Bicycle-Powered!

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Pedal-Propulsion For Perpetual Power

As people work to develop sustainable forms of energy, one fun development has been the rise in bicycle-powered generators and appliances.  Drawing on the ready supply of human energy, these devices let the spinning wheels of bike riding produce electricity.

Bicycles have been adapted to power larger batteries, lights, computers, televisions and the number one use for bicycle-power:  the bicycle-powered blender!  Seriously, with the rising costs for fuel and electricity, pedal power makes more and more sense, so please take a look!

Pedal Power

Motorola rolls out bicycle-powered cellphone charger at electronics expo
Motorola Inc. will release a new, bicycle-powered cellphone charger aimed at Third World residents who lack regular household power supplies.
MAKE: Blog: Bicycle-powered blueberry winnower
Blueberry rakers merrily pedaling old bicycles that powered even-older machines used to clean the fruit. Like many good ideas, Shana Hanson's bicycle-powered blueberry winnowers had their roots in calamity...
Bicycle Powered Chocolate!
Choco Sol is a chocolate shop for very serious people. Its owners don't want customers who are just seeking hot chocolate, they want to serve people who want to understand where the cocoa beans come from, and minimize the ecological footprint a chunk of candy leaves behind.
Kipahulu bicycle powered smoothie
A little roadside stand in Kipahulu sells fruit and smoothies. There's no electricity here, so the refrigerator runs by propane and the coffee maker by solar. The blender for smoothies is bicycle-powered.
Human Powered Tools for the Fun-Fueled Future
World's finest in bicycle blending. Why a bike blender? Because human beings love human power! Make sustainable smoothies energy saving soups grind coffee and make permaculture peanut butter
The knife-sharpening bicycle
Peter Kahugu of Banana Hill just outside Nairobi makes a living using his bicycle. And no, he is not a professional cyclist.
Handpresso - Produits - Wild
Easily prepare a tasty espresso with a perfect crema... using a bicycle pump!
Saving the World One Tennis Ball at a Time
Created for the Specialized Innovate-or-Die Contest, By Daniel Bauen and Dino Mantri

The Nuts and Bolts of a Bicycle Generator

These are the major components that let you build your own bicycle generator. There are many links further down this lens to various methods and applications. You can build a bicycle generator to be fixed/permanent or if you take a bit more time, you can build one that still allows you to ride the bike in the regular fashion when you don't need it for generating power.
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The Bicycle-Powered Blender and Beyond!

check out this fantastic bicycle-powered appliances

There seems to be something special in the relationship between bicycles and blenders. The two seem to go great together and the sight of a bicycled-powered blender is much more common at gatherings and festivals. But you can run much more than a blender with a bicycle. Take a look at amusement park rides, sewing machines and more!

Suzuki GSX-R 1000 (2003) by WillVision Photography
The Great Gatsby Movie Set by Eva Rinaldi Celebrity and Live Music Photographer
The Great Gatsby Movie Set by Eva Rinaldi Celebrity and Live Music Photographer
The Great Gatsby Movie Set by Eva Rinaldi Celebrity and Live Music Photographer
The Great Gatsby Movie Set by Eva Rinaldi Celebrity and Live Music Photographer
The Great Gatsby Movie Set by Eva Rinaldi Celebrity and Live Music Photographer
The Great Gatsby Movie Set by Eva Rinaldi Celebrity and Live Music Photographer
The Great Gatsby Movie Set by Eva Rinaldi Celebrity and Live Music Photographer
The Great Gatsby Movie Set by Eva Rinaldi Celebrity and Live Music Photographer
The Great Gatsby Movie Set by Eva Rinaldi Celebrity and Live Music Photographer
The Great Gatsby Movie Set by Eva Rinaldi Celebrity and Live Music Photographer
The Great Gatsby Movie Set by Eva Rinaldi Celebrity and Live Music Photographer
automatically generated by Flickr

How Energetic Are Humans On Bicycles?

How much energy can be produced by a bicycle generator depends on the person riding it and their level of physical fitness. A person who exercises lightly and not very often might generate 50 Watts for a half an hour. Someone else who is very physically fit and exercises regularly might be able to produce 300 - 500 Watts for a hour.

Bicycle-Generator Resources

bike designs and conversions

Bicycle Powered Generator
Because bikes are made in a range of sizes to match their rider's stature I wanted to build the generator as an accessory which could be driven by any ordinary bicycle.
Bicycle experiment
OTHERPOWER.COM - A resource of information and materials for alternative power sources
Bicycle-Powered Machines
The project that is now called Maya Pedal was started by PEDAL, in Vancouver, who handed most of the responsibility over to local organizations in 2001. They use donated bicycles that are shipped from organizations in the U.S. and add steel, concrete, old tires, used car parts, wood and rope as needed to transform the bicycles into productive, environmentally friendly tools.
Bicycle-Powered Pontoon Boat
Since the vessel will be traveling primarily downstream distances of not more than 25 miles per day, normal propulsion requirements are minimal. A bicycle-powered propulsion system will produce enough headway to provide adequate steerage for the vessel under normal cirucumstances.
open...: Bicycle-Powered GNU/Linux System
I must confess my initial scepticism to the One Laptop Per Child project...[but then I discovered] the Inveneo Communication System. It uses GNU/Linux (of course), and draws as little as 12 Watts of power, which can be supplied by sun, wind or bicycle.
An Ingenious Bicycle-Powered Computer Ends Isolation of Laos Villagers: International Development Research Centre
On February 13th, a remote village in Laos without electricity or telephone lines will be hooked up to the Internet. For the first time ever, a bicycle-powered computer will relay a signal to the Internet via wireless antennae mounted on tree tops, water towers, and roofs. This ingenious new technology is possible thanks to the Jhai Foundation and its partners.
Bicycle Powered Computer
Recharge this battery-run computer on bicycle! News and Information about Bicycle Pedal Power from April 2006.
The Pedal-A-Watt Stationary Bicycle Generator.
Want to charge your Cell Phone, iPod, Blackberry, Garmin GPS, any GPS or any other device that you can plug into your car's cigarette lighter plug?
David Butcher: Pedal Powered Generator - DIY Plans
Curious about Human Power? Need some exercise? Looking to lose weight? Need inspiration? Researching technical information? Expensive gasoline making you nuts? You have come to the right place.

Videos of the Bicycle-Powered Present

what people are doing with bikes to generate electricity

Maya Pedal Asociación, San Andrés Itzapa, Guatemala
by CyclingAtlas | video info

298 ratings | 39,024 views
curated content from YouTube

Bicycle-Powered Blogs

Geek Made: How to make apple cider … with a bicycle
As I pedaled on a bright red Schwinn, with the sweet scent of Gala apples around me, I realized that nothing exemplifies creative Northwest sustainability better than a bicycle-powered cider press. On Saturday I headed to the house of Audrey Lawrence ...
Off the grid
To go off the grid, we will be using a bicycle-powered generator, which will hopefully produce enough electricity for our class. It takes a lot of time and energy to create electricity from the bike, so we will have to be very energy-conscious and ...
Edwardian Ball and Faire ready to rock 'The Iron Tonic'
But other offerings include parlor games, sideshow and circus performers, steam machinery, a bicycle-powered carousel with a calliope, a museum of wonders, a live statue garden, a thematic vendor bazaar, an antique portrait studio, a tea and more.
Weekender with Alison Cuddy
Messing has spent years making this city sing in many ways - directing the marching band Mucca Pazza, staging fantastical, bicycle-powered public spectacles, and now creating operas. The Hunchback Variations Opera involves an oddball situation: a panel ...

I Get Bicycle With A Little Help From My Friends

bicycled-powered gear

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Cyclist's Corner

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In myth, Euryale was an immortal Gorgon. I'm a gardener and Giant Squid, growing things via Lenses. I have a wide range of interests including playing... more »

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Make Electricity With Your Bike 

Bicycle Generator Kit 300 Watts DC Pedal Power Generator With Dynamo, Belt, Plate, Stand

Amazon Price: $369.00 (as of 02/14/2012)Buy Now

With this stand, you can temporarily turn your bike into a generator, and then take it for a ride later.

Power It Yourself! 

The Human-Powered Home: Choosing Muscles Over Motors

Amazon Price: $18.04 (as of 02/14/2012)Buy Now

Learn how to power all sorts of things in your home using the most renewable resource you have: yourself!