Rubber Band Powered Bike

Batteries on bikes? No way! Pedaling a generator? That's silly! This bike is a model for sustainable design by using readily available--and free!--used bicycle innertubes as a power-assist.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• innovate
• or
• die
• bicycles
• bikes
• sustainable
• design
• renewable
• human
• powered

[SearchKindly]

It wasn't a whole lot of assist, but it was enough to get me going from a dead stop. As far as duration goes...I think it lasted for about 30 seconds from a deadstop. Obviously there was a lot more juice towards the beginning than at the end. It really wasn't the best of ideas, in retrospect. Funny thing is that I now work at the company that one the grand prize.

[SearchKindly]

It actually did snap, but that's what the plastic guard is for. Nothing happened when it did snap, so it isn't dangerous at all.

[markstos]

How much assist did it provide, and how long did the assist last? It seems it would have relatively short cycles of recharging and use.

[hoser4]

Wrong kind of danger. :-) I think he's referring to the relative instability of keeping upright while you're looking away from your motion of travel. Turning your head around changes the weight distribution of your body, which alters the direction the bike will go in, UNLESS you know how to compensate. Hence the "dangerous if you are inexperienced" part.

[BlackShiraya]

nice attempt i would say but its not as practical as you think it is. there is a few problems with it i see

1) Possibility of overwinding the rubber band

2) looking back to see if the rubber band is overwinded is dangerous if you are inexperience with riding a bike

3) The rubber band does not have enough energy to move you as far as the energy you put into winding it which is mainly the problem.

[Avalikia]

So what happens if you ride for too long in "storage mode". Wouldn't the rubber eventually snap, and wouldn't that be dangerous?

[abunjahal]

noooo....

whyyyyyy......

urghhhhhhh......