the root of the lock.

Well, the wheel illumination is fully installed, and now you can be sure that you will not go unnoticed during evening and night bike rides. By the way, instead of cocktail tubes, you can use dropper tubes filled with gel and glitter.

LED strip - spectacular results

This lighting option is a little more complicated and will take more time. But if this does not scare you, then the result in the end will make you very happy.

So, you will need the following materials and tools:

LED strip in silicone SMD 3528 – 1 meter;
twisted pair (Internet cable) – 1 meter;
battery compartment under the “crown” with a switch – 1 piece;
9 V crown battery – 1 pc.;
connector for power supply “female-male” detachable – 1 piece;
plastic ties 25 cm – 3 pcs;
transparent silicone sealant and transparent glue “Moment” - 1 tube each;
tin, flux;
soldering iron with a thin tip 25 W;
scissors, stationery knife, wire cutters.

All materials are indicated per 1 wheel. Therefore, for 2 wheels you will accordingly need twice as many consumables.

You can choose LED strip of any color

By the way, you will need to calculate the length of the LED strip based on the size of the wheels of your bicycle. For example, let's take a wheel with a diameter of 26 inches and 36 spokes. The distance between the spokes is 4 cm, which means you will need a strip with 120 LEDs per 1 meter, the cutting ratio is exactly 2.5 cm. If the wheel has 32 spokes with a distance of 5 cm, then a standard strip with 60 LEDs will do.

What color to choose an LED strip depends only on your desire and imagination. Tuning can be done in one color scheme, or you can make wheels of different colors to make it original and unusual.

Step-by-step installation instructions

We will describe the work using the example of a wheel, based on the dimensions of which we calculated the length of the LED strip - 26 inches and 36 spokes.

Cut the LED strip in the designated places into 35 pieces of 2.5 cm each. Using a stationery knife, clean the contacts on both sides of each piece from silicone residues. Tin the contacts using a soldering iron.
Thoroughly clean the wheel rim from dirt. Start gluing pieces of tape from the first spoke after the nipple. At the same time, pay attention to the polarity so as not to glue the piece on the wrong side. Glue strictly in the center between the knitting needles so that during subsequent soldering all areas are the same.
After you have glued everything, solder the pieces with wires. Take the twisted pair and remove the insulation from it. Choose any 2 wires so that their color is not very noticeable. One wire will need to be connected to “+”, the other to “-”.
Cut 34 pieces of each wire with wire cutters so that the length of these pieces is no less than the distance between the pieces of tape. Clean and tin with a soldering iron. Start soldering the wires from the nipple in a clockwise direction. First solder all the positives, then all the negatives.
Cover the soldering areas with silicone sealant to protect from moisture. Do this carefully, using small amounts of product. One contact to which power will be supplied does not need to be covered. Let the sealant dry.
Secure the battery compartment with three zip ties on the spokes immediately next to the bushing. Solder the female plug to its wires, and the male plug to the wires going to the LED strip. Pay attention to the polarity of the wires.

This is what wheel tuning with LED strip looks like

For such tuning you will need perseverance, time and the ability to work with a soldering iron. But believe me, it's worth it! You'll be the center of attention on any bike ride.

Video on how to make bicycle wheel lights

Probably almost everyone has a bicycle. At least among male representatives. Manufacturers, chasing customers in conditions of fierce competition, offer a huge variety of models of different colors and characteristics. You can distinguish them by the presence or absence of shock absorbers, different braking systems, and the number of speeds. Many people install electronic speedometers, navigators, and music players on their two-wheeled friend. However, I still want to somehow stand out and show my individuality, so to speak, to tune the bike.

A good option to stand out in the evening or at night would be to illuminate your bicycle wheels.

DIY wheel lighting

In this review, we will look at how to make your own bicycle lighting using LED strips. Do-it-yourself lighting will emphasize style and taste, make you bright and noticeable, and besides, it is definitely unique! Here you can independently choose the color of the glow, color scheme, number of lamps and other parameters.

Wheel lighting options

The simplest option for illuminating bicycle wheels is the caps on the cameras. Instant installation, no special knowledge required, different glow colors. While you are not moving and the wheel is not spinning, it is just a lamp or LED, but as you gain speed, a light trail begins to appear. It becomes longer depending on the speed of movement.

Wheel spot lighting

Illumination of bicycle wheels can also be done in a more complex way - by installing separate lamps or LEDs, which are assembled in series and included in the overall circuit. It is necessary to provide a battery for power and a switch to turn off the lamps during the daytime.

Original lighting in different colors

You can choose lamps with different glow colors and create a specific light pattern accordingly. The most common LEDs are for bicycles. They are produced by industry in various colors and brightness, are durable, and consume little electricity.

Illumination on the spokes

The LEDs are attached to the spokes using clamps, the entire circuit is soldered with wires and insulated. You can additionally coat the contact areas with sealant to protect them from moisture.

DIY lighting

More difficult to manufacture is the lighting for a bicycle, made of LED strip; it is clearly demonstrated in the video. Let's take a closer look at the topic of how to make a bicycle light from an LED strip with your own hands.

Double LED backlight

Flexible LED strips are made from a base - a dielectric with a thickness of about 0.2 mm; tracks that conduct electric current are located on it and load resistors and LEDs are installed in an SMD format housing. They can be multi-colored - this is achieved by installing different LEDs on one chip. The tape can be cut into modules according to special markers applied to it. The length of such a module can be from 2 to 10 cm, the power supply is usually 12 volts, and the width can vary from 8 to 40 mm.

Modern LED strips have four main glow colors. They are made from LEDs in white, red, blue and green colors.

The remaining colors in the gamut are obtained by mixing these colors. Thus, you can choose the ribbon you like for your two-wheeled friend from a variety of options in almost any color scheme.

4 colors of LED lamps

From the above you can see the advantages of using strip instead of LEDs:

a large selection of glow colors, and by mixing colors it is possible to get almost the entire color gamut;
there is no need to install and solder individual LEDs;
aesthetic appearance;
Backlight lifespan up to 50,000 hours.

To make your own lighting, even at home, you will need:

select and buy the necessary LED strip in the required quantity;
purchase a pair of 9V batteries;
clamps for attaching batteries to the wheel hub;
power switch;
soldering iron with a nominal power of 40 W;
adhesive for mounting to wheel rims.

Preparation for work - materials

To get started, you need to remove the wheels from the bike. Wash and degrease the wheel rims thoroughly. Then we need to measure the length of the section between the spokes and cut pieces of the size we need according to certain marks. Installation of the tape starts from the nipple, that is, it will be the reporting point. Then we mount the strips one by one on the rim using glue and solder the joints. The input power wire is soldered to the end. Using clamps, you need to secure the batteries to the wheel hub and stretch the input wire, not forgetting to install the power switch. We recommend sealing the joints with sealant to protect them from moisture and dirt.

Original lighting on wheels

After the glue has dried, we check the functionality of the structure. If everything works, it means the installation was done efficiently.

If the glow does not appear when the power is turned on, check the correct installation. You can use a voltmeter to check the presence of voltage at the solder joints. After checking and making sure that the backlight works, we install everything in its place and enjoy the result in the dark.

In conclusion, it can be summarized as follows. Illumination can be done without any problems by anyone who has basic skills in working with a soldering iron. Questions about your choice can be asked to technical consultants at the store where you plan to purchase this product. Flexible tape is sold in almost any store that sells radio-electronic components or automotive electronics.

Illumination on the nipple - trace

The main thing, do not forget, is cutting the LED strip according to special markers applied to it. In other cases, correct operation will not be achieved.

So, after reading the article and spending three to four hours of free time creating lighting, even at home you can greatly change the design and create your own bright style. We guarantee that you will become noticeable and interesting to a wide range of people. So go ahead, choose the color scheme and the option for its placement.