Here's a list of some links and crafts we came across while researching for today's bike cap episode.

You may have noticed the LilyPad Arduino Bike Patch from Makezine blinking above. Ahem.  Makezine's tutorial makes for a unique patch for your bag that doubles as a bike safety light - a must for frequent riders.  In this intermediate soft circuit tutorial, red, white, and blue LEDs were added to a removable patch (make your own or buy one thrift) that can be easily remove at the airport or in the rain. Makezine used a rechargeable lithium polymer batter to power the whole thing because it's flatter, lasts longer, and can be recharged instead of thrown away. Makezine also made an Instructable where you can find links to all the supplies used. Stay tuned for an upcoming episode on how to sew with conductive thread...

Here are some more DIY finds that keep life on two wheels fun:

Lime will show you how to build a better bike basket with a shortlist of different possibilities like milkcrates, garbage pails, wicker baskets and funky plastic totes. 

Seattle blogger Michael Hansom posted a sweet tutorial for a bicycle camera mount on his blog Eclecticism for all you freewheelin' filmmakers out there. The project requires a bit of nuts and bolts, but the tutorial has clear pictures that explain the parts and how to put it together - plus it links to alternate tutorials as sources of inspiration.

Bikehacks is showing off five killer looking DIY bike headlight tutorials. There are a lot out there, but this site whittled down the list for us. Way to go with the Tazmanian devil. 

Short, but interesting rant: Did you know that over 57 million Americans hop on a bike at least once a year?! Thanks to the popularity of the bicycle, for one, the average drop in pollution seen across 51 metropolitan areas in the USA between 1980 and 2000 appears to have added nearly five more months to people's lives, according to a study published January 2009 in The New England Journal of Medicine.  No surprise, then, that one of the most green countries in the world, Denmark, is widely hailed as the happiest.  Room for bikes, pedestrian-friendly walkways and public transportation are cornerstones in Denmark's public policy. Not only are Danes happier (er, happiest), the country ranks higher than the U.S. in terms of human development.  That's some serious swaggering room for those that believe in cycling as an eco-saving idea, as well as physically and emotionally fulfilling activity.  Not to worry, Americans are on top of things too!

Here are some events that'll toot your horn from sea to shining sea:

May is national bike month! And Bike to Work Week is May 11 - 15th!  Bikehacks has a great list of 55 free bike mapping tools to make it easy to ride.

Stay green and healthy Threadbangers and enjoy today's episode!