Amusing email

[rsscott]

I received an email today which I thought was rather amusing.


Dear sirs:
Please quote following:
2 Ecological bikes, power generator with low revolution pedals to be used in remote places or far away from electrical net.
Nominal power 500 watts, Electronic charge control of 15 amps., LED indicator for energetic level, 40 AH Battery, illumination system of 4 lamps with cold light DC with electronic ignition. Must be able to charge a 40AH minutes bank pedaling. Also is able to provide energy to 4 bulbs of 9 watts and a laptop for 5 hours for five days.
Thanks
Damaris Aguilar
VANJI, S.A.

[flecc]

Looks very confused at first.

Mr Anguilar is incredible optimistic in thinking riders can produce that sort of power. Maybe he's thinking of teams with each member doing a few minutes, or maybe he just doesn't understand the limitations.

Bike based pedal machines for various functions like wood cutting, making "smoothies", threshing etc are very common in parts of South America in particular and for generating occasionally. Solar's can't be lashed up locally, but in Mr Anguilar's case where he's wishing to buy, advising him to consider solar + battery at least for the laptop and lighting is probably best.

I don't know of anyone in Britain making a pedalled generator, but I'm sure he'll find someone locally who can lash up a belt driven truck alternator to a bicycle drive.
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[oldosc]

Hi Flec, as an old lag, at Suez did you ever use the pedal generator Mark?, I was only in the OTC, but we used one on Manovers to power the old rs23(Ithink) tran/rec. I remember it was one of the most thankless tasks, Most of the fit young men could only ride and sustain the output for 20 mins or so..thus the team.

[keithhazel]

Originally Posted by oldosc

Hi Flec, as an old lag, at Suez did you ever use the pedal generator Mark?, I was only in the OTC, but we used one on Manovers to power the old rs23(Ithink) tran/rec. I remember it was one of the most thankless tasks, Most of the fit young men could only ride and sustain the output for 20 mins or so..thus the team.

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having just emptied me mothers garage befor she moved we had to get shut of my fathers old tools end electrical saws ect..one of them had been a foot tredle circular saw.. ..i cant imagine how you could pedel it fast enough,and at the same time shove the wood through...needless to say he had added a electric motor...mmm what came first..the e-bike or the e-circular saw...lol

[flecc]

Originally Posted by oldosc

Hi Flec, as an old lag, at Suez did you ever use the pedal generator Mark?, I was only in the OTC, but we used one on Manovers to power the old rs23(Ithink) tran/rec. I remember it was one of the most thankless tasks, Most of the fit young men could only ride and sustain the output for 20 mins or so..thus the team.

No I never did, though I was aware of how tough they are to pedal. That's the trouble with pedal power for general purposes, fine for minutes, crippling for hours. I even find treadles like those on a branch spring craft lathe or early sewing machine heavy weather for any length of time. Strange how much easier actual cycling is.
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[oldosc]

Originally Posted by flecc

No I never did, though I was aware of how tough they are to pedal. That's the trouble with pedal power for general purposes, fine for minutes, crippling for hours. I even find treadles like those on a branch spring craft lathe or early sewing machine heavy weather for any length of time. Strange how much easier actual cycling is.
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not a lot to do with cycling..my Grandmother born1889 worked in a London Sweat shop at age 11 sewing buttons on shirts for the Boer War boys, pay was 6 pence a gross,
yet the treadle machines were capeable of that sort of sophistication,finely crafted..used by human robots...but she taught me to ride a bike when I was about 7. by showing me (button sided boots no less .I remember asking when she had a bike..she said never but it was easier than a treadle .

[flecc]

Originally Posted by oldosc

not a lot to do with cycling..my Grandmother born1889 worked in a London Sweat shop at age 11 sewing buttons on shirts for the Boer War boys, pay was 6 pence a gross,
yet the treadle machines were capeable of that sort of sophistication,finely crafted..used by human robots...but she taught me to ride a bike when I was about 7. by showing me (button sided boots no less .I remember asking when she had a bike..she said never but it was easier than a treadle .

Co-incidence, my mother was a seamstress in a Great Portland Street, London sweatshop early in the 20th century, and her sewing machine at home was a Singer treadle job. My first engineering knowledge came from that as a baby as I was forever crawling around under it peering into the works as she sewed, much to her alarm in case I got crushed by the treadle!
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