Is there pedal power?

[Deleted User]

Does this sound mad?

I'd like an excercise bike that could provide the energy to drive household devices like TV, washing machine, mobile phone charging. Also that it could somehow be hitched up to a battery or something that stores energy.

Is there anything like that?

Would it be possible to devise something like that?

I don't think that it would be suitable for anything that requires heat - like boiling a kettle - because presumably it takes a LOT of energy to produce heat, but maybe it could be used for that?

I have a vision of people cycling furiously in order to watch TV!

Zagu

Theres the Cyclean. Cant rember seeing any others.

stilernin

cgw wrote:

Does this sound mad?

I'd like an excercise bike that could provide the energy to drive household devices like TV, washing machine, mobile phone charging. Also that it could somehow be hitched up to a battery or something that stores energy.

Is there anything like that?

Would it be possible to devise something like that?

I don't think that it would be suitable for anything that requires heat - like boiling a kettle - because presumably it takes a LOT of energy to produce heat, but maybe it could be used for that?

I have a vision of people cycling furiously in order to watch TV!

I have always said that the TVs in gyms should be run like this. Imagine the energy that is wasted every day!!:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

phizzimum

i'm sure i remember seeing something like this on tomorrows world 25 years ago...or maybe it was newsround...or maybe i imagined it!

it's such a great idea i can't believe no-ones marketed it yet...imagine if you had to generate your own leccy before you could watch tv. we'd probably be so exhausted we'd just go to bed instead (as I should be right now, instead of procrastinating and reading this fascinating forum!)

seriously though, people want to lose weight and get fit, they also want to save money and reduce their carbon footprint. how wonderful to be able to do both at the same time! please can some technologically minded person come up with a design!

phizzimum

https://www.scienceshareware.com/bike_gen.htm

gromituk

The trouble is you can't generate very much - certainly not enough for a washing machine (which does heat, after all). Why not use a bicycle in the way it's intended: for travel, replacing car journeys? A much simpler way of going green!

phizzimum

yes good point gromituk, think I was overtired and overexcited when I made that post!

sarahe

I'm a cyclist -but I too am really surprised that one of the 'named' gymns hasn't done more into harnessing the energy created one all those machines! Esp as they often have swimming pools. I think there must be a phD in there somewhere for someone!

gromituk

Doesn't require a PhD especially when you consider the energy used to drive the air conditioning to extract the heat instead of electricity produced by these machines.

500yearvision

You'd be able to generate about 60w per bike.

I'd love to have an electricity generating bike too. Does anyone manufacture them? (of course it's the grid tie inverter which would be the expensive bit...)

You could then 'save up' the electricity you generate over the course of 1/2 hour to boil the kettle for a cup of tea!

krishna

Reminds me of the film "Soylent Green"