Kickstart This: Light a Bike, Build a Lifelong Toy, Have a Steampunk Alphabet Book

Santa Cruz biker Chris Cobb says he was tired of not being seen when he was riding his bicycle at night.

Yeah, there are headlights and tail lights, but what about lighting up the whole frame so cars can see you when you are alongside them?

Thus was born the BikeGlow Frame Light. Other products like it, says the founder, "seemed hokey." His team took three years to come up with its design, which really stands out and looks cool.

You can pledge and receive some of the first productions of the light. The catch is, you better act fast and furiously. The kickstarter goal is $15,000 and they have only raised $4,466 in pledges. Without reaching the goal, the proposal falls by the wayside, at least on this attempt.

Kickstarter is a website that people use to raise funds to develop projects. Often, they give contributors something for their money, from a T-shirt to the item they are developing. The catch is that if the developer doesn't raise his goal, the project is dropped and the money returned.

Among the most successful Kickstarter projects is a 3-D printer and a watchband for the iPod Nano. (See the Top 5 here.)

Locally, Santa Cruzans love the service: 

Derek Perkins asked for $8,500 to launch his heirloom wooden toy called the Weerol and so far he's gotten $23,755. This is a toy that can start as a push toy for 1-2 year olds, then convert to a riding toy for 2-3 year olds and then a barrel for 3-5 year olds.

Same toy, different configurations, more room around the house.

Proving that if you build the better mousetrap, people will find you, William Mosher more than 10 times what he asked for. Only, it wasn't mice he was trapping, but cats.

He raised $1126 to produce a cat motivational tape. Yes. Seriously. He was only asking for $100, which may be a lesson for some. Set your goal too high and you may have a problem.

Karen Luk wants to make an alphabet book called Steampunk ABC  for children combining the ethos of the Victorian era and the future. She's got the credentials. She was a cartoonist-in-residence at the Charles M. Schultz museum, Snoopy and all.

She's raised $597 but needs $9,000 with 31 days to go.

Conrad Nelson wants to create a video game called Borealis in which players must guide missiles into each other, rather than using them to hurt an enemy. Sounds pretty Cruz to me.

He is looking for $560 and has $230 pledged with 23 days to go.

Religious singer Josh Fox wants to record spiritual songs with acclaimed producers and writers Paul Mabury and Jason Ingram. Someone is watching out for him. He's raised $16,286 of his $25,000 goal, with seven days to go.

Marine vet Dusty Nelson wants to do a modern version of On the Road, rigging up his car with cameras and traveling the country and filming. He's raised $20,061 but wants $450,000 in the next 15 days.