Selfsufficientish.com

Several times in the past we discussed on this forum the possibility of pedal power - bicycle connected to PC or something like that. The latest CAT catalogue has the Gazelle Powerbank in it. Has anybody ever seen one in action, or used one themselves? I've been googling around, but there aren't really any decent reviews anywhere (yet?), and none of the suppliers has a photo with it actually being in use. You are supposed to just stick it under the chair you are sitting on, but it would be good to know how comfy it is to use. I have the problem with some of the wind-up products that the handles are too short / too long / just not the right shape. And it doesn't say how long you have to pedal for to fully load it - only what it can do once fully loaded!

That would be a way for couch potatoes to actually get some exercise!

I can't figure out why there isn't something on the market that hooks on to a normal bike, like putting it on an excersize stand... I would love one of them.

In a way, this one should be more flexible - you don't have to lug about the entire bike, but can use it under any chair you are sitting on. So yes, with a bit of practice you might be able to tread and type at the same time! Just wonder whether anybody has actually done it.

Hey, that might be the way forward for "greening" the office: can you imagine employers not only asking about your typing etc skills, but also how good you are at pedalling? Have the entire office run on cycle power!

Annpan wrote:I can't figure out why there isn't something on the market that hooks on to a normal bike, like putting it on an excersize stand... I would love one of them.

...As always I aim to please........ http://www.scienceshareware.com/bike-ge ... rnator.htm

I think I have seen that before Big Al, or some similar plans, and it is all very well and good but I don't have the necessary knowledge or parts to build it myself - I have also seen one for sale at $400 or something... and I don't even think they shipped to Britain, and it still looked like a prototype. But it is easy to get an exercise stand for your bike... I just haven't worked out why there isn't one widely available that has a charger socket on it... it has to have some kind of resistance to the user anyway, so why not use it?

Ina - they used to sell things like that for oldies to keep their circulation up if they were sitting all day, used to see them in those funny catalogues.
I don't think they'd be so easy to use, the posture you adopt on a bike seems more appropriate somehow with all your weight above the pedal... but I may be wrong.

Annpan wrote:I don't think they'd be so easy to use, the posture you adopt on a bike seems more appropriate somehow with all your weight above the pedal... but I may be wrong.

That's my concern, too. And I'm wondering - why don't any of those suppliers show a photo of one in use? Something fishy about that.

ina wrote:

Annpan wrote:I don't think they'd be so easy to use, the posture you adopt on a bike seems more appropriate somehow with all your weight above the pedal... but I may be wrong.

That's my concern, too. And I'm wondering - why don't any of those suppliers show a photo of one in use? Something fishy about that.

Go on the link I posted and there is a clip of an american fitness show using these type bikes for power outputs.

Personally I think it will take a lot of effort to charge the battery up to store the power to use the inverter but these might one day be more useful as it's all down to need over usabillity.

I have always had a car but now it's knackered and out of insurance. with no money to fix or insure it I am now car [use] less but I have a bus at the end of my street and this links to the trains.... it is more "hassle" than getting in the car etc but it's a lot cheaper.

If I "need" to play a computer game or watch the telly badly enough then I'd use the bike to charge it. Need over want ....