With an exercise bike, for example, you can generate electricity and do a lot for your health at the same time. In this article, we show you which sports equipment is recommended and whether you can cover your daily electricity needs with it.
Exercise bikes generate electricity: practical examples
An electric motor in a car or electric bike converts energy from the battery into kinetic energy.
With an electricity generator, this process is reversed, as kinetic energy is converted into electrical energy, or rather, the rotational movement produces electricity. You are familiar with this from bicycles, as the dynamo generates enough electricity for the headlight and rear light while riding.
- For immediate practical use, there are currently only a few exercise bikes available in Germany that generate their own electricity. The following sports equipment is recommended:
- An illustrative example of an exercise bike with an integrated power generator is the Sportstech ES600 Profi Ergometer. The numerous features of this recumbent exercise bike include 12 pre-installed training programs, a manual mode, and streaming functions in conjunction with a smart TV.
- A second example of a fitness device with an integrated power generator is the Sportstech CX2 cross trainer, which has similar features to the ergometer.
How exercise bikes generate more electricity
Exercise bikes, especially those in the form of bicycles with power generators, are available not only for fitness, but also for many other purposes.
- More than half of the world’s population has no access to electricity at all or only has access for a few hours a day. The Free Electric Bike, sold by the company “Hans Free Electric” in India, provides a remedy. Within 60 minutes, the exercise bike generates enough electricity and charges a 12-volt battery to cover the daily electricity needs of a household in developing countries.
- The company “Aerocatcher” offers several (relatively expensive) models of generator bikes, i.e., exercise bikes for generating electricity. These generators operate at 12 volts and have a special battery for energy storage called the “Energy Charge Box.”
- The Generator Bike 250 Mini (with the Energy Charge Box 75/15) has a maximum output of 250 watts and the Generator Bike 500 (with the same battery) has a maximum output of 500 watts. The largest is the Generator Bike 1000 (with the Energy Charge Box 1.0) and a maximum output of 1,000 watts. With the Generator Bike Universal Module 2, you can turn any bicycle into a generator bike.
- The (very expensive) Stromvelo is manufactured manually in Switzerland and operates at a maximum of 32 volts. This fitness device for generating electricity is equipped with a continuously variable NuVinci N360 gear hub. It displays current, voltage, power, and energy quantity. Overvoltage protection ensures a safe and continuous supply to a wide range of electrical consumers.
This is how much electricity is generated by exercise bikes
In March 2021, the statistics portal Statista conducted a representative survey in Germany on electricity consumption excluding hot water. In two-person households, an average of 2,000 kilowatt hours of electricity are required annually in apartment buildings and 3,000 kilowatt hours in single-family homes.
- This means that each resident in a two-person household consumes an average of 2.74 kilowatt hours of electricity per day in apartment buildings and 4.11 kilowatt hours in single-family homes. This raises the following question: “How long do you have to use an exercise bike to cover your current daily electricity needs?”
- With a good exercise bike, healthy people generate an average of 150 watt hours of electricity per hour. To cover their daily electricity needs in multi-family homes or single-family homes, healthy people would have to pedal on an exercise bike for 18.3 hours or even 27.4 hours (more than a whole day).
- These results prove that individuals cannot even come close to covering their daily electricity needs with exercise bikes. However, the sports equipment tested offers other possibilities for targeted electricity use.
- With the Free Electric Bike, you can generate approximately 0.2 kilowatt hours of electricity in an hour with some effort. In developing countries, for example, this is enough to power a 40-watt light bulb for five hours. It is also possible to charge a cell phone or operate a radio if the light bulb is only switched on for a shorter period of time.
- There are many accessories available for the generator bikes, such as the “light column” module, which displays the amount of energy you are currently generating with up to 10 lamps. Ten lit lamps correspond to approximately the power consumption of a computer with a CRT monitor.
- The two USB ports on the “Energy Charge Box 1.0” can be used to charge cell phones, tablets, and other devices with USB interfaces. The additional 12-volt socket, which is also often found in cars, provides power for all compatible devices. You can monitor the system voltage with the integrated voltmeter.
- For example, by using the Stromvelo for 2 hours, you can generate enough electricity to charge an e-bike battery with a capacity of 300 watt hours. If you connect a conversion box to the Stromvelo, you can also use the 230-volt alternating current generated to operate individual household appliances up to 500 watts.
