| ▲ | Commercially Available Bike Generators Are Not Sustainable (2011)(solar.lowtechmagazine.com) |
| 29 points by baud147258 4 days ago | 19 comments |
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| ▲ | erelong an hour ago | parent | next [-] |
| Might have changed their attitude since then as they posted in 2022 about a DIY guide on making a bike generator: https://solar.lowtechmagazine.com/2022/03/how-to-build-a-pra... |
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| ▲ | NewsaHackO 29 minutes ago | parent [-] | | I thought he was posting about some retro product until I saw the USB ports in the energy delivery. Weird that he edited his photos to look like that, and used retro components otherwise. |
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| ▲ | usrusr 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-] |
| Needs "2011" in the title. For example the section about friction drive hasn't been true for about a decade now |
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| ▲ | rgmerk 2 hours ago | parent | next [-] | | Not to mention they’re talking about lead-acid batteries, which have been replaced for pretty much every application, except (for now) starter motor batteries for combustion vehicles, by the various lithium batteries. | | |
| ▲ | chihuahua an hour ago | parent [-] | | To be fair (as a joke), it's from Low Tech Magazine. Lithium batteries are too high-tech for them. They want you to power your mechanical blender, mixer, and other machines with a drive belt. Turn the drum of your washing machine with a wood fire heating the water. | | |
| ▲ | Gibbon1 an hour ago | parent [-] | | Solar panels I think are too high tech for them. I remember reading about low tech efficient cook stoves for poor countries and thinking the misses would rather have an induction burner, microwave, and an ice chest running off a solar panel. | | |
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| ▲ | allenrb 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-] | | Nobody would (or should, at least) be using a lead-acid battery for this in 2026, either. Full-cycle efficiency should be higher now. And the inverter. And the generator. | | |
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| ▲ | rgmerk 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-] |
| This arguably had some relevance in 2011. In 2026, cheap solar and batteries make human-powered static devices that would benefit from the extra power of a stationary cyclist completely redundant. |
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| ▲ | tocs3 4 days ago | parent | prev | next [-] |
| Some things I would like to see are pedal controlled devices. Something like a pedal controlled wheelchair, not powered by the pedals just control the forward and back motion. My mother with sever arthritis can still pedal but has a very hard time walking. It would be a little exercise doing something that needs to be done (getting around). A pedal controlled remote control lawnmower would be nifty also. |
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| ▲ | grebc 3 hours ago | parent | next [-] | | Where I used to live an elderly gent rode a very low to ground bike. Looked a lot like the silly motorbikes some peeps do. I imagine they’re out there for sale. | | |
| ▲ | Tanoc 2 hours ago | parent [-] | | A recumbent bicycle perhaps? Often has pedals ahead of the front wheel, where you lay down in a hammock or moulded seat? | | |
| ▲ | grebc an hour ago | parent | next [-] | | That's it! Sorry I lacked the proper name, but yes they are about. And definitely look like they could help people certain health issues. Although getting down into it would be something to consider for older peeps. | |
| ▲ | analog31 an hour ago | parent | prev [-] | | Yes, there are electric recumbent trikes out there, such as the Tadpole. A friend of mine got one after he recovered from a stroke and could no longer balance on a conventional bike. He rode it to work. It got him outdoors, with "anything is better than nothing" level of exercise. |
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| ▲ | micromacrofoot 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-] | | many ebikes work this way, pedaling and the chain more or less signal the motor rather than provide meaningful power... though afaik none of them do backwards for obvious reasons she might enjoy an etrike, though more for recreation than normal day to day |
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| ▲ | scotty79 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-] |
| You could attach pedals directly to motor axle and control charging power drawn precisely to ensure smooth rotation in absence of the flywheel. It could be really small. |
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| ▲ | Mugshelf 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-] |
| Tried one at a demo; you put in a ton of work for minimal wattage. Much better off with a decent power bank, honestly. |
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| ▲ | xyzsparetimexyz an hour ago | parent | prev [-] |
| So Black Mirror lied to me ?! |
