# Charging battery with human powered generator



## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

I was just wondering if it would make any difference to those who feel that ebikes are "cheating" and that ebikers don't "earn" the right to use the trails since they aren't burning as many calories, if I charged my battery in the evening with a stationary bike while I watched TV? That way I would be only using my stored muscle power as opposed to mains electricity when I rode.

It would be just like pedaling a stationary clockwork bike at the bottom of a hill until you wound up the spring and then riding to the top of the hill w/o pedaling again. Simply the storage of human power....... Only the mechanical energy is being converted (at a loss in efficiency, I might add) into electricity to be stored for later use. Due to the loss of energy during conversion and storage I would have to burn MORE calories than a pMTB for a given trail, so what's not to like?


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## formula4speed (Mar 25, 2013)

I don't think anyone cares about the calories you burn. Just the motor attached to your bike. Motor would still be there, so no difference.


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## chuckha62 (Jul 11, 2006)

Interesting thought.


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## Harryman (Jun 14, 2011)

I charge my "battery" with beer and porkchops on the night before a ride, which is certainly not very efficient. 

I don't think that ebikes are cheating, so I don't really care where you get the power from. Charging it yourself is a neat idea though.

But a motorized vehicle is motorized, even if it has a hyper efficient clockwork motor, or compressed air, or ICE.


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## chuckha62 (Jul 11, 2006)

Compressed air motors sound like farts.

Now, a fart powered bike... No one could dispute it being human powered, right?


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## armii (Jan 9, 2016)

What about a mechanical device that stored inertial energy for a short time (say from going downhill) to be used when peddling?


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

formula4speed said:


> I don't think anyone cares about the calories you burn. Just the motor attached to your bike. Motor would still be there, so no difference.


 I know that, but some folks seem to get really incensed about the whole "you gotta feel the burn to be able to be here" thing. This way it's all my own calories being burned, just spread out over the whole week.


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

chuckha62 said:


> Compressed air motors sound like farts.
> 
> Now, a fart powered bike... No one could dispute it being human powered, right?


 Turbosuperchargers are compressed air/gas motors and they sure don't sound like farts!


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

armii said:


> What about a mechanical device that stored inertial energy for a short time (say from going downhill) to be used when peddling?


F1 uses a system called KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) to do just that. It gives the driver a short shot of boost like a nitrous shot, but from energy stored in a flywheel IIRC.


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## Walt (Jan 23, 2004)

My concern is really closing speeds on multiuse trails. I guess having to charge the battery with human power would make e bikes pretty unpopular (you'd have to ride in stationary/charging mode going nowhere for a LOOONG time) but it wouldn't really solve the problem of people riding uphill at 10-15mph at the same time that people are descending at 15-20. Adding considerably more speed for climbers and perhaps a bit more speed for descending riders is probably a pretty bad idea, given that near misses are common as it is. 

-Walt


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## chuckha62 (Jul 11, 2006)

WoodlandHills said:


> Turbosuperchargers are compressed air/gas motors and they sure don't sound like farts!


Um, yeah... I'm well versed in turbo and superchargers, but that's forced induction. NOT the same thing in the slightest.

Have you never heard a compressed air motor? They're actually very cool. Carrying around a compressed air cylinder is a major drawback however.


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## formula4speed (Mar 25, 2013)

WoodlandHills said:


> I know that, but some folks seem to get really incensed about the whole "you gotta feel the burn to be able to be here" thing. This way it's all my own calories being burned, just spread out over the whole week.


Some people just have strong feelings about how things should be done. You can't argue with their feelings, you might as well bang your head against your monitor, the result will be about the same.

I try not to mock people for riding geared bikes, single speeds are just better


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## NEPMTBA (Apr 7, 2007)

Harryman said:


> I charge my "battery" with beer and porkchops on the night before a ride, which is certainly not very efficient.


 This should get a award!!!!!!!!! I cracked up! +1


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

WoodlandHills said:


> so what's not to like?


Makes no sense to me, instead of riding the stationary bike to charge the electric bike why not just ride a bicycle instead? Your way would take twice the time to cover the same distance. Just plug it in.


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## chuckha62 (Jul 11, 2006)

To me, it's still about motorized versus non-motorized on trails deemed to be non-motorized. On trails and roads where they're allowed, ebikes are awesome.


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

chuckha62 said:


> Um, yeah... I'm well versed in turbo and superchargers, but that's forced induction. NOT the same thing in the slightest.
> 
> Have you never heard a compressed air motor? They're actually very cool. Carrying around a compressed air cylinder is a major drawback however.


 Actually they are exactly the same thing. Expanding gas spins a shaft that does work, just like an ICE or a turbine. What else could it be? It does not matter what you use it for: forced induction, cabin air pressure, turbo-compound power extraction, whatever, it's still a motor.


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## Harryman (Jun 14, 2011)

I'm going to develop the S.H.I.F.T. - bike. Supercharged Houseclearing Ignited Fart Turbocharger.

Let the hating commence.


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## chuckha62 (Jul 11, 2006)

WoodlandHills said:


> Actually they are exactly the same thing. Expanding gas spins a shaft that does work, just like an ICE or a turbine. What else could it be? It does not matter what you use it for: forced induction, cabin air pressure, turbo-compound power extraction, whatever, it's still a motor.


Now, you're talking about a turbine. NOT what you said before. So, yeah still totally different technologies.


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## chuckha62 (Jul 11, 2006)

Harryman said:


> I'm going to develop the S.H.I.F.T. - bike. Supercharged Houseclearing Ignited Fart Turbocharger.
> 
> Let the hating commence.


Can I be first?


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

chuckha62 said:


> Now, you're talking about a turbine. NOT what you said before. So, yeah still totally different technologies.


 No, an ICE uses expanding gas to turn a crankshaft. Just like a turbine. Having a piston and connecting rod in between the expanding gas and the shaft does not change anything. The principle is still the same: expanding gas turns a shaft that does work, it's the basic principle that all heat engines run on, including steam and the Stirling cycle.


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## chuckha62 (Jul 11, 2006)

Clueless. Oye! All this from having fun equating a compressed air motor to sounding like a fart. I give the F--K up. Watch a youtube video of a compressed air motor. You'll enjoy it because some of them are actually on bikes.


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## armii (Jan 9, 2016)

personally I think there are way to many two way trails that should be one way whether there are ebikes or not.


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## Crankout (Jun 16, 2010)

Meh...put your energy-producing efforts to good use instead!


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## NEPMTBA (Apr 7, 2007)

^^ damn throw a few fish in there and I'll be over with my fishing pole!


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