Pedal Power

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Many of us are interested in the possibility of using bicycle frames and pedals to power generators. Most of the time it seems that they are not feasible as they just pull too hard and don't provide enough benefit. However here is a website company that sell such devices. The url is: http://www.windstreampower.com

They have human pedal power, wind, and more. A little pricy but you might get some good ideas as well.

IMHO they probably aren't feasible to use to charge your household battery, etc. However, one use that might be appropriate was someone who had a 12 volt DC television, and if the kids wanted to watch TV, they had to pedal enough to run the TV. No inactive couch potatoes at their house. You play, you pay (with exercise;-))

-- Sammie (sammiex0@yahoo.com), January 17, 2000

Answers

I know a family that did that, used a pedal-powered generator to run the TV. Had a small battery in the system so constant full-bore pedalling wasn't required, but it was necessary to pedal almost all of the time. I have seen nice pedal generator set-ups at the Midwest Renewable Energy Fair in Amherst Wisconsin the past few years. They use a bike frame and a VW beetle (old beetel with aircooled engine) 12 volt DC generator (not alternator) and they worked pretty well. Home Power magazine has some links at their site that connect to someone's homepage that includes info on pedalpowered generators too. www.homepower.com

-- Jim (jiminwis@yahoo.com), January 18, 2000.

Wow. $429? $725 with "power box"? Way beyond my budget. There were a number of earlier threads on the same topic. During the home- stretch, Gary North posted an article with links to Brian Olson's web- site, where you can order plans for a Bikegen for $6 or $10 I believe. You can make the generator yourself for $30 in parts from Radio Shack. Check out this site: www.home.inreach.com/bolson

I ordered the plans and picked up the parts from RS, and am awaiting the leisure and prior outages before assembling.

>"<

-- Squirrel Hunter (nuts@needa.newaddress), January 18, 2000.


I've seen a lot of plans for pedal
powered systems and they all lack
a critical part. A weighted flywheel.
Once you get the flywheel going, it
will help overcome the friction from
the generator.

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), January 20, 2000.

Agreed. Spider. In my case, we have an old exercycle in the backroom, with one HEAVY-duty WEIGHTED (solidified rubber) flywheel. It's a bear to get going, and not mucheasier to keep going, but it will have inertia enough toovercome the resistance of the make the generator nubbin. I hope. Heck, it's worth a shot. As things now stand, I have no intention of testing this out. This is the "seat of my pants" part of preps. If it works, cool; if not, God willing we'll get by for a year or two on stored batteries and then .......!!!

>"<

-- Squirrel Hunter (nuts@upina.celltower), January 21, 2000.


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