Bike Illumination System

I designed a bike lighting system for my friend group to use at Burning Man. The setup features three independent battery packs — one mounted on each wheel hub and one on the frame — each powering a high-brightness COB LED strip.

Every pack houses three lithium-ion cells, a BMS, and a custom 3D-printed enclosure designed to strap securely to the bike with Velcro. A central controller with a handheld remote manages power and lighting modes, letting riders switch between steady illumination and lighting effects on the fly.

The goal was to give our camp’s bikes a distinct, recognizable glow and make them easy to spot at night in the deep playa chaos. The system turned out to be a complete success — riders from other camps kept asking where they could get one, and each setup came in at well under $100 per bike.

Battery Pack

Each light strip runs on 12 V, so I used three 18650 lithium-ion cells per pack, arranged in a compact triangular configuration. A small BMS board fits neatly within that layout, handling protection and balancing. The packs include a barrel connector for easy charging with a standard 12 V charger, and in total I assembled 24 units for the group.

Mounting the wheel batteries was the main challenge — they had to be secure yet lightweight. To minimize imbalance, each pack is positioned close to the wheel hub and held in place with a Velcro strap that passes through a slot in the 3D-printed housing. A silicone spacer provides extra grip, keeping the pack stable even at high speed. Once installed, the lid is sealed with a touch of hot glue to keep dust and moisture out.