Bike trainer that generates electricity?
- Thread starter LordOpie
- Start date
It sounds sweet but it wouldn't be very useful. A human can only put out a maximum of about 600 watts. Thats Lances number so its doubtful you could put out more. Even if you put out that kind of power it would barely be enough to power an alarm clock for an hour or so...
God, just buy a damn trainer already!
Sheesh...
Sheesh...
Wattage output increase possible? Or can it be stored?
I like spinning on the trainer but it feels like a potential waste of valuable energy since I'm not "going anywhere" thus could be plugged in somewhere to supply energy. ...like the Bridgeport.
Then I get to thinking it would be so fly if someone also made a system for non-stationary bikes. Storing the energy created by the moving cranks and wheels. (edit: I realize you could utilize this method with cranks/wheels with the stationary bike as well.) Maybe even from the suspension movement. Store it on a removable battery or ..______ to power a small appliance all day.
Then I get to thinking ... what if the suspensions own movement provided the energy source to a function incorporated in the shocks performance...
..And the mind starts running with a thousand other ways it seems we ought to explore milking some love from the sun/the waves/our pedalling gams/the crap in the litter box.
I look forward to seeing stuff like this as regular stock items at the local bike shop, REI, Costco, Pet Smart. Even at the corner bodega sitting between bubble gum cel phones and strawberry Philly blunts.
I like spinning on the trainer but it feels like a potential waste of valuable energy since I'm not "going anywhere" thus could be plugged in somewhere to supply energy. ...like the Bridgeport.
Then I get to thinking it would be so fly if someone also made a system for non-stationary bikes. Storing the energy created by the moving cranks and wheels. (edit: I realize you could utilize this method with cranks/wheels with the stationary bike as well.) Maybe even from the suspension movement. Store it on a removable battery or ..______ to power a small appliance all day.
Then I get to thinking ... what if the suspensions own movement provided the energy source to a function incorporated in the shocks performance...
..And the mind starts running with a thousand other ways it seems we ought to explore milking some love from the sun/the waves/our pedalling gams/the crap in the litter box.
I look forward to seeing stuff like this as regular stock items at the local bike shop, REI, Costco, Pet Smart. Even at the corner bodega sitting between bubble gum cel phones and strawberry Philly blunts.
Someone else thought it was a good idea too: http://dietmotion.com/hong-kong-gym-generates-electricity-while-exercising.html
Or? 
Maybe? 
I've thought the same thing LO.....I would build one, but I'm really ignorant when it comes to electrical stuff. I also thought it would be cool to have a device that pushes against your rim (like rim driver trainers), but you could use while riding outside and it put power back into your light system...that way you could get longer use out of your lights
uh, are you serious? that has been around since before batteries practically
http://www.amazon.com/Cycle-Force-6-Volt-Generator-Bicycle/dp/B0009W7F1G
Wheel powered generators for lights were quite common up to I don't know, the seventies? One type had a knurled wheel that was turned by the sidewall of the tire. The fancier sort was a generator built into the front hub.
Both made very little light and created an undue amount of drag. I think that they might work better now that we have LED lights which use a lot less power.
Good idea, but as someone making a comment pointed out, you most likely pay the same (possibly more considering the number of dumbasses that would simply go to the gym to cleanse their guilt or try to fit into the new trendy 'green thing') for the gym that saves money on utility bills.
If they really cared about reducing impact, they'd use the money they save on energy and cut membership costs. They'd also get a good amount of new business that way.
Though I could be completely wrong.
A long time ago I saw the old hub style. I was thinking it would supplement the battery so the brightness of the light wouldn't depend on power coming from the wheel
you mean not cost effective? Doesn't it take something like 15 years to regain your investment?
<edit> Check this thing out! If it was required that everyone's TV run from one of these there would be no obesity
If you're a hobbyist you could rig a sprocket on a car or motorcycle alternator and rig it up to charge a battery, light a light, whatever. I suspect that you could find plans and instructions with a modest amount of time spent with Google. At the end of the day, you won't really get much usable power out of any of these devices.
I just don't think a payback of 15 years is that good of an 'investment'. The solar panels are expected to last about the amout of time to pay them off. Most I've seen around here come with a 10 year warranty.
I'll wait for them to come down in price, up in quality and a payback of something like 5-7 years.
My wife would be mad at me if I did that... only cuz I haven't finished all of HER projects
I doubt it. A lot of my mother's family live to their 90s; the disturbing thing is that they tend to lose it to dementia in their latter years. Payback for alcohol, smoking and other self-abuse and/or coronary issues tended to terminate the old man's side earlier.But will you?
(sorry, I started drinking
I figure I have twenty or thirty years, which scares the piss out of me.
But... we all know how to die.
I thought about doing something like this last year. I did a bit of research but never got past that. Here is a short description of my plan.
Go to the junk yard and snag an alternator and battery from a junked car.
Mount the alternator to a broken old trainer I have. Run a belt around a bike wheel with no tire on it and around the pulley on the alternator. You need a small battery to power the rotor field of the alternator but the alternator will also recharge the battery. Hook up the battery to a power inverter I have and plug a small stereo to the inverter. Pedal to listen to music. Stop and the battery will die and no tunes.
Go to the junk yard and snag an alternator and battery from a junked car.
Mount the alternator to a broken old trainer I have. Run a belt around a bike wheel with no tire on it and around the pulley on the alternator. You need a small battery to power the rotor field of the alternator but the alternator will also recharge the battery. Hook up the battery to a power inverter I have and plug a small stereo to the inverter. Pedal to listen to music. Stop and the battery will die and no tunes.
You would be better off with chain and sprocket for reasons of efficiency.
But get a Tread mill motor instead of an alternator
OK, why?
How is a chain and sprocket more efficient? That and I can't think of any chainrings that can fit on a alternator. Different bolt circle :biggrin:
A chain would be more efficient but it would require fabricating a cog onto the alternator shaft and I'm not sure if you could spin the alternator fast enough with a standard chainring. Using the wheel rim as a drive surface would take care of the gearing issue.
a Modern day alternator (with voltage built in voltage regulator ) needs to be spinning very fast before it cuts in ( I think aroud 1000 rpm ) , a tread mill motor is a striaght DC motor designed for slower speeds
