Anyone seen a stainless exercise bike that would charge batteries at 10-20 amps?

[Sailingcouple13]

Just seeing if you are paying attention. It's that time of year here in the USA and we need one that starts with a Z... (shhh not to loud Zombie)

Sent from my SM-G900P using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[waggy]

I think it's a pretty neat idea to have a static roller for your regular bike with a generator on it for exercise purposes. The pic is just a random photo I grabbed from a search. The contraption at the rear is not a generator, but I think it could be done.

[AussieWayne]

Originally Posted by Helia 44

Hello AussieWayne, you are down in my choice area. I love Sanctuary Cove, and my choice haul out yard, best I have seen IN THE WORLD is the Boatworks place.. Never imagined a haul out yard with such facilities and Businesses, and even sheltered bays that big, all User Friendly with a restaurant and showers?? Love it!! I am ten hours to the north on the Sunshine Coast, and will go down there for Boat Shows and Haul Outs, and PARTY!!

Now in answer to your question, I do not want to enter into any commercial workings or referrals of any kind... No offence... I mean I am big on all kinds of solar applications on mobile units for Stations, I have solar on a MAN truck in 24 v, I have it on a 15 ton Search and Rescue truck in 12v, I have it on a 16 ton Dog Trailer in 24 volt for a hydraulic Lift Gate, I have it running on my Dodge Ram, I am big on solar applications but I do not want to mix Business and pleasure. I will advise free of charge but sorry nothing else. I do not want to appear to anyone to have a commercial slant on my answers OK...

I mean I have more than 5000 panels on independent installations, I would have a solid 50 self sufficient Lithium battery systems running, with DC to DC chargers, and protective BMS (Battery Management Systems) and LVD (Low Voltage Disconnects) to protect the Lithiums.. And huge experience with the Marine gear and chargers and BMS and Monitors, but I do not want to get into anything but friendly advice. In this case I am only testing that particular panel and I do not want to give out any information on it as it may not be the right panel or application.. That particular one is my own R&D. If it passes my tests without to much heat degradation, my next test might be to see about walking on it...

Two things here: One, this time of year, without a Laminar Air Flow behind it to cool the panel, with the current Declination of the sun, 11.2 amps is about right and what you could expect with those deficits OK? I suggest you Google search what you can find on flat flexible panels and go from there..

Sorry Aussie Wayne, but I need to separate Business from Pleasure. I will advise on Lithium installations for instance, with the protective gear to safe guard the batteries, but not in such a manner that anyone can construe that I have any commercial link that will put a slant on my answers.

Kind regards, Helia 44

Helia
That's coincidental I was just up at Boatworks last weekend crawling all over the cats on the hardstand looking for ideas and inspiration. The Gold coast Marine Expo was staged over 4 days last week so I jumped at the opportunity.
I agree that the facilities are certainly first class with most trades represented and acres of concrete hardstand and boat worksheds.
I have been doing a lot of research on flexible panels combined with a lithium bank and have some ideas which I wouldn't mind chatting to you about at some time in the future.
I wont sidetrack this thread but I will send you a PM.
Regards
AussieWayne

[Helia 44]

Originally Posted by AussieWayne

Helia
That's coincidental I was just up at Boatworks last weekend crawling all over the cats on the hardstand looking for ideas and inspiration. The Gold coast Marine Expo was staged over 4 days last week so I jumped at the opportunity.
I agree that the facilities are certainly first class with most trades represented and acres of concrete hardstand and boat worksheds.
I have been doing a lot of research on flexible panels combined with a lithium bank and have some ideas which I wouldn't mind chatting to you about at some time in the future.
I wont sidetrack this thread but I will send you a PM.
Regards
AussieWayne

Hello again AussieWayne,
It is not so far off topic, still power generation....
I have extreme exposure to Solar since one of the first to experiment with ARCO panels installation on yachts in the early 1980's in my area. Look, I have huge power generation potential with a 9.5 kva Cummins Onan on my Helia, but I don't like going into places and poor commercial dockage to get diesel more than I need to. I am experimenting with flat flexible on white fibreglass as I said, but don't know about walking on them. I just bought two sets of portable folding panel 120 watt systems from "Projecta", that are about the size of an attache case, in a canvas carrier of individual panels in parallel that fold up in a carrier. I am putting on marine mini cig plug-ins on both sides of the Helia and can fold these out on the sunny side with a 20' lead, mostly at anchor.

On Lithiums, I can offer experienced advice on the installation, with over 50 running now in mobile applications. It is the wave of the future without a doubt. My question to you, is maybe you should start a Post on it with your ideas and I can give comments. That way we would be helping others.. ????

[1ercru]

Do a search, there are lots of these bicycle power "solutions" out there. Most work with a small (cheap) motor attached to a wind trainer, which produces DC power. Alternators produce AC and require higher RPMs, you are not likely to get one to produce much. The DC motors can produce some useable power, maybe an emergency source?

[AussieWayne]

On Lithiums, I can offer experienced advice on the installation, with over 50 running now in mobile applications. It is the wave of the future without a doubt. My question to you, is maybe you should start a Post on it with your ideas and I can give comments. That way we would be helping others.. ????

Helia
I will do exactly that when I have a little more detailed information of what I think I want and I will welcome your input at that stage, so thanks.
AusieWayne

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by Helia 44

ALRIGHT, I GIVE UP, ENOUGH ALREADY.. HEH HE...

I had always wondered, and since I have the room now it became a reality. I just thought, hey two birds with one stone... Fitness and on the 250 days a year I do not use heat or air conditioning with the genset that would take care of all charging, the fitness could feed the monster a bit too...

Alright, I have had the other energy supplements, wind and trolling generator combos even, and solar on many yachts since the early 1980's. I just thought this was an idea I had always wanted to try. But at only 8 amps, it is not worth the bulk or hassle..

On the solar side, I am running an experiment on a flat flexible panel on a white fibreglass surface with similar heat sink characteristics as the Helia deck... On the white core FG canopy on my Dodge Ram, powering a Lithium setup running a South African stainless fridge freezer. It is 240 watts, putting out about 11.2 amps, with the zenith of the sun not at its highest declination yet. That and my folding portable panels, 2- 120 amp sets fold up to canvas sized briefcase, those take care of that..

Thanks to all that replied, Helia 44, flushing that idea down the gurgler... !

Don't see why you're abandoning the idea? You were after 10 - 20 amps, looks like you can get around 8.. so just pedal for a bit longer! Even better for the heart, surely?

Re sailing for exercise - for a cruiser, it's nowhere near enough IMO. For one thing, you simply don't spend all that much time sailing. You get to an anchorage and enjoy it for a while - which might involve some huge calorie intakes if there are other cruisers around.

However, there are usually plenty of opportunities for long walks and as mentioned, swimming and snorkelling.

BTW, get out of marinas and move with the seasons, and you'll probably never see anything like 30'c at night. Never need AC at anchor!

[Helia 44]

Hello fellow 44'CruisingCat....

Look, I get your point, and if I ever see a good quality stainless one, I will consider it. It is not as attractive for the bulk and cumbersome size for storage, at a lower power output, and that does take some wind out of my sails.. I mean I did not realize the wattage one could pedal was so low, so I probably will not try and battle building one. But if I see one that does not take up too much space, I will consider it for sure..

For Cardio, I know me and in my style I will be anchored up somewhere nice a majority of the time. I can jog on the beach, and if hot in the shallow water edge splashing along jogging and beach combing for fun to take care of the workout...

Helia 44

[1ercru]

If you are going to have bikes on board regardless, the wind trainer w/ dc motor/generator makes some small sense. We have MTBs on board and have previously given your idea some thought. We also have wind trainers on board just like you to stay in shape both for cardio and to keep toned for actual riding. However power output is so minimal, especially compared to solar, alternators, genset, we deemed it not worth the effort.

I do keep the idea in the back of my mind, that if an all out power systems failure occurred onboard, we could grab a dc motor and quickly rig it to the wind trainer as a power source.

Came across this recently: Amazon.com: 300 Watt Bicycle Generator 3/8" Belt Drive Pedal Power Pulley Dynamo: Patio, Lawn & Garden

[Boatguy30]

Originally Posted by tdominic_97

You will spend more on food to replace the calories you use to pedal the bike than you will spend to fuel the genny to make the same amount of power you generated. You would be best off just buying a cheap or used exercise bike and just give it away when it corrodes.

and get prescription statins on Medicare. Problem solved

[EllesBelles]

I did a post showing how two power-generating stationery bikes work, one in Paris and one at the TED conference: Alternative Power Generation – Pedal Pushing? | Golden Glow
At TED, I blended my smoothie on the bike, and at Paris airport, those fit Frenchmen were pedaling to power their phones and computers (wouldn't we like to see this catch on in the USA)

[Jerry Woodward]

I've often thought that the Hobie with Mirage Drive would be a great way to get cardio while cruising.
MirageDrive : Hobie Cat

Anyone use these?

[DWT]

Originally Posted by Jerry Woodward

I've often thought that the Hobie with Mirage Drive would be a great way to get cardio while cruising.
MirageDrive : Hobie Cat

Anyone use these?

These are great and it is the answer to a good aerobic work out. There a little heavy compared to other kayaks but we fly fish from them.... meaning you can stand up in one of these and cast.