Sustainable Living

[willedoo]

I've got one of those stationary exercise bikes on the verandah. A session of pedaling is good for the lungs and legs, but I've often wondered what else the bike could power while being used. Maybe rigged to help charge something. Or with a bit of thought, it could probably wash the clothes, but would need some fancy gearing to turn a spin dryer fast enough.

[old man emu]

Ever heard of a pedal radio?

[onetrack]

Just imagine - all those fat people huffing and puffing away in gyms across the nation - couple them all to an alternator, combine the power output into a feeder line into the grid - and voila! - no more power generation concerns!

[Jerry_Atrick]

And add a methane collector to them to further provide for energy needs 😉

 

 

Edited November 28, 2021 by Jerry_Atrick

[Old Koreelah]

16 hours ago, willedoo said:

I've got one of those stationary exercise bikes on the verandah…

Years ago I had one connected to the pump which lifts water up to our gravity tank.
To save water, our teenaged daughter was meant to pedal up enough for her showers…
Pretty soon I might have to set it up again, for when her daughters come to stay.

[nomadpete]

Nobody can waste water as fast as a teenager in the shower.

When I had an incurable water unwise teen, I tried the trick of yelling "You've used up all the hot water", and running outside and turning off the hot. That caused political instability in the home. So I snuck into the bathroom and carefully put a drop of superglue on every second hole in the shower rose (this was before water wise fittings).

I was so pleased to outsmart them!

My smugness was short lived. The day soon came when darned teen proudly informed us, "I cleaned the bathroom! Did you know the shower head was half blocked? It took me ages to clear them with a pin!"

 

If only I'd thought to make the kids pump their own shower water. Great Idea!