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Reply #1: I stumbled upon a web advertisement for a bicycle trainer that was a generator [View All]

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Kolesar Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Dec-27-07 06:56 AM
Response to Original message
1. I stumbled upon a web advertisement for a bicycle trainer that was a generator
I could see it being useful to charge cell phone batteries or other batteries. It would take a lot of pedaling to make enough charge to run a tv. I could see charging up enough to run lower powered devices like a radio. There are wind up radios that can run a decent period of time with only a minute or so of hand cranking www.ccrane.com .

"Electric" bicycles can be be operated to recharge the battery: www.bionx.ca Normally, the cyclist gets "regenerative braking" during the down hill segment. The makers of some electric bicycles advocate that you can set the bicycle on a trainer and spin away while charging the battery. Then you leave the house with a full charge.

I had imagined connecting a different battery to the electrified bicycle and using my pedaling to charge up an "extra" battery that I could then take to another room of the house for where my load was, like for an energy efficient PC or something.

As for pedaling a bicycle and using it to run the 120 volt, 60 Hertz, AC distribution system, I suppose it could be done. I don't know how to engineer it.

Happy pedaling, I think you are on to something!
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