Feb 26

GreenWheel converts any Huffy 10-speed into an electric bicycle

Posted in: bike, green, mit, Today's Chili, university

It’s a struggle we all face. There’s the urge to bike to work each day, and then there’s the realization that you’re too huge / lazy / tired to make it on your own. Brilliant minds at MIT understand your frustration, and rather than asking you to drop a few grand on a bona fide electric bike, they’re developing an apparatus that can convert any standard bicycle into one that’s juiced. The GreenWheel contains an electric generator, batteries and an electric motor, all of which only need a wheel to be respoked in order to fit in. Under its current configuration, a single GreenWheel (yes, one can be added to each wheel) can propel a bike and your faineant derriere for around 25 miles; start peddling and that range doubles. There’s no clear indication of when these things will splash down at your local bike shop, but word has it that Copenhagen and South Africa are already looking to add it to their public transportation systems by 2010.

[Via DVICE, thanks Scott]

Continue reading GreenWheel converts any Huffy 10-speed into an electric bicycle

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GreenWheel converts any Huffy 10-speed into an electric bicycle originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Feb 2009 19:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jan 06

NeuroActive Bike promises to train your brain as you work out

Posted in: bike, Today's Chili

Ok, so it may not be quite the brain-wired contraption that the name suggests, but this so-called NeuroActive Bike is still pretty unique in its own right, and it could possibly be headed to a gym near you. Apparently, the bike has already turned up at a handful of gyms in Canada and France, and the company behind it, Brain Center America, has now announced that it’ll be headed to some Lady of America Fitness Centers in the US. The bike itself is basically a standard exercise bike with a built-in Brain Age-type game, which BCA says includes 22 different “brain-stimulating exercises” that’ll train different parts of your brain as you work out. No word on a home version just yet, unfortunately, but the basic software is actually available separately if you want to have a go at building your own rig — and if you do, be sure to send us some pictures.

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NeuroActive Bike promises to train your brain as you work out originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jan 03

Industrial design student builds Capella, the portable, unobtainable electric bike

Posted in: bike, Today's Chili

Where most students only go so far as to render their designs, Truong Minh Nhat — working on his senior project at the Ho Chi Minh City School of Architecture — made a functional prototype, sourcing the parts from local manufacturers. Dubbed Capella, the lightweight vehicle folds down to a neat “backpack sized” package (well, maybe a large backpack), travels over 30 miles an hour, has a range of about 7.5 miles (on a two hour charge), and in its final, mass produced form it should weigh about 22 pounds. If you’re looking for a wilder ride than most electric bike designs offer, and you happen to be reading this in Ho Chi Minh City, keep your eyes peeled.

[Via Core 77]

Update: This bike has a top speed of 30 km (roughly 18.6 miles) an hour.

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Industrial design student builds Capella, the portable, unobtainable electric bike originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 03 Jan 2009 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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