My pedal generator
 

One of my projects for UK electronics magazine Practical Electronics.

Works really well!

Based on old exercise bike plus electric outboard motor:

https://i.postimg.cc/7ZrzQgYK/Pic-1.jpg

V belt driven off original exercise bike flywheel:

https://i.postimg.cc/MGdjTN0L/Pic-6.jpg

Can light (relatively) low-power LED...

https://i.postimg.cc/2SdWpV1r/Pic-7.jpg

Or two 90W LED light bars (this scene is pitch-black without the pedal lights):

https://i.postimg.cc/9fW7cC9T/Pic-8.jpg

About 350W is available - and no doubt more than that with a more powerful rider than me...

That's only half a Robert.

A less powerful version previously posted on ye olde site:

https://ecomodder.com/forum/showthre...html#post83226

Nice. I scrapped my original - slapped together with chewing gum an duct tape (which was an old stationary bike like yours) - when I got my hands on a bike trainer and then a portable set of exercise pedals. Either requires much less space, which quickly became the first priority for something that will almost never get used. Some day I'll get around to actually converting them. I've even picked up a couple of 100w PM motors for free since...

Realistically, the only time I would ever use one is in an apocalypse-like situation, or maybe in a waaaay off-grid situation, as if I would have it handy when I actually needed it...

Considering the time and physical output limitations that I would do much better building a mini generator that could do the work in a tenth the time and would have other uses, such as emergency power backup on an electric bike or most fuel efficient way to charge a battery bank in a power outage...I have a propane powered weed whacker - that cost me almost nothing - for exactly this purpose. Fuel that won't spoil or gunk up the carb in the months between uses...

Of course, if it came to a power outage, I've already converted my generator over to propane...but it would be nice to have something that could keep the lights on for days or even weeks off of a tank in an emergency, rather than maybe a single day.

If I wasn't lazy, I'd want a pedal generator for the winter months. I cycle for the enjoyment/freedom of it, not for the exercise, so sitting in one spot just to charge a battery doesn't appeal to me...I hope you have better motivation than I do!