Topic: Craigslist Solar Bike. Huh?

[547]

http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/mcy/1757177924.html

looks uncomfortable

[hoodellyhoo]

maybe gerhed would be interested?

[gerhed]

maybe gerhed would be interested?

Unless we're looking at a technological breakthrough, those solar panels would only
provide a trickle charge to the batteries.
Just charge 'em up from an outlet at home and burn a little clean coal.

[le_sterls]

Saw this yesterday, and got a good laugh out of it. At least you have a platform to set your drink on while your goin, could probably take a whole meal with you actually. Curious at how fast this thing will get goin'.

[Bob Wessner]

It probably qualifies for green energy tax credits. 

[547]

I was thinking you could give the batteries a little extra charge by using the crank, but then ... it's a bicycle right?  

le_sterls, is that Sid and Johnny?

[le_sterls]

le_sterls, is that Sid and Johnny?

Yeah, that's Sid and johnny. Gotta love the sex pistols. It may charge off of pedaling. So you can have rest time where you use the electric motor, as well as charging off of the solar panels. I wouldn't be caught on it, that's for sure. I'd rather just ride a normal bicycle, just because, it looks like you can't jump that one.

[lordmoonpie]

I had a solar powered torch once - whenever I neede it it never seemed to work....

[le_sterls]

Solar power in general is a good concept, but a little iffy. Wind power seems to be a bit more effective. I'm not to educated in the areas of alternative energy though.

[547]

wind power is a good idea. You could put a sail on it.

[Retro Rocket]

Solar power in general is a good concept, but a little iffy. Wind power seems to be a bit more effective. I'm not to educated in the areas of alternative energy though.

Lots of solar power in Australia, its now compulsory to have a solar hot water system in new houses where i live and we have had them for about 40 years....nothing iffy about that....
Solar power is extremely efficient if you know what you are doing with it, its more reliable than wind generators. We have solar power, wind power farms and now wave generators. The wave generators work on ocean current movement and are pretty cool to see in action..

Mick

[tbpmusic]

Lots of solar power in Australia, its now compulsory to have a solar hot water system in new houses where i live and we have had them for about 40 years....nothing iffy about that....

That's great if you live in a place where the sun actually shines most of the time.
In temperate zones of the US, that's often not the case........so depending on solar wouldn't be a viable option.

[scottly]

I lived "off the grid" for 9 years in the Ca. high desert. I first tried wind, as it was the windiest place I had ever lived. Once I built a decent wind machine, and had it all tuned up, the wind didn't blow for 6 months. I switched over to photo-voltaic solar panels: the sun is more reliable than the wind, in my experience... 

[Bodi]

We have a good deal going here. The government has decreed that the electrical utility (government owned of course?) will buy all the solar power you can make at 10X the price they charge you for electricity. You get a separate meter so your own use doesn't come off your solar generation.
So paint some plywood to look like solar panels, install the inverter and meter... then feed it from your incoming power feed. Send 10% of the power you use back to the lines and break even, free electricity!
Wind power is not so good, they only pay about 4X. Unless you live where there's weak wind, then they pay you more.
Is there a moron test you have to pass to be a politician?

[HAIRHEAD]

Saw this yesterday, and got a good laugh out of it. At least you have a platform to set your drink on while your goin, could probably take a whole meal with you actually. Curious at how fast this thing will get goin'.

How about a Salisbury Steak TV dinner,and jiffy pop popcorn hot off the solar griddle  

[FrankenFrankenstuff]

fail