Dynamic dynamos A super bicycle light alternator

摘要

Bike lighting needn't have the hassle and expense of flat batteries -you can power your lights with energy from your own muscles. Julian Edgar describes his amazing bicycle alternator. Bicycle lighting has advanced in leaps and bounds in the last five years. No longer do you have to peer ahead, trying to find your way through the blackness-and neither do drivers have difficulty in seeing you! However, nearly all current high-quality bike lights use batteries to power the system. But if one reason you are riding a bike is because of its energy efficiency and low greenhouse gas emissions, why aren't you generating the power for the lighting as you ride along? Here's how to make your own bike generator-and it's a beauty that will produce a lot of power and yet cost you almost nothing! But a word of warning: to do a good job, it's not a five-minute exercise; you'll want to put aside at least a day to build this design.