In contrast to the current craze for bikes that do the work for you, a group of Kazakhstani schoolchildren has developed a bike that not only allows you the pleasure of making all the effort yourself, but which actually take advantage of your cadence to generate clean electricity, reports El.kz.
As part of the Waste-free School initiative, the pupils from the Abay Region of the country have created their very own Ecobike, which they say is not only useful for producing green energy, but also for keeping in shape.
The eco-friendly stationary bike brings a whole new meaning to the term recycling as the pupils plan to introduce five to the school grounds and cover some miles during breaks between lessons. They also want to introduce their creation to public places, too.
Static bikes come in all shapes and sizes, and interestingly, today will be the opening day of the indoor cycling season for myself as I hook my cycle up to the rouvy.com platform and prepare to ride around the world – without leaving my house. Highly recommended!
While this project is more an example of intelligence and enterprise, not to mention a commendable commitment to protecting the environment, than it is a tool for serious training for professional cyclists, these schoolchildren and their teachers have achieved something that deserves praise, perhaps the first step towards rewarding careers for many of them.
We’ll leave the last word to them:
“Our idea of a smart bike is simple but effective: we repair broken bikes using them in different designs. A 12-volt generator and a special gear for pedals are installed. The generated electric current is supplied to the battery through a diode converter, increasing the voltage to 220 volts. This allows you to charge mobile devices.”
