Earth Savers Go Pedal-Powered.

Posted by: Mitchell H. Kirsch 0 comments

Green energy be damned, battery powered cars aren’t the only way you can tap energy in an environment-friendly manner. People are getting turned on to the original green energy – the bicycle.

Mother Earth News shows you how you can transform your morning stationary-bike session into an alternative power source – this power-bike can produce 5 to 10 amps of power continuously.

This power-bike’s builder isn’t the only one – David Butcher sells plans for his power-bike, claiming excellent results (both in terms of calories burned, and energy generated):

The Pedal Generator I ride charges batteries, that run an inverter, that produces 110v AC, that powers LED lights, the monitor on my computer, my cell phones, and charges my Roomba as well as many other small battery-powered things. It is the most inspiring workout you can imagine.

 

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Of course, where variety is concerned, Butcher can’t hold a candle up to Pedal Power Bicycle Generators, who build a wide range of pedal-powered generators that can be applied to almost endless uses around the home and in the community.

Finally, a couple of guys in Brooklyn are taking a different tack on pedal power – instead of focusing on the power generated by bicycle generators, they use sustainable materials to build their bikes. And how!

Sean Murray of the Bamboo Bike Studio teaches New Yorkers how to build bikes from bamboo tubes, and is charging a mint for the exercise. “Over 60 people have shelled out $1,250 a pop to build custom bamboo bikes since the shop opened in June,” reports the New York Daily News.

The 16-hour, two-day course is offered every other weekend at the Richards St. shop.

Students are measured, then they cut their own shoots of locally grown bamboo using simple hand tools to fashion the bike’s frame. The joints are glued, wrapped in carbon fiber and left to dry overnight.

The next day, the bikes are sanded and fitted with chains, wheels and handlebars. After that, students are free to pedal away.

The bikes were first developed to help underdeveloped nations build bike industries of their own. Ghana, Kenya, and the Philippines are rich in bamboo, but have no local bike industry to call its own. The bamboo bike, hopes Murray, may change all that.

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