Yours for only $25,000

Some folks go to Wal-mart or a bike shop and end up with the same thing. Me, I save up $25,000 and build a little workshop where I can build it myself, almost for free (I spent about a dollar and a half on clamps, another dollar on the rubber pad). What I ended up with was a stereo for my bicycle (because everyone needs tunes on the bike).

When my family rides a bike it isn't a quick lap around the block. A short ride is 8 or 9 miles. A long ride is more like 60 miles. That means a bike ride takes hours. I've been thinking for a while that miles on the bike would be nicer with FM Radio or listening to my CDs.

Here's my solution.

It started with an idea and a piece of sheet metal. I fashioned a bracket that looked like this:

I mount the bracket to the bike using a couple of hose clamps ($1.42 worth).


Then I put wire an old bungee to the bracket (note the holes in the top for the bungee). This will hold the music machine on the bike in a way that will allow me to take it off easily.


Add a set of portable stereo speakers (with volume control of course - first class all the way)

I put in a rubber pad so things don't all vibrate as we hit the rough parts of the road...

Add the FM Radio / MP3 Player (this one is a Creative Labs Zen):

Hold it in place with the bungee, wire it up (a big job of plugging the speakers into the Zen):




...and you end up with a sweet ride with a GPS, FM Radio, and 8 gigabytes of classic rock to get me down the road.

When I took my test drive I pushed the play button and REO Speedwagon started singing "Keep Pushing On" to me. I expect I will stop at that big hill just prior to the finish line on Sunday, find that song, and put it on repeat for the trek up that last hill (when my legs are rubber and I'm breathing hard). It will take me past the finish!

Have you made your MS 150 donation to my little daughter? If you want to support me in my ride (while listening to tunes and sweating profusely because I'm fat) please use this link...

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?px=5987570&fr_id=13371&pg=personal