What do you expect from idiot hipsters incapable of basic math and science, and who generally have no idea what the hell they're talking about, just building stuff well enough to take a few pictures?
Some quotes:
"Off-grid solar PV systems often charge lead-acid batteries."
Nobody is using lead-acid anymore, which shows how out of touch these idiots are with reality. For 5, if not 10 years LiFePO4 batteries have been the best option even for DIY systems.
You lose half the power you put into them, the deeper you discharge them the more you wear them out which means you have to buy far more capacity than you need, whereas LiFePO4 you can discharge down to 10% and charge to 90% and still get thousands of cycles out of them before they degrade to maybe 80% of their nameplate capacity. You also get higher working voltage - 13-13.8v for much of the battery's state of charge. I'm not kidding when I say that from efficiency losses alone you DOUBLE your effective solar generation by switching to LiFePO4 from lead-acid.
"At the other extreme, resistance on the pedals is too high when powering a kettle or a refrigerator."
It would take three hours for the average person to put enough energy into a "perfect" kettle to get it to boil, using a "perfect" bike that could convert the roughly 100W of mechanical effort into 100W of heat in the kettle....
Between mechanical and electrical losses, heat loss in the kettle, and energy inefficiency of the human body, I would rule it nearly impossible for even some of the world's most elite cyclists to power an electric kettle long enough for it to boil.
The handcart article goes to explain at length why a multitude of other options are inferior, but then they act like an electric generator bike would provide any sort of meaningful amount of power compared to just putting a solar panel outside.
Especially if you're willing to buy used, solar is dirt cheap. You can get NEW panels 300-400W panels on clearance for ~$100. You can get a nice-but-cheap 1-1.3kWh 12v battery for about $250. A top-notch solar controller, $75-100. And that battery will fully charge from dead in one day worth of sun in non-ideal conditions...
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Some quotes:
"Off-grid solar PV systems often charge lead-acid batteries."
Nobody is using lead-acid anymore, which shows how out of touch these idiots are with reality. For 5, if not 10 years LiFePO4 batteries have been the best option even for DIY systems.
You lose half the power you put into them, the deeper you discharge them the more you wear them out which means you have to buy far more capacity than you need, whereas LiFePO4 you can discharge down to 10% and charge to 90% and still get thousands of cycles out of them before they degrade to maybe 80% of their nameplate capacity. You also get higher working voltage - 13-13.8v for much of the battery's state of charge. I'm not kidding when I say that from efficiency losses alone you DOUBLE your effective solar generation by switching to LiFePO4 from lead-acid.
"At the other extreme, resistance on the pedals is too high when powering a kettle or a refrigerator."
It would take three hours for the average person to put enough energy into a "perfect" kettle to get it to boil, using a "perfect" bike that could convert the roughly 100W of mechanical effort into 100W of heat in the kettle....
Between mechanical and electrical losses, heat loss in the kettle, and energy inefficiency of the human body, I would rule it nearly impossible for even some of the world's most elite cyclists to power an electric kettle long enough for it to boil.
The handcart article goes to explain at length why a multitude of other options are inferior, but then they act like an electric generator bike would provide any sort of meaningful amount of power compared to just putting a solar panel outside.
Especially if you're willing to buy used, solar is dirt cheap. You can get NEW panels 300-400W panels on clearance for ~$100. You can get a nice-but-cheap 1-1.3kWh 12v battery for about $250. A top-notch solar controller, $75-100. And that battery will fully charge from dead in one day worth of sun in non-ideal conditions...
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.
https://solar.lowtechmagazine.com/power/
Full-cycle efficiency should be higher now. And the inverter. And the generator.
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.
she might enjoy an etrike, though more for recreation than normal day to day