Turning a Recumbent Exercise Bike Into a Generator - DIY Pedal Drive Battery Charger

I've been wanting to build a basic bicycle-powered generator for awhile. I came upon this old recumbent exercise bike, and it seemed like the perfect platform for my idea. Using a DC motor and a couple other small parts, I turned this old exercise equipment into an electricity-generating battery charger.
I've made a couple cooking videos in the past using my DIY potato flakes, but I realized I'd never actually shown how I make them. So in today's video, we're taking a pile of fresh potatoes and processing them down into a jar of shelf-stable dehydrated potato flakes. Just add some of these flakes to boiling water and simmer for a few minutes. Add your favorite seasonings, cream, butter, or whatever you like.
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Stuff used in this video:
24V DC Motor

Aluminum Belt Pulley

Rectifier Diode

USB Booster Module

USB Voltage Meter
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00:00 - Intro
01:43 - Recumbent Bike
02:07 - Disassembling Bike
03:28 - Attaching Motor
04:08 - Motor Pulley
04:20 - Drive Belt
05:09 - Tension Pulley
05:44 - Pedal Pulley Fix
06:19 - Generator Info
07:39 - USB Booster Module
08:00 - Rectifier Diode
08:34 - Voltage Test
08:43 - Finishing Installation
09:13 - Generating Power
09:25 - Final Thoughts
10:35 - Outro
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[CANADIANDRUMMER-j-ux]

Really like the idea of perhaps being able to charge a 12v battery. That would be tremendously useful. Please, keep us updated on this project, Great Lakes! Awesome!

[emilyannreardon]

This is so cool! DTE and Consumers energy have been hiking rates (of course) so learning about projects like this is so helpful and empowering! I appreciate the way you went through every step and verbalized any problems and how you solved them.

[sherylholcomb]

I have been thinking about this for years

[paulschwartz]

I've been planning to do this for some time now. I was thinking a multi-gear ratio bike hooked to a car generator. Your trial and error here has given me a lot to think about. I appreciate your content.

[hakes]

Glad I found this channel from a fellow Michigander, interesting fun stuff to do in these long winters

[taokodr]

Thank you for this video!

It shows some of the things I'd need to do/consider to get something like this started. My personal dream project is to put together a simple generator on a bike so I can convert the voltage value to a digital signal for an RPi. Then I would have what I'd need to create the inputs for mini games that I could play while "bicycling."

[karlmadsen]

You are now officially ready to be the Gilligan's Island radio power source. Will the castaways be rescued this week? Probably not, but Mary Ann looks mighty fine.

[kdinm]

Put the whole thing back together and glue magnets to the flywheel and mount multiple coils next to the magnets and wire them so as the magnets pass by they induce a magnetic field in the coils generating dc power from the coils, or even AC power then rectify it to dc. Then use that power with a regulator curcuit to charge a battery.

[Free__Speech]

Energy generator should be on all exercise bikes

[jaynorthpen]

I have the same model bike. Put a lot of mileage on it before the pandemic. Not a bad bike for the price (circa 2017). There were plenty of better ones on the market but not much that competed with it at the price (in Canada). Great bike to start with until you know you are going to use it as more than a clothes rack.

As far as I know the handles on the vertical bar are only intended for steadying yourself to sit down (doesn't really work well). I've only ever had for them was as a foot reset when tying a shoelace or dragging the machine around.

Other things. The square tubing flexes a lot (where it joins together). I found supporting it with a block made from corrugated cardboard helped a lot. Also if you don't use thread locker the bolts like to back off with regular use.

[RonaldsMazitis]

This is amazing, good job, You just had electromotor lying around and other stuff. You actually need to communicate with companies that produce elliptical trainers, and ask them to add feature, in there future products. 🎉🎉🎉❤

[rbfcaf]

I would love to see you expand on this. Thanks for the video

[kcycle]

Does it matter what side the motor is mounted to? Basically does it matter whitch way the motor spins and if so, how do you make sure you put it on the right way?

[guywithfriends]

Please incorporate the flywheel! Remember flywheel power quadruples when rpm doubles. With enough speed/grease and a reduction gearset, power may not interrupt it too much. Of course - be careful. Great project and good luck!

[goodcitizen]

I wonder how many kW you could generate in an hour.

[darwinstubbie]

Could this generator be used as an electric brake if the leads are shortened. I need to replace this useless drum brake on my trike.

[Andre.Malik]

have you considered putting the original belt back on the fly wheel and fabricate another belt tensioner? Basically keeping the original belt setup and adding whatever mechanism on the inside of the pedal pulley to link to the generator.

[kathybridges]

Didn’t the professor on Gilligans island do that? 😂😂😘 love your videos

[morganhouse]

I bought the same motor and pulley. How did you mount the pulley?
Thanks!!

[bloepje]

1) a belt or chain always need a tensioner.
2) the tensioner will be in the return path.
The path with tension (between) generator and pedal should be fixed.
You should try to put a pully on the fly wheel, that will increase rpm and the fly wheel is necessary.
An untrained human in your setup should be able to produce 100W for a few (like 8) hours.
Put a desk in front of you and you can work while exercising.
When you are trained, the top will be over a kW. And you might do 200W for a long time.