Author Topic: Pedaling a plain exercise bike  (Read 9337 times)

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Offline Norm

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Pedaling a plain exercise bike
« on: February 23, 2012, 10:23:41 pm »
I have been pedaling the exercise bike that we bought
while adding a few touches to the PedGen ....not just
making any electricity.
   Boring....altho' it does burn calories....I don't think it
is really that truthful especially the part where I'm doing
70-75 mph.   ::)
Resistance with a strap wrapped around the flywheel only
works where you set it up to a certain speed pedal any harder
and you overcome the resistance and it gets easier the faster
you pedal....unlike the PedGen where it gets increasingly more
difficult the faster you pedal.

Just gotta get the PedGen going again !
Norm

Offline Wolvenar

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Re: Pedaling a plain exercise bike
« Reply #1 on: February 23, 2012, 10:36:57 pm »
You built a better more realistic exercise machine that actually does some good..
I love it!!
Trying to make power from alternative energy any which way I can.
Just to abuse what I make. (and run this site)

Offline rossw

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Re: Pedaling a plain exercise bike
« Reply #2 on: February 23, 2012, 11:27:55 pm »
You built a better more realistic exercise machine that actually does some good..

I saw an exercise machine once that was part exercise machine, part video game.
You "ran" in this virtual environment. The harder and faster you ran, the more quickly you passed through the place. It had some feedback between the virtual environment and the treadmill - so when you were at a steep incline, it was harder to run, etc. You had a screen in front of you to "place" you in the scene. It was pretty crude, but certainly had potential.

Not that I've ever used exercise machines - because the very thought of them bored me to sleep - but this might be a way to make it less boring. Heck, they could run a bevy of beauties on the track to give you something to look at while you're running! (Keep them just far enough ahead to keep you motivated to run that bit harder perhaps!)

Offline Wolvenar

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Re: Pedaling a plain exercise bike
« Reply #3 on: February 23, 2012, 11:39:53 pm »
They have them now that are integrated with the internet, google maps, and a so called trainer gives you different workouts that show you street views of your path. Inclines are simulated and based on the real journey in the maps.

Yeah, not cheap either.

Trying to make power from alternative energy any which way I can.
Just to abuse what I make. (and run this site)

Offline Norm

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Re: Pedaling a plain exercise bike
« Reply #4 on: February 24, 2012, 10:43:41 am »
The Weslo E-26 is an upright exercise bike with arms
connected to the pedals....but I make a recumbrent out
of it by sitting in one of the kitchen chairs behind it and
pedaling.....I watch the arms going back and forth and
think....now if one of those were connected to an agitator
on a washing machine.....that's one of the ways it is less
boring.......
Norm.

Offline ghurd

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Re: Pedaling a plain exercise bike
« Reply #5 on: February 24, 2012, 03:32:12 pm »

Just gotta get the PedGen going again !


Is it broke?
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Offline Norm

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Re: Pedaling a plain exercise bike
« Reply #6 on: February 24, 2012, 10:40:34 pm »
Not broke...but apart for modifications need to fix it
for better adjustment of the generator rubber wheel
( Razor scooter 4 inch red plastic rubber-like wheel
against the solid rubber 11 inch bike tire.
.....between that and 3 other projects ....know what
I mean?  Hard to decide which one is top priority....LOL !
Norm.

Offline ghurd

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Re: Pedaling a plain exercise bike
« Reply #7 on: February 24, 2012, 11:41:59 pm »
Yup, I know what you mean!
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Offline Norm

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Re: Pedaling a plain exercise bike
« Reply #8 on: March 09, 2012, 06:47:25 pm »
The PedGen now has small 2 inch wheels in front by picking up the back
it can be rolled around like a cart....now I can take it from room to room
or outside to keep cool while I pedal727-0
728-1
Next will be a folding attached stool that will take the  place of
the bar stool that I use at this time.
all in all I have worked a pretty satisfactory arrangement.....
50 watt hrs. a day is starting to get easier and easier....I've
managed to get a day ahead as I pedal a little more each day.
.....thinking of hooking a handsaw to the Weslo E-26 one of these
days soon ....at 75 rpm of the crankpedals connected to the flywheel
should saw thru a 2x4 quite easily and sawdust drops on the floor
instead of flying all around like with a circular saw.
Norm.

Offline Norm

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Re: Pedaling a plain exercise bike
« Reply #9 on: March 22, 2012, 09:33:55 pm »
  I will be cutting my 50 watt/hrs. a day down to 10 watt/hrs.

  My therapist has advised me that I'm doing too much of the
right kind of exercise as far as my knees are concerned.

  I was shown and went thru some of the exercises I really need
....I'll tell you this....It's much more tiring right now, until I get
used to the change, than pedaling the 1hr. and a half to generate
50 watt/hrs. plus I keep losing track of the various sets that are
required.

   But it will be fun doing research into various machines that will
help me towards my goal.

   Appreciate people that are in worse condition than I have ever
been ...but keep on going!
Norm.

Offline Wolvenar

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Re: Pedaling a plain exercise bike
« Reply #10 on: March 22, 2012, 09:55:43 pm »
That's one of the tricks to weight loss and muscle/nerve (re)building.

One of the terms for this is muscle confusion. This is an insufficient term as the nervous system is very much involved. As muscle condition and nerve conductivity/pathways build to accommodate a certain exercise or function they get much more efficient at it.
Once this happens the benefits plateau and you get less return from doing more of the same exercise.
Changing the routine up once you realize you have adapted, or just as it gets easier makes workouts MUCH more effective.
Trying to make power from alternative energy any which way I can.
Just to abuse what I make. (and run this site)

Offline Norm

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Re: Pedaling a plain exercise bike
« Reply #11 on: March 23, 2012, 04:55:57 pm »
You seem to be much more knowledgeable about exercise than I ....
thanks for the reply!
Norm

Offline Norm

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Re: Pedaling a plain exercise bike + Coffee Maker
« Reply #12 on: April 04, 2012, 08:10:00 am »
Yes .....that's right I plugged the little Burton coffee maker (12 volt) into
the  deep cycle battery .....paralleled the PedGen with it....flipped the
coffee maker switch and started pedaling ....looking at the digital bike meter
I noted the elapsed time that I had already pedaled this morning, 33.45 min.
2 minutes and I heard the gurgle of coffee starting to perk and the smell of
fresh coffee brewing.
  10 minutes later and I had a fresh cup of coffee, I had pedaled the walking
equivalent of .5 of a mile had that wheel been touching the ground I would
have been going 3.2 MPH. with less effort than walking.

  Eventually I will have a bike that does just that.

  It is 2 miles to town....time and distance enough to make a cup of coffee
and put twice the amount of electricity into the battery that I took out.

  At that price of coffee at McDonald's I would save enough to pay for about
2 KWH of grid electricity!  :)

Norm.

Offline Wolvenar

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Re: Pedaling a plain exercise bike
« Reply #13 on: April 04, 2012, 12:26:24 pm »
Neat comparison.
Trying to make power from alternative energy any which way I can.
Just to abuse what I make. (and run this site)

Offline ghurd

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Re: Pedaling a plain exercise bike
« Reply #14 on: April 07, 2012, 01:48:46 am »
Hey Norm,

Did you ever figure out what that coffee maker
used for amps?

Gotta love an efficient PMA,
and a cup of coffee made with an efficient PMA!
 ;D
G-