We've already discussed how to hook up a DIY phone charger to your bike, but the folks at MAKE have polished the concept and created an easy-to-follow video if you still haven't tried it.


As you can see in the video above, you'll need to be comfortable working with electronics, but if you know what you're doing, the video is pretty easy to keep up with. The finished product is clean and unassuming, and would be awesome to pair with a $5 phone bike mount. The supplies will set you back about $75, but if you take your bike on long rides, that's probably money well spent.


The only thing I'd change would be to plug the USB cord into a small external battery pack to act as a buffer between the generator and your phone, so it can keep charging when you're taking a break. Click through the source link for some more details if you want to tackle this yourself over the weekend.

Recharge Your Mobile Device Using Pedal Power with Weekend Projects | MAKE