Can Bill Gates show the world how to get cheap energy?

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Tom S

He can't even produce an affordable, reliable, and secure (protected against viruses, spam ware etc) version or Windows. We're still paying a fortune for Windows with it's service packs.

How can he show the world how to get cheap energy. He claims what he really wants is clean energy at half its current cost. To do that, he said, we'll need new technology.

Answer
That man is an island unto himself, i don't care how much money he has.
the greatest inventions, and world changing ideas into reality came from people,
with scientific morality and God sence of purpose. Anybody who would hire
Balmer, is not on the side of righeousness, and the american dream
of cheap energy. Hogwash, that is a wolf in sheepskin. I'll bring you
cheap energy and hire balmer too deliver it. There is no energy that exists on this
planet or any other planet that is cheap. Try converting the sun/EXPENSIVE,Nuclear/EXPENSIVE
Wind?THERE IS NONE OR ENOUGH,Hydroelectric/EXPENSIVE>FISH,oil/EXPENSIVE and
running out,electric cars or hybrids/EXPENSIVE.

unless he's teaming up with Opera winfrey, too buy us all pedal bikes,
he's out of touch with reality. He going too give, other countries his philantrophy,
with our money,CHEAPLY! did I say that right. He is a nut case. he has no concept
of reality, behind a lcd too long.

How to build a Pedal powered bike generator?

Q. I have browsed the net looking for the plan,
which will help me build(and understand what I am doing)

my own pedal powered bike generator.

if you are informed, and able to teach me how to do this,

I am available to respond and or follow you, on line, and or by other venue's.

Answer
Maybe you can start by building the world's simplest electric generator, and then figure out what you can do in a more sophisticated manner:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7Sz8oT8ou0

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What is riding one of the electric power assist bicycles like?

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Q. The only thing I've heard is that they even out hills a little. What else have you heard? Are they worth the high price?

Answer
You can buy a nice shop quality bike for the same price as a cheap electric bike. You will benefit from the exercise and be a lot healthier. Don't expect the batteries to last long on the cheap bikes so you end up with a 70 lb bicycle or ending up pedaling harder then a regular bike. Expect to buy a new battery pack every 6 months or so.

Can I buy yamaha fazer with kick and electric start together in one bike.?

Q. Can I buy yamaha fazer with kick and electric start together in one bike.? Whats its price?

Answer
1.if its cold, use choke.
2. push start
3. replace the battery when it's necessary.
4. put bike on middle stand and in gear , give motion to rear wheel and accelerate. it would start.
5. i have no idea about price but yes u can have kick start option. company WILL NOT provide u the bike with kick start. many think that it's unnecessary.plus it wud kill the looks.
ultimately it's ur decision.

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Where can I find an electric motorcycle?

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A C

I am looking for an electric motorcycle under or around $2000 in CA. I want it to be sporty looking like a real motorcycle (not a bicycle) or look like the the Zero bikes. I also dont want to have to build it or anything. It also has to be street legal.

Answer
What you want doesn't exist. If you want a limited range electric motorcycle, be prepared to pay $17,000 for a Brammo or $11,500 for a Zero S. In fact, you are on the bottom of the cost scale for a decent IOC motorcycle. Suggest saving more money before you join the motorcycle world.
Good Luck

what kind of motorized bikes / scooters can i take on an interurban trail?

Brendon

Trying to save up and fix up my car/ get a new car, for now i need a different ride i would like something motorized so i can go kind of fast not ridiculous maybe 30 mph at the most but a little under would still be cool, thanks guys
an interurban trail is a trail that cuts through wooded areas, along side freeways, and other places basicly just a big tairl connecting to other trails throughout the city and to other citys but is always built by the city so its more a small road than a path
what website can i get one of the bikes at mark?

Answer
what is a interurban trail ?

edit ,, yeah a lot of places like that prohibit motorized vehicles . im sure gas powered bikes and scooters are a no go on those trails.

i just built a an elec bicycle . actually i just ordered the kit online and installed it.
has a 500 watt 36 volt front wheel hub motor .
goes about 25 mph
but to save the battery i go about 15 mph .
draw back is it only goes about 10 miles on a charge.
but i could double that if it added another battery pack.
the good thing is , i can legally ride it any place a regular bicycle is allowed to ride.
i usually ride on side walks.

if you go look at the trails you want to ride on. i bet they have sign that lists what you can and

edit .

google "36V500W 26" Front Wheel Electric Bicycle Motor Kit E-Bike Cycling Hub Conversion Ebay "

then search for the seller named " Xcceries " that is who i bought mine from.
it was $230 that incliudes free shipping . i recieved mine in about 5 days , comes from california.
that is the entire kit inclding the 36 volt charger a great deal .

the i bought the batteries from " battery shark " in new york , cheapest i found . .. the 3 ..12 volt batteries at 12 amp hours $75 with shipping , again just few days to recieve them.

if have any questions email me.

to you other readers ,,,this is not spam, just passing along the info.

or walmart sells a complete bike online for $400... but it is a 24 volt with chain drive. but comes with batts and all. you see them online. i have never ridden one .

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Who knows that where is ROMAI Electric bike in India?

the best electric bikes in india image

Q. Pls tell me ,I want to buy ROMAI electric bike.

Answer
Owen

No luck with Romai, but here is EV. EV offers bikes, scooters, and mopeds as well os other electric two and three wheelers.

Happy New Year


Soccerref

Would a bike that can be pedal or engine powered be feasible?

Q. I think a motorcycle that is a combination of gas, electric and pedal(last resort) powered would be the ultimate money/environment saving vehicle. What do you think?
I looked up moped images and didn't see any pedals

Answer
Yes, they have been around since the 1940s, maybe even earlier. My father had one, it had a small petrol motor on the back, and it was just used to help get up hills, it had a pulley that contacted on the side of the wheel. They still make them somewhere, mainly in countries like China and India.

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Can I use many lithium Ion batteries and send them through a controller to an electric motor?

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Johnny Fre

This is a complex question I know. I know little about electrical engineering but I want to build an electric bike. I could buy the same materials others have used but I'd like to use Lithium Ion Batteries. So can I connect wires from many bats to a standard controller and then to an electric motor? I assume I can, energy is energy, but what should I look out for. Has anyone tried this?

Answer
This is basically what they do for car batteries in hybrid motors, so yes, this is doable.

What are the Michigan laws on licensing and riding ebikes on the streets?

detrich200

Im considering buying an electric bike (1000 watts/ 1 hp) and Im wondering what the laws are on riding them in the streets of michigan. Im thinking it would be the same as electric scooter law. But I dont know what they are.

Answer
In California a 1000 watt e-bike would have to be licensed and registered. You would also have to have a driver's license to ride it. I have a 600 watt which is considered a bicycle in CA. It does not require registration nor a DL to ride it. Google X treme ebike for info on your state.

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What is the longest lasting battery powered LED lite available?

best battery powered bike light image

gideon_wri

I'm working on an art project project and need a small light just to add a back glow to a picture. Just need something that is battery powered, can provide a glow and will last a long time. Longest I've found was a bike tail light that lasted 150 hours before the battery ran out.

Answer
Check it out, I am not a fan of autozone but they have some led lights they sell for 29 bucks. They are rechargable, yellow handle, about ten inches long. Light like that off the snap on truck is 139 dollars but from the zone, reasonable. Thats about the only thing I'd buy from auto zone besides an air freshener or some blinker fluid.

What is the longest lasting battery powered LED lite available?

gideon_wri

I'm working on an art project project and need a small light just to add a back glow to a picture. Just need something that is battery powered, can provide a glow and will last a long time. Longest I've found was a bike tail light that lasted 150 hours before the battery ran out.

Answer
Hi Gideon,

I don't know of anything longer then the 150 hour one you found but what you can do is wire up a parallel battery pack.

By putting them in parallel the voltage remains the same but the capacity increases. Ten batteries in parallel would run 1500 hours or about 62 days.

Norm

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Can the pedaling energy charge the battery of an electric bike?

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Drowzzy

Can the mechanical energy of pedaling be stored as electrical energy to be utilized later to run the bicycle automatically? I'm not talking about pure electric bikes that need regular charging, and not even about those that you pedal for a while as the bike stands still and then run it on electric power. I mean can you ride a bike and store the mechanical energy simultaneously? Will it be efficient? If so, then are such e-bikes available in the market, and what are they called so that I may Google for them?

Here's the scenario: I need a bicycle for regular commute, may be even for covering long distances. It's not feasible for a layman to pedal continuously for more than 5 to 10 miles. So I'm looking for a bike that you pedal for sometime, and when you're exhausted, you simply flick a button to make it run on electrical power which has been converted and stored from the mechanical energy of pedaling the bike; and then pedal again and auto-ride again and so forth. Will something like that be technically efficient, since you're moving the bike while pedaling as well as storing your spare energy?

Hope I haven't confused you. Thanks :)

Answer
Yes, it can!

Electric cycles are readily available. You normally charge them from a mains supply and then you can part-pedal / part-drive them on your commute. You can often adjust the amount of assistance to be supplied by the motor enabling you to go faster but less far or vice versa. If you want to pedal the bike and store 50% (say) of your energy for later you can do so but you will be doing double the work when pedalling, so your commute will be, so to say, twice as hard or half as fast and take twice as long. That doesn't seem to make much sense, especially since electric cycles are heavy and pedalling them (with no motor assistance) even without any of your energy going to storage, will be quite slow and tediously tough.

What an electric cycle does do is re-charge the batteries when you go downhill giving you back at least a good fraction of the energy expended in climbing up. But that produces a braking effect and the speed of descent is reduced. What inevitably goes lost is the energy taken by friction and wind resistance. Storing and using later is also subject to a degree of loss.

In short, if you don't want to use a commercial energy source to "fuel" your bicycle, get a conventional one - you'll do vastly better.

Can the pedaling energy charge the battery of an electric bike?

Drowzzy

Can the mechanical energy of pedaling be stored as electrical energy to be utilized later to run the bicycle automatically? I'm not talking about pure electric bikes that need regular charging, and not even about those that you pedal for a while as the bike stands still and then run it on electric power. I mean can you ride a bike and store the mechanical energy simultaneously? Will it be efficient? If so, then are such e-bikes available in the market, and what are they called so that I may Google for them?

Here's the scenario: I need a bicycle for regular commute, may be even for covering long distances. It's not feasible for a layman to pedal continuously for more than 5 to 10 miles. So I'm looking for a bike that you pedal for sometime, and when you're exhausted, you simply flick a button to make it run on electrical power which has been converted and stored from the mechanical energy of pedaling the bike; and then pedal again and auto-ride again and so forth. Will something like that be technically efficient, since you're moving the bike while pedaling as well as storing your spare energy?

Hope I haven't confused you. Thanks :)

Answer
There is already such a motor on the market. The name escapes me right now but it is a hub built into the rear wheel and it costs about $2000... not the Erbike hub motor... I think it is Electricrider or something like that.

To your request, yes, it is possible and a project I am working on right now. No, I can't and won't divulge details but CAN tell you that you'll see it relatively soon and it WILL be expensive- more expensive than a small motorcycle at this point.

By the way... I typically commute 24 miles (one way) to work on a bicycle, no problem. 5-10 mile commute is simple for most committed riders.

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in your opinion how many persons needed for this bike generating electricity to help a whole city?

best electric bike under 1000 image

iojhyt675

a bike exercise that generates electricity for home use. if a small city wants to generate electricity by these bike exercise generating electricity, how many persons needed that will feed 1,000 homes with electricity such are for A.C. and heater, TV...etc
the video on youtube will show you what i mean, or search for "CYLEC" Electricity Generating Exercise Bike : DigInfo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjVYBAicVKU

Answer
A typical person can produce about 100 watts over a sustained period on one of these things (this is a limitation of the body, improvements in the generator will not change it), but not 24x7. We need rest periods. (Even marathon runners have to rest after the marathon.) Only the very fittest individuals can do better than this.

(You doubt this? Cranking a generator under load is HARD. A lot of science and tech museums have a hands-on - or feet-on - exhibit where they have one of these things set up with a power meter. Anyone interested in energy should go and find out how tough it is to produce 100 watts.)

But let's say we employ only Tour-de-France class athletes. They've been measured at 300 watts output over a one hour period. I doubt they could do that for 8 hours straight... but let's assume they can.

So over an eight-hour shift, one of these people might produce 8 x 300 = 2400 watt-hours, or 2.4 kWh.

The average home in the US uses a *round-the-clock average* of just about 1000 watts. That's 24 kWh per day.

So you need 10 workers - all of them Tour de France-level athletes, each working one eight-hour shift per day - to produce the electric energy for ONE average home.

But, assuming they live three to a home, you have to add 3.3 homes to the city! It's a net loss.

Even if you assume that each can work 16 hours/day instead of only 8, you still need 5 workers per existing home... plus you have to power and light the houses those workers live in. Even if they pack themselves five to a home it's merely breaking even.

AND you have to feed them all. Even Tour de France cyclists have to eat. The more energy your body is producing, the more you have to eat. And the body is a relatively inefficient converter of food energy to mechanical energy. But assuming it was 100% efficient, to produce that 2.4 kWh of energy would require eating over 2000 calories' worth (large calories, or kcal) of food *in addition to* their normal consumption. That's by direct conversion of units. In practice (due to inefficiency) it would be much larger. Nothing in energy is free, not even human muscle power.

But, damn! They'd have legs like tree trunks...

Where can I get a motor trike (3 wheel) in the Dallas / Ft. Worth area that I can make payments on?

redriverwo

If you know of someone or a dealership please provide me w/ the contact info and send to redriverwoman42@yahoo.com
I am looking for a motorcylce trike 3-wheeler such as a Honda Goldwing-something that the conversion has already been done on.

Answer
The Pep Boys auto parts stores, as well as AutoZone and others, sell very cheap Chinese ATV's and small electric and gas bikes. They are priced under $1000 in most cases, and some are even under $500 so making payments wouldn't be needed unless you're really broke.

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Could a person under 16 operate a motorized vehicle on a roadway or sidewalk?

best electric bikes under 1000 image

Culley

my son is 14 going on 15 and I was wondering if it was legal for him to operate one of the following vehicles on the road or sidewalk:
- Go cart
- Moped (less than 50cc)
- Motorbike (less than 50cc)
- electric motorbike
- A bike converted to run off a chainsaw engine

Just for reference we live in Loudon County, Va. in a suburban bordering on rural area. Also if you know any other street or sidewalk legal vehicles he could operate, could you suggest them? I have a price limit of around $1000, but willing to spring for something if you recommend it. Thanks!!

Answer
Motor vehicle laws are local and this forum is National with international visitors. Your best source of information will be you state DMV which may have some FAQ you could check on a website like this one: http://www.dmv.state.va.us/drivers/#teen.asp

You also might look for your specific question relative to your state

Go carts seem to be available for off road use: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090707204036AAnwhK5 contact those in business for the relative regulations

Mopeds in Va: http://www.scootrichmond.com/shopping-tools/virginia-moped-and-motorcycle-laws

motorized bicycles at less than 49cc would come under the moped exemptions/restrictions: http://www.motoredbikes.com/showthread.php?36692-Motorized-bikes-in-Virginia

Electric bikes seems to also fall under moped rules: http://www.electricvehiclemall.com/pdf/Virginia_E-Bike_Law.pdf

The fatal exclusion is that your son must be 16.

Anybody can recommend me a motorcycle for me?

Daniel C

i am 15 years old looking for an electric motorcycle. i am 6'1" tall.i live in california so the motorcycle have to be under 1000 watts. i also dont have a license yet so i want an electric slow motorcycle that is 1000watts or lower and goes above 15 mph but under 25 mph

Answer
Your question would be better suited to the Street Bike section of Yahoo Answers.

You can find the Street Bike section under Transport, Here : http://answers.yahoo.com/dir/index;_ylt=AmKT9S3cS3lkGCYJO612vAYU5XNG;_ylv=3?sid=396546040

This section is for Motorcycle RACING.

Good luck, Iâm sure the users in the Street section will help you out.

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Which commute bicycle is best for me?

best electric bike for commuting image

Tara

I am looking for a bicycle for a commute to work of about 8-10 miles and would consider an electric model. Can anyone offer any specific models? There is so much out there to choose from. The area where I live can be fairly hilly, so higher number of speeds would be best, and I'm wondering how often there would have to be battery replacement on an electric bike. Any help would be appreciated, preferably from personal experience, but speculation from an experienced rider would also help. Thanks.

Answer
You can get a good electric assist bicycle - for a few THOUSAND dollars. http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/collections/electric_assist/models/ Or...you could take the initiative to get a nice entry level "performance hybrid" with the gears to pull hills under your own power. And this bike may just come factory equipped with fenders & a rear rack for under $400! You will get & stay fit. Electric assist bicycles make you fat & lazy. What if the charge in the battery runs low or out at the wrong time & in the wrong place? Then you are faced pedaling an extremely heavy bike home under your own power. See these two links...

http://www.rei.com/product/826111/diamondback-insight-rs-commuter-bike-womens-special-buy
http://www.rei.com/product/826110/diamondback-insight-rs-commuter-bike-special-buy

What is the best electric bicycle out there?

Tim

Looking for an electric bicycle for commuting...range isn't too crucial as long as it's greater than 10 miles. Affordability is important.

Answer
There are now many electric assist bicycles out there. Some come complete and some kits you adapt to your own bicycle. A great place to start might be here: http://www.electricbikesreviews.com/

There are two general types of electric assist bicycles. They are hub motors and friction motors. For either one the motor and batteries will add weight to the bicycle.

Features you will want to look for should include:

Light with a good power to weight ratio.
The added weight of the batteries should be well placed for the design of the bike and not simply put anywhere.
Ability to remove the battery for charging inside the home.

Regenerative braking captures inertial energy and tries to convert that back into electricity to charge the battery. Bicycles are much lighter than a car and so have less inertial energy to capture. Batteries can't accept a massive influx of energy at once. As a result batteries are not so good to capture inertial energy. The good news is that while this may not be an extremely useful feature it virtually comes free with an electric motor

A fairing of some sort will extend range probably more than regenerative braking. Because of its lower wind resistance an electric recumbant makes some sense: http://www.recumbents.com/wisil/e-bent/default.htm

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How many hours should bike lights last?

best battery bike light image

John

Ive just bought a bike with halfords bike lights. I was just wondering how long the battery last on average? Is it a couple of hours or 100's?

Answer
It should state the expected running times on the packaging. If the lights were fitted to the cycle when you got it, and it was new, you should at least have been given the instructions.
LED lights usually last for something like 30 hours on steady, and 60 hours when flashing, lights with bulbs will last for considerably less.

I've attached a link to the lights section of the Halfords web site, and some of the lights have their run times in the description.

How come when i hook up this 12volt 50 watt halogen bulb it doesnt light up?

Sdfaad

So I wanted to make a bike light so i bought a halogen bulb the rquires 12v 50 watt power. I put some batteries in series to make 12volts but when i connect the bulb it does nothing. why doesnt it do anything>? I even stepped up the volts to 18 with two 9 volt batteries but still nothing. Any ideas?

Answer
50 watts is a lot of power for most batteries. It is likely that your batteries have too much internal resistance and cannot deliver the amount of current required.

To determine this, connect a voltmeter across the light when you connect it the batteries. You will probably see that the voltage drops to much less than 12 volts.

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How much is a battery going to cost me on my 2003 Honda CBR600rr?

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Bob

I just tried to fire my bike up, battery is dead. Charged it with my trickle charger, didn't hold a charge for more than one start. How much is a battery going to cost me?

Answer
Yuasa High Performance Maintenance Free Battery (YTZ10S)
More lead plates in each battery for highest cranking amps and reserve capacity.
This product fits 2003 Honda CBR600:

$148.46 from Bike Bandit dot COM

I've had a Walmart battery in a '99 Honda Magna for two years now that didn't cost near that.

2000 Kawasaki ZX6 CAN I JUMP START MY BIKE OR DO I NEED TO GET A BATTERY CHARGER?

mark

I let my bike sit too long over the winter without starting it at all. Now the battery is dead. Is it safe to just take it down a hill and jump start it? Or should i get a battery charger?

Answer
you should do both...jump started for now if it holds charge then you're fine but if it doesn't then you'll have to buy a new one...also get a battery charger to use for winter / storage ... so you won't have to worry about it

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Where can you find a good, reliable electric bicycle store in the bay area?

best electric bike hill climbing image

chimichang

It seems like we are so behind in electric bicycle compared to China, Taiwan, Netherlands, etc....

Answer
Get a nice test ride for speed and hill climbing.
Get all warranties in writing.

Try a Bionx Dealer, Bioinx is pretty reliable.

So here is a partial Bay area listing:

Try Santa Cruz, they have a bunch.

Dave's Custom Bikes is located at 910 Soquel Avenue, across from the Albertsonâs shopping center and Tony and Albaâs Pizza, 3 1/2 blocks up the hill from Ocean Street, in Santa Cruz.

also

San Francisco
Noe Valley Cyclery
4193 24th Street
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 647-0886

Please note: Noe Valley Cyclery is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

Oakland
Wheels of Justice Cyclery
2024 Mountain Blvd.
Oakland, CA 94611
(510) 339-6091

Marin
The Village Peddler
1161 Magnolia Avenue
Larkspur, CA 94939
(415) 461-3091
www.myebike.com


Electro Ride Bikes & Scooters
1421 Yellowstone Ave
Milpitas (CA) 95035-6913
408-262-8975
rob.means@electric-bikes.com

Livermore Cyclery
2752 First Street
Livermore (CA) 94550
925-455-8090
http://www.livermorecyclery.com



Mt Tam Bikes
31 Sunnyside Ave, Ste C
Mill Valley (CA) 94941
415-389-1900
http://www.mttambikes.com/

Ecodrive Technology Group, 37436 Gillett Road, Fremont, CA 94536, 866-309-6717, http://www.ecycleusa.com/

If my kill switch on my motorcycle was broke off will the motorcycle still start?

J P

Sorry guys... it is a 1982 kawasaki kz1100 .It was in storage and the key was lost also the kill switch on the throttle grip was broken i was wondering if after i get a key made if i am going to have problems with this switch being broken...

Answer
The kill switch on a motorcycle is basically exactly what it says. A means to kill the engine. It does so by shorting out the electric by grounding it to the handlebar.
If the switch was broke in such a way that the wire touched the handlebar it won't start. If it was broke and the wire didn't hit the bar it would start but render the switch inoperative.
As another said you didn't mention the make or style of the bike. If it has an ignition you can use it to shut off the bike. Some use the kill switch to shut them down. If this is the case you can make another switch easily by using what we did when racing. Attach the wire to a piece of metal, (we used a piece of hacksaw blade) wrap tape around the handlebar and the blade so that the blade has tape to keep it off the bar on one end and lays on the bar on the other. This shorts out the bike and it wont run. Now put a small piece of leather under the one end of the blade and the bike will start and run. Pull out the leather and it shorts out again. We used this in hill climbing and racing by attaching the leather by a strap wrapped around our wrist. If we left the bike the strap would pull out and the bike would kill.

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What are the best brands of electric bicycles and electric mopeds?

best electric bicycle kit image

DIYguy

What are the best brands of electric bicycles and electric mopeds?

1) Best brands -- regardless-of-price -- for electic bicycles & electric mopeds

-- AND ALSO --

2) Best brands -- considering-the-price -- for electic bicycles & electric mopeds

thanks for your answers

Answer
There are kits available to convert you bicycle to electic powered. You may want to try that also.

Is it cheaper buy a bicycle with an engine than drive a car that needs insurance and lots of gas?

sonate

I can get a motorized bicycle kit for 400 dollars and then get 111 miles per gallon on it.THis Is For Texas Laws.

Answer
you can get a eng kit for $200 . problem is that they are not legal to ride on the roads.

but some cities dont bother you and some do , most do.

that is why i have an electric bike . if gas bike was legal i would have one..

i dont live in Tex , but it is the same everywhere.

all i can say is try it and see if the cops in your city pull you over.

google " gas powered bicycle forums " you find a bunch of forums and ask those people.

but you can buy a street legal 50 cc MoPed and all you have to have is a drivers lic. no ins required

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Can the pedaling energy charge the battery of an electric bike?

which electric bikes are best image

Drowzzy

Can the mechanical energy of pedaling be stored as electrical energy to be utilized later to run the bicycle automatically? I'm not talking about pure electric bikes that need regular charging, and not even about those that you pedal for a while as the bike stands still and then run it on electric power. I mean can you ride a bike and store the mechanical energy simultaneously? Will it be efficient? If so, then are such e-bikes available in the market, and what are they called so that I may Google for them?

Here's the scenario: I need a bicycle for regular commute, may be even for covering long distances. It's not feasible for a layman to pedal continuously for more than 5 to 10 miles. So I'm looking for a bike that you pedal for sometime, and when you're exhausted, you simply flick a button to make it run on electrical power which has been converted and stored from the mechanical energy of pedaling the bike; and then pedal again and auto-ride again and so forth. Will something like that be technically efficient, since you're moving the bike while pedaling as well as storing your spare energy?

Hope I haven't confused you. Thanks :)

Answer
Yes, it can!

Electric cycles are readily available. You normally charge them from a mains supply and then you can part-pedal / part-drive them on your commute. You can often adjust the amount of assistance to be supplied by the motor enabling you to go faster but less far or vice versa. If you want to pedal the bike and store 50% (say) of your energy for later you can do so but you will be doing double the work when pedalling, so your commute will be, so to say, twice as hard or half as fast and take twice as long. That doesn't seem to make much sense, especially since electric cycles are heavy and pedalling them (with no motor assistance) even without any of your energy going to storage, will be quite slow and tediously tough.

What an electric cycle does do is re-charge the batteries when you go downhill giving you back at least a good fraction of the energy expended in climbing up. But that produces a braking effect and the speed of descent is reduced. What inevitably goes lost is the energy taken by friction and wind resistance. Storing and using later is also subject to a degree of loss.

In short, if you don't want to use a commercial energy source to "fuel" your bicycle, get a conventional one - you'll do vastly better.

Can the pedaling energy charge the battery of an electric bike?

Drowzzy

Can the mechanical energy of pedaling be stored as electrical energy to be utilized later to run the bicycle automatically? I'm not talking about pure electric bikes that need regular charging, and not even about those that you pedal for a while as the bike stands still and then run it on electric power. I mean can you ride a bike and store the mechanical energy simultaneously? Will it be efficient? If so, then are such e-bikes available in the market, and what are they called so that I may Google for them?

Here's the scenario: I need a bicycle for regular commute, may be even for covering long distances. It's not feasible for a layman to pedal continuously for more than 5 to 10 miles. So I'm looking for a bike that you pedal for sometime, and when you're exhausted, you simply flick a button to make it run on electrical power which has been converted and stored from the mechanical energy of pedaling the bike; and then pedal again and auto-ride again and so forth. Will something like that be technically efficient, since you're moving the bike while pedaling as well as storing your spare energy?

Hope I haven't confused you. Thanks :)

Answer
There is already such a motor on the market. The name escapes me right now but it is a hub built into the rear wheel and it costs about $2000... not the Erbike hub motor... I think it is Electricrider or something like that.

To your request, yes, it is possible and a project I am working on right now. No, I can't and won't divulge details but CAN tell you that you'll see it relatively soon and it WILL be expensive- more expensive than a small motorcycle at this point.

By the way... I typically commute 24 miles (one way) to work on a bicycle, no problem. 5-10 mile commute is simple for most committed riders.

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what do you think about electric bicycles?

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bluewater1

Im thinking about converting my bike to an electric bike,instead of driving my car everywhere.Does anyone have one and is your experience a positive one?

Answer
My dad has one and he really likes it. You can't go very far, but it's nice for runs to work, grocery store, etc... Their a pretty good way to commute, you can keep up with traffic for the most part. But real cyclists like me will make fun of you (you are cheating after all).

Which commute bicycle is best for me?

Tara

I am looking for a bicycle for a commute to work of about 8-10 miles and would consider an electric model. Can anyone offer any specific models? There is so much out there to choose from. The area where I live can be fairly hilly, so higher number of speeds would be best, and I'm wondering how often there would have to be battery replacement on an electric bike. Any help would be appreciated, preferably from personal experience, but speculation from an experienced rider would also help. Thanks.

Answer
You can get a good electric assist bicycle - for a few THOUSAND dollars. http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/collections/electric_assist/models/ Or...you could take the initiative to get a nice entry level "performance hybrid" with the gears to pull hills under your own power. And this bike may just come factory equipped with fenders & a rear rack for under $400! You will get & stay fit. Electric assist bicycles make you fat & lazy. What if the charge in the battery runs low or out at the wrong time & in the wrong place? Then you are faced pedaling an extremely heavy bike home under your own power. See these two links...

http://www.rei.com/product/826111/diamondback-insight-rs-commuter-bike-womens-special-buy
http://www.rei.com/product/826110/diamondback-insight-rs-commuter-bike-special-buy

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How does an electric bicycle work?

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Kavi Dessa

When my dad first mentioned them to me, I though that they would work just about the same as an electric scooter. But when I actually looked it up, I saw that they still had pedals and looked almost exactly the same as any other bike. So where does the electric part come in if you're still pedaling? How does it work?

Thank you kindly.
:)

Answer
The motor is connected either thru the chain drive or is a part of the wheel (hub motor).

some models are throttle based where you push the throttle more, and more power goes to the motor (Power on Demand 'POD'), or, power can be initiated by a sensor that detects you are pedalling pretty hard, so it sends power to the motor to help out (pedelec).

On some models you must pedal, (pedalec) others you have your choice whether or not to pedal. Even moderate pedalling helps with the performance and range.

If an ebike follows the U.S. Federal law HR 727, it is legal where bikes are legal:

To be legal in most states, an e-bike must have less than 750 watts of power, pedals that really work, 2 or 3 wheels (not 4 wheels) and the motor should cut out at 20mph.

turn key ebikes can be purchased from Giant bicycle, Target online, and other places depending on your locale. there are many kit vendors; Cyclone is a chain drive, Bionx is a fancy high end hub motor, and Crystalyte is a value hub motor, along with other companies.

The motor enables people that have physical limitations to still ride and manage hills and headwinds. It also allows people to show up for work a lot less sweaty and allows an alternative to car transportation while still getting decent exercise. Prices for decent stuff starts at about $400, and goes up to almost $10K for an electric enclosed trike that can virtually replace a car. Properly chosen many better ebikes have a range of 25+ miles before having to recharge the batteries.

I am 60 years old and can bring home 40lbs of groceries on my ebike, and can use it to go most anyplace in my medium sized (500,000 population) town.

some newer ebikes are quite lightweight and bicycle like.

Ebikes increase health, decrease pollution, decrease auto traffic, save transportation dollars and consume no petroleum. REcharging takes about 4 hours and costs about 10 cents.

How can I turn a bicycle into a motorized one?

I'm no expert (or even novice) on motors. I'm guessing getting a lawn-mower motor would be best, though I would like to know if there is a way to have an electric motor (to save on gas.) I live in Minnesota so it would be used in kinda cold conditions like in the fall and early spring, obviously not the winter.

Would love details or a link where it will explain in detail for someone who knows nothing about motors.

Need it to get to and from work.

Answer
http://www.google.com/search?q=bicycle+motor+kit

Also see youtube for videos for bicycle motor kit.

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Why do people suggest new bikers start with a bike with lower engine displacement?

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Dd

*Before anyone makes any assumptions, I am not looking to explain why I want a more powerful bike as my first. I haven't even taken a class yet; I've just been doing some reading to educate myself on the proper way to get into biking. I am not really considering any kind of bike until I take a class and see if I even enjoy riding, but I am leaning towards a small, light, low powered used bike to practice on first.

Virtually everything I have read has said first time bikers should stick to small, light bikes with lower cc. I've heard from a few people it depends on the person but the vast majority of the literature I've got my hands on has said its an accident waiting to happen because the bike is too "powerful" but they never elaborate on what they mean by "powerful". I understand that smaller and lighter bikes handle more easily in terms of making turns, but what exactly do they mean by "power"? Is it speed? Acceleration? Both?

I have gathered that bigger bikes tend to accelerate faster, and the logic is that if a beginner is on one of these more powerful bikes and accidentally accelerates too quickly, they could panic and lose control. Whereas if they were on a bike that accelerates slower, they would be able to recover more easily. Is that the concern, or am I misunderstanding something?

Other people who say it depends on the rider seem to believe that so long as the rider isn't trying to intentionally race or show off on the road they will be fine with a more powerful bike. Am I correctly understanding their argument?

Thanks for any clarification. One thing that stinks about books is you can't ask a question if the author isn't clear enough in their explanation.
@Candid That's exactly what I do not understand. What exactly do you mean by "limit"? I understand how physically larger and physically heavier bikes are harder to turn, so that makes sense. But can you explain why engine displacement matters? Hope that makes more sense, thanks

Answer
All the above good answers have there points. but I would like to add:

A larger displacement bike presents more opportunities for disaster. These potential disasters are overcome by acquired recovery skills. Either I've become more skilled or more mellowed out with age but; in my past I didn't come back from a ride on a 1,000cc sport bike without a recovery . (Now I can't recall a recent recovery.)

When I take the wife's 250 Ninja out to fill up the tank, charge battery, transit, etc. I in my memory have never had the power to break traction forcing my recovery skills into use. (that may just be fair weather or chance?) Years ago I gained recovery skills on a even smaller dirt bike but it required a wet surface.

Now I have experienced rides that I really don't care to repeat; being caught in the rain up in mountains and having to choose between going as fast as I can vs. deteriorating sunlight, being caught in snow and recovering, add loose debris on surfaces catching me by surprise and slipping and recovering. Throttle control and instinctive reactions must be correct! A larger bike has a wide window of error that isn't even present in a smaller displacement motorbike.

So what choice are you going to have for your introduction to a sport bike? A large displacement bike that will require finely honed skills to prevent or to recover from any slight speed or throttle error? Or will you choose to learn on a milder bike that will but rarely does present these issues that require fast correct responses to prevent a complete disaster?

I don't care how careful, cautious, mature,or responsible you are or call yourself you will place yourself in these situations that will require recovery skills. Wouldn't you prefer to experience them on the outside of the riding envelope instead of at every corner you enter too fast , apply too much throttle too early,or unseen surface debris on a turn with excessive throttle and need recovery skills to prevent a disaster?

Can I replace my bikelight dynamo with a battery?

Ricardo

I only want to change the power source, not the setup! I don't want to buy those clip-on bike lights. I like the old style look of my bike and want to keep it that way! Any ideas?

Answer
I put together a rechargeable set-up 15 years ago, before good clip-ons became available. The lamp was 6V, so I got a hobby store to put together some 6V battery packs (like the ones used to power remote control cars). I used the same connection clips as are used in the toy cars - from memory these gave one or two problems but were very easy to fix. I'd still be using it if my headlight hadn't developed a mystery blackout problem that was most easily solved by replacing it with a clip-on system. If you're anywhere near Melbourne, Australia and want my batteries and charger (and/or a Union headlight with a mystery blackout problem), drop me a line.

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What is the lifespan of an electric bike?

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archa_pyus

Say you have an electric bicycle that is used daily, capable of a 30 mile range before needing re-fuelling and a speed range of 3-15mph.

What would be its likely lifespan, i.e. when would the whole thing have to be replaced?

I do not need exact measurements, just the general idea, as it is for a project for which i have to design an electric bike, which i know nothing about.

thank you!

Answer
The life span of an electric bike is mostly determined by the battery. Batteries can have a memory and if recharged before depleting it completely will reduce the capacity and can affect the range.

I would do some research on batteries. You can also look up motorized hubs to put on bikes, they make for the cleanest design.

Motors are rated in watts and most states have regulations that control the maximum amount of power that you can use.

http://www.electricbikesales.co.uk/info/buyingguide/

How can I figure out how fast my electric bike would go?

morbeckbra

I'm trying to put together an electric bike, with parts from http://www.electricscooterparts.com/. I'm using a standard bike frame that weighs about 30 pounds. How can I calculate how fast a hypothetical electric powered bike will go just from looking at the voltages and amperages of the batteries/motors listed on the website?

Answer
wrong data. you need motor rpm and drive train ratios. voltage and amperage gives you power, watts or horsepower. which will let you figure how long it will take to get to top speed.

example: a hub motor with no gears, running at 250 rpm will move a 26 inch bike wheel at about 20 mph.

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