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.

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!

Bicycle-Powered Blender by DenaliAlaska

Goldstream Sports brought a bicycle-powered blender to clucking blossom.

bicycle powered blender by revertebrate

bicycle powered blender by revertebrate

bicycle powered smoothie maker by Nada*

bicycle powered smoothie maker by Nada

Road back from Hana - Bicycle powered blender by Omega Man

Road back from Hana - Bicycle powered blender

Sam Adams-blending by Bike-junkie

How often do you see a politician making smoothies with a bicycle-powered blende...

Team Smoothie by siskiyoulaura

(We don't need no stinkin' electricity.)

A bicycle-powered sewing machine by eakspeasy

A bicycle-powered sewing machine

Bicycle Powered Ride by Ashton Brown

Bicycle Powered Ride

knife sharpener by mantella

bicycle powered sharpening stone.

Jamming with Gabe's setup under human power! by Rock The Bike

We hooked up Gabe's bike to a B3 with Nate's prototype human power briefcase.

Bike-powered billboard by richardmasoner

Bike-powered billboard

Harrison perches on the bicycle-powered raft by everyday_i_live

the bicycle-powered raft

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


Bicycle Powered PC

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Bicycle Generator (1)

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Pedal-powered guitar amp

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3544 views
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Fender Blender in Action

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Pedal Power Bicycle Generator on Ellen Degeneres Green

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bike generator in the gallery

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Bicycle-Powered Blogs 

Bicycle Powered Coffee Maker | Valdezatron.com
Free Wordpress template orangecoffee by Gert-Jan Bosch.
Gasoline powered bicycle on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Gasoline powered bicycle. ... Gasoline powered bicycle by [-Nino Avila-]. To take full advantage of Flickr, you should use a JavaScript-enabled browser and install the latest version of the Macromedia Flash Player. ...
Lifehacker - DIY Bicycle-Powered USB Device Charger - MintyBoost
Last week we took a look at MightyMintyBoost, a solar-powered USB charger. If you liked the idea but can't count on the sun shining, this USB charger runs on the power of your bicycle pedals.
Comment on Bicycle-Powered Water Pumps and Filtration Systems by ...
Use Handle & Pedal Operation For Bicycle Pumping. Which Is More Effective Than Only Pedal peration.

I Get Bicycle With A Little Help From My Friends 

bicycled-powered gear

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Cyclist's Corner 

What gets your wheels spinning?

TheresaMayhew wrote...

I love this idea of using our own power to create energy. My dad rigged up a way to connect the pedal power to the T.V. when we were kids. If we wanted to watch, someone had to pedal. TV lost it's appeal after while when no one wanted to ride the bike.

Great lens!
Theresa

ReplyPosted June 23, 2009

MudRider500 wrote...

Wonderful stuff. I do some biking, so you never know what you could do with a little juice.

ReplyPosted May 08, 2009

SemperFidelis wrote...

Well thought out and informative lens Euryale. Blessed by a SquidAngel today! www.squidoo.com/squid-angel ~ Colleen :)

ReplyPosted April 11, 2009

dannystaple wrote...

I used to attend music events and gigs where bicycle powered PA's and decks were the order of the day. If you have never heard of them - Google for RinkyDink. They encourage energetic dancing punters to come and have a pedal. The transport for the rig is even pedal powered.

ReplyPosted April 07, 2009

Lensmaster

David wrote

in reply to Kyanisunrise Hell ya! I wanna go!

Reply Posted December 30, 2008

 
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