What's the best DIY quarantine powered bike build?

[momus3]

After consuming a fair amount of vino and watching youtube videos until my eyes almost fell out, all in the interests of science, I'm trying to figure out the best way to build a bike. So far all I've figured out is a catchy marketing slogan (Remember, only with BuildaBike can you build-a-bike). Ideally it could be built without spending much money and having to do a lot of, you know, work.

Since electric bike conversion kits are getting pricey and harder to find, I thought some sort of alternate way to power the bike would be fun. Propeller driven bikes are really cool, except if you take a header on one it's slice and dice time. Putting the propeller on the rear seems sorta lame and cowardly. The car starter bikes are just electric bikes, so nothing new there. Jet powered bikes seem to have a LOT of drawbacks, not the least of which is a short range and that explosion/fire thing possibly (probably) happening.

Has anyone else got any good ideas for an alternate type of powered bike? Steam seems so old fashioned, and again, there's maybe the explosion thing. A huge rubber band? But I don't know anyone willing to wind it up. Not me! I'm just the idea guy. 30 model airplane engines duct taped somewhere? Not fond of anything requiring fuels (see jet and steam bike issues). There's a fortune to be made if someone can figure this out.

 

[goatman]

just Vino?

 

[markz]

just Vino?

Sniff sniff

 

[Hillhater]

PASTA powered !
Eat the pasta....pedal the bike.!
Most efficient means of transport and honed to perfection by the TDF road racers.

 

[markz]

PASTA powered !
Eat the pasta....pedal the bike.!
Most efficient means of transport and honed to perfection by the TDF road racers.

Do you have any Lycra to spare?

 

[Dauntless]

PASTA powered !
Eat the pasta....pedal the bike.!
Most efficient means of transport and honed to perfection by the TDF road racers.

Do you have any Lycra to spare?

Lycra, spandex, better yet latex. You make a big bladder. A balloon if you will.

Once you have it blown up and attached to the bike, you let the air out and it acts like a rocket. Or a jet engine.

 

[amberwolf]

Since electric bike conversion kits are getting pricey and harder to find, I thought some sort of alternate way to power the bike would be fun.

Have you tried reading the many threads about DIY drive systems? There's at least dozens of them, maybe hundreds or even more. If you like you can start with some of mine like CrazyBike2.

If you prefer to pursue impractical and or dangerous drive systems, you're certainly welcome to, but there are better, easier, and safer alternatives that can be built for next to nothing if you're good at scrounging, or willing to learn.

 

[markz]

What is really "the best" ?
the best what exactly

- A steep looong hill climbing goat

- A back country bush whacking, log hopping, tree slalom monster

- Fat bike snow, mud, sand destroyer

- A roadway commuter pothole smashing hulkster

- "The Best" Fabrication skills bicycle build Jesse James/Teutul

- Cruising lion tiger

- "The Best" build on ES or anywhere on the interweb from mid March 2020 to now (factoring in the quaratine requirement) or do we go by when the China Virus started in November 2019

"What's the best"
Come on now, really....

 

[John in CR]

PASTA powered !
Eat the pasta....pedal the bike.!
Most efficient means of transport and honed to perfection by the TDF road racers.

Not in terms of economy. Ebikes are far more efficient in that respect, because:
1. Food is an expensive energy source compared to electricity.
2. Our electric motors are far more efficient than the human body in converting the energy source into mechanical energy.

Number 2 makes ebikes more efficient than your priced for suckers road bikes.

 

[Balmorhea]

PASTA powered !
Eat the pasta....pedal the bike.!
Most efficient means of transport and honed to perfection by the TDF road racers.

Not in terms of economy. Ebikes are far more efficient in that respect, because:
1. Food is an expensive energy source compared to electricity.
2. Our electric motors are far more efficient than the human body in converting the energy source into mechanical energy.

Number 2 makes ebikes more efficient than your priced for suckers road bikes.

Folks who don’t push pedals lose all those small marginal savings, plus more, on health care eventually.

 

[markz]

If red meat is your source of food then the overall efficiency is in outer space
https://foodtank.com/news/2013/12/why-meat-eats-resources/

Meat’s large water footprint: why raising livestock and poultry for meat is so resource-intensive

the total amount of water needed – to produce one pound of beef is 1,799 gallons of water; one pound of pork takes 576 gallons of water. As a comparison, the water footprint of soybeans is 216 gallons; corn is 108 gallons.

Dont want to delve deep into it, but its a good read and makes me want to convert from a junk food, steak and pork eating bread loving, noodles kinda man to vegetarian. And since Balmorhea comments, I am doing good, installed a chain but no shifting capabilities, only 1x1 on 1x7, shifters what are those I am moving up

 

[Drunkskunk]

A few beers is all it took my friend and I to come up with the rocket powered skateboard. A few beers more and we hit the Air powered bike.
So far the Air bike hasn't been built yet. He sold his scuba tanks. But we had roughly figured 10 miles range at 10mph per tank.

The cool thing is we could use a V twin compressor motor as the air engine, giving the bike a cool look and sound. It could also kill us easily, that just makes it more fun.

 

[dogman dan]

I particularly liked the "without work" part of the plan. :thumb:

 

[Hillhater]

PASTA powered !
Eat the pasta....pedal the bike.!
Most efficient means of transport and honed to perfection by the TDF road racers.

Not in terms of economy. Ebikes are far more efficient in that respect, because:
1. Food is an expensive energy source compared to electricity.
2. Our electric motors are far more efficient than the human body in converting the energy source into mechanical energy.

Number 2 makes ebikes more efficient than your priced for suckers road bikes.

No way !
The ebike rider is going to eat the pasta as well as using the motor . ,! :lol:

 

[markz]

No way !
The ebike rider is going to eat the pasta as well as using the motor . ,! :lol:

....and not bothering to pedal, burning those calories. Taking the easier softer way, dont rest on your laurels.

 

[CONSIDERABLE SHOUTING]

Power the engine by your own alcohol distillery, with you progressively getting drunker the entire video. Your first drive you're visibly hungover.

Otherwise, people love new and wild... maybe do something like those windmill guys using the F&P motors when they're rewired into 7-phase, single pole motors?

 

[amberwolf]

I think you should try a LOX/LH-powered rocket engine that pushes air thru a windmill that generates electricity to run an electric turbojet engine that pushes you along, with generators in the wheel that generate electricity to power a distillery to purify your urine to create the water that it then electrolyzes to power the rocket.

 

[John in CR]

Power the engine by your own alcohol distillery, with you progressively getting drunker the entire video. Your first drive you're visibly hungover.

Otherwise, people love new and wild... maybe do something like those windmill guys using the F&P motors when they're rewired into 7-phase, single pole motors?

Drunk on 2 wheels simply doesn't work unless they're side-by-side wheels with self balancing mech. You can ride a segway if you want.

 

[AussieRider]

Hi people's.
I dragged out an old build of mine, Eden 2 AKA the Industrial Mutant to play around with while in isolation.
Made 7s 7p pack out of very old laptop cells.
Replaced the LED volt meter that couldn't be read in daylight with an analogue unit.

I changed the controller with a Dynamic R series unit from a mobility scooter, just to see if I could make it work.
It did work with a bit of reprogramming & changing the throttle with a pot based thumb throttle.
Changed the previous aluminium battery / electronic housing with a modified & repainted mobility scooter front shroud.


I recon it gives this BSO a mean, hunched over look
Now, back shed to play with my still.

AussieRider