Power Pedals Promise Assisted Biking

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sseyler

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[citation][nom]borisof007[/nom]Doesn't this defeat the purpose of a bike?[/citation]

Not as a means of transportation... but perhaps somewhat for exercise.
 
[citation][nom]borisof007[/nom]Doesn't this defeat the purpose of a bike?[/citation]
[citation][nom]sseyler[/nom]Not as a means of transportation... but perhaps somewhat for exercise.[/citation]

Keep in mind that this is an add-on for an existing bike frame. The bike could be used with or without this special attachment. This would allow the user to either use the pedals for a relaxed experience or to use the bike as a tool for exercise with the oem pedals installed.
 

drwho1

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this could be ok if they could recharge themselves while on use.

also this (if ever makes it to the market) should be abolish from competitions, as competition should be about the athlete.

this imo would be the same as using steroids.
 

beerhelmet

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My bike doesn't have any "axes"!

Kidding aside, it seems like a neat device to make those leisurely bike rides more... leisurely

:D
 

squiggs77

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I would think that you could have them provide a very slight resistance when not pedaling hard to recharge the battery.
 

Strider-Hiryu_79

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There is something called gears on a mountain or racing bike. Yah they were invented a long time ago which was designed to handle all types of inclinations and declinations of terrain.

Shimano is one of the companies that build them. Yah not impressed.
 

gm0n3y

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What about take-offs at stop signs / traffic lights? You have to put extra pressure to get up to a decent speed so these would kick in for that too. Without some sort of charging mechanism, this seems like a really stupid invention.
 

bogcotton

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[citation][nom]Strider-Hiryu_79[/nom]There is something called gears on a mountain or racing bike. Yah they were invented a long time ago which was designed to handle all types of inclinations and declinations of terrain.Shimano is one of the companies that build them. Yah not impressed.[/citation]

The problem is you need to produce the same amount of power as having the bike on your back and running up a long set of stairs.

I have been cycling 20 miles a day for a while now, through hilly areas.
Using basic Newtonian laws and trigonometry, you can calculate that going up a 15 degree incline uses a similar constant force as accelerating at a rate of 2.5 metres per second per second, enough to accelerate to 30 mph in 10 seconds.
It might not sound like alot, but that is actually extremely tough on long hills, because that's the force you have to produce to simply avoid slowing down to a halt, no matter the gear.
I'm getting better now, but when I started there was a 20 degree hill which i would go at 4mph up in the lowest gear, screaming.
Coming back down on the way back at 36 is fun though.

But I don't see how this has any cost/ practicality benefits over a simple motor and battery in the front wheel, especially since the force is coming from torque on your ankles.
 

gm0n3y

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@bogcotton

I totally agree. I ride 20+km a day (13 miles) over very hilly terrain and gearing certainly helps, but it is still vastly harder than the difference between walking on flat and on a hill.

I'm also not sure how the direct gearing for the pedal->crank arm->gears/crank works. That sounds complicated. Normal pedals spin freely on the crank arm.

Generally with biking, less is more. For the most part any additional components are not worth their weight. The easiest bikes to ride (least amount of force necessary) are fixed gear road bikes. They have a single speed (no gearing), often no brakes (just pedal slower) and can weigh half as much.
 

loomis86

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impossible for this gadget to apply any meaningful torque to your crank. Your feet must be pressed hard against the pedal or the pedal will spin out of control under your foot without applying any torque to the crank. But pressing hard against the pedal is what is called pedaling. also, there's not enough battery to provide any useful power.
 

loomis86

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impossible for this gadget to apply any meaningful torque to your crank. Your feet must be pressed hard against the pedal or the pedal will spin out of control under your foot without applying any torque to the crank. But pressing hard against the pedal is what is called pedaling. also, there's not enough battery to provide any useful lasting power. With clip-ons, remote batteries(the batteries would need to be on your body and the electrical wires running through your shoes and into the clipons) possibly this concept could go somewhere. or it might be a good way to break your ankle.
 

scifi9000

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Whether you apply torque through the pedal or wheel makes no difference, though the wheel seems more logical to me. The point is that this will be a stand alone component in a system. The idea will be to charge energy when going downhill, braking and pedalling on the flat, and release it when going up hill. As for those who said it will negate exercise, I doubt it, pedalling on the flat is better than sitting on the couch. If you want to torture yourself.. err exercise, switch it off.
 

wujonesj2

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It amazes me that people can draw the conclusion that this device is impossible, either from its ability to generate force or its capacity to store energy, from a simple picture and half-page blerb alone.

It's one thing to say it isn't needed, just don't knock it on its technical merits without actually investigating it first! This all seems like a lot of negative scepticism for a potentially useful device.
 
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I'd love to try one out and write a review if there was a way to get a prototype shipped to me!
 

zodiacfml

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now i get it, its effectiveness come from the principle of "Moment" in physics. yet, the pedal is too short to get more of that force multiplier.

to me, just walk uphill with the bicycle, far easier and uses less energy, still gives exercise, and costs nothing.
 
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