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MacGyver Guru Joined: 12/05/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 1329
Posted: 02:51pm 25 Dec 2013
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Crew
My Christmas Day project was to assemble a stationary bicycle stand, such that I need not disassemble my bicycle to use it. Winters here (Texas) are on the brutal side and often times there is too much ice or snow on the roads or it's just too darned cold to go for a ride, so a riding bicycle platform will more likely get my lazy butt off the couch.
Basically, it is a board with a mechanism at the rear, which allows the drive wheel
to move without going anywhere and a "slot" up front to hold the front tire in one place.
This is up front to capture the bicycle's front wheel and keep it in one spot.
The rear wheel of the bicyce is cradled between the two free-wheeling wheelbarrow hubs and away we go. The rear thingy is a piece of 4" mild steel welded tubing. I cut out two "U" shaped slots and attached two metal hubs taken from wheelbarrow wheels. They were $10 each with the tubes and tires; anybody need tubes and tires? Me neither.
Secondarily, it was my intention to attach a suitable pulley to the aft hub and then attach a small generator. That was until I started to think it through!
The ratio between the rear wheel size and the rear hub size is 8:1. That means, for every turn of the rear bicycle wheel, the little hub turns around 8 times. At 60 rpm (that's one turn each second), it translates to 480 (60 x 8) rpm at the little hub and that's NO LOAD!
That in and of itself is a pretty good workout for 65-year-old legs, not to mention the smallest alternator I have cuts in at 450 to 480 rpm!! Can you imagine the puddles of sweat just to keep the thing charging at all?
I'll see if I can find a smaller generator or an alternater with a lower cut-in speed and if so, I'll add it to the build and post it here at a later date.
For a simple "no excuse for not exercising" machine, it's a fun one-day build.
. . . . . MacEdited by MacGyver 2013-12-27Nothing difficult is ever easy!
Perhaps better stated in the words of Morgan Freeman,
"Where there is no struggle, there is no progress!"
Copeville, Texas
M Del Senior Member Joined: 09/04/2012 Location: AustraliaPosts: 155
Posted: 02:02am 26 Dec 2013
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Mac
Try one of the old type generator units used to power lights on bikes before decent battery head light combos came about, the name of them escapes me right now.
Increase the size of the wheel that sits against the bike tyre and it should make for easier pedalling. You won't get much power out of it but even Armstrong was only good for 250 watts for a short time, the average rider is good for 100-125 for a short time.
cheers
Mark Mark
Tinker Guru Joined: 07/11/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1904
Posted: 04:14am 26 Dec 2013
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We called these things 'dynamos'. Good suggestion, if one connected a 6V bulb to them the effort at the pedals could be seen in light output.
From the picture Mac posted of himself a while ago I would suggest at least 4 hours pedalling each day to get the BMI down to a sensible ratio Klaus
MacGyver Guru Joined: 12/05/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 1329
Posted: 07:57am 26 Dec 2013
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@ Tink
Just for the record, since I found out I'm type-2 diabetic, I've lost 55 pounds, so you can can all the "Big Mac" jokes!
. . . . . MacNothing difficult is ever easy!
Perhaps better stated in the words of Morgan Freeman,
"Where there is no struggle, there is no progress!"
Copeville, Texas
electrondady1 Senior Member Joined: 12/02/2009 Location: CanadaPosts: 208
Posted: 04:00am 27 Dec 2013
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"Winters here (Texas) are on the brutal side"
oh yea? you gotta put on a sweater or something?
what's the hand gun on your bike for for?
grub Senior Member Joined: 27/11/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 169
Posted: 10:24am 27 Dec 2013
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"what's the hand gun on your bike for for?"
Shooting the breeze, maybe? :)
Downwind Guru Joined: 09/09/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2333
Posted: 01:19pm 27 Dec 2013
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"what's the hand gun on your bike for for?"
Road Kill
Or polar bears in the house?Sometimes it just works
MacGyver Guru Joined: 12/05/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 1329
Posted: 04:40pm 27 Dec 2013
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Handgun
I'm licensed to carry a concealed weapon, but there's no place to hide it wearing skimpy bike pants and a tee shirt, so I hang it on the frame. The law says it can't be "open-carried" EXCEPT it be mounted in a suitable holster on your vehicle. I forgot to take it off for the picture; oops!
I've been chased by wild hogs and wild dogs while riding out in the sticks. I let that Sig 9mm answer any and all wild animal issues!
. . . . . MacEdited by MacGyver 2013-12-29Nothing difficult is ever easy!
Perhaps better stated in the words of Morgan Freeman,
"Where there is no struggle, there is no progress!"
Copeville, Texas
MacGyver Guru Joined: 12/05/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 1329
Posted: 04:51pm 27 Dec 2013
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UPDATE
Wouldn't you know it? I was pedaling away, minding my own business, when the rear wheel jumped the tracks and I went hurtling across the room and hit the wall!
And you gotta know that big black mark on the floor is there for good!
Crap! Gotta rethink this one!
. . . . . MacEdited by MacGyver 2013-12-29Nothing difficult is ever easy!
Perhaps better stated in the words of Morgan Freeman,
"Where there is no struggle, there is no progress!"
Copeville, Texas
Georgen Guru Joined: 13/09/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 462
Posted: 05:19pm 27 Dec 2013
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Suppose you could try to lock front wheel in position, not just let it rest there.
Maybe nylon tie on front hand-brake could do, until you make up something more "McGyver"George
Warpspeed Guru Joined: 09/08/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 4406
Posted: 07:53pm 27 Dec 2013
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You must remember that in Texas, the mice are as big as a large Australian red kangaroo.
And those Texas mice are really mean onery critters. Downright vicious.
Hell, even the Texas ants will snatch you off your bike carry you off.
Best to be prepared.Cheers, Tony.
Bryan1 Guru Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1344
Posted: 10:23pm 27 Dec 2013
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Does one think why Texans think everything is bigger is due to the small minds they have ????????
M Del Senior Member Joined: 09/04/2012 Location: AustraliaPosts: 155
Posted: 01:59am 28 Dec 2013
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the rear wheel jumped the tracks and I went hurtling across the room and hit the wall!
Lucky it was the wall and not the open door of your shelter.
For a method of locking the bike in place modify a pallet and attach to the front of your current platform so it nearly encases the front wheel. Mark
electrondady1 Senior Member Joined: 12/02/2009 Location: CanadaPosts: 208
Notice. New forum software under development. It's going to miss a few functions and look a bit ugly for a while, but I'm working on it full time now as the old forum was too unstable. Couple days, all good. If you notice any issues, please contact me.
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