I had to replace the brake blocks on my 6-month-old Dawes Horizon at the weekend. Whilst fiddling around trying not to lose the washers and whatnot, I was thinking:
Why am I replacing these? Because they are totally worn out. Why are they worn out? Because I use the brakes a lot. Why do I use the brakes? Because, doing mostly town/in traffic riding, I have to slow/stop a lot. Why do I have to stop? Because I speed up.
Thus I was thinking, each time I stop, movement energy is dissipated in the brake blocks. That energy is then... wasted. Wouldn't it be good if that energy could somehow be put back into the muscles for reuse at the next accelerating phase?
If anyone knows of a way to do this (without going down the electric bike route), then you have a customer waiting in the wings.
Why am I replacing these? Because they are totally worn out. Why are they worn out? Because I use the brakes a lot. Why do I use the brakes? Because, doing mostly town/in traffic riding, I have to slow/stop a lot. Why do I have to stop? Because I speed up.
Thus I was thinking, each time I stop, movement energy is dissipated in the brake blocks. That energy is then... wasted. Wouldn't it be good if that energy could somehow be put back into the muscles for reuse at the next accelerating phase?
If anyone knows of a way to do this (without going down the electric bike route), then you have a customer waiting in the wings.
The trick is in the "Why do I have to stop? Because I speed up". If you don't speed up so much then you won't have to slow down so much. Having not done the accelerating you'll have done less work, so your legs will still be up for more.
The more you can anticipate slowing down the more you can coast. Not much use if you like to be in a hurry the whole time, of course, but it does work (and is indeed mentioned in the current VeloVision in the Brakes Buyers' Guide).
No charge, btw! ;-)
Pete. -- Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
"PhilD" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Thus I was thinking, each time I stop, movement energy is dissipated in the brake blocks. That energy is then... wasted. Wouldn't it be good if that energy could somehow be put back into the muscles for reuse at the next accelerating phase?
If anyone knows of a way to do this (without going down the electric bike route), then you have a customer waiting in the wings.
Hmm. Have a electric regenerative system which instead of charging a battery powers some nice big lamps, which shine on the potato plants growing on the back rack. Then eat the potatoes?
Have a bike where the rider is free to go up and down over quite a large range (would have to be > 1 metre). At lights, the braking mechanism lifts the rider, then when they set off again the rider is allowed to fall, thus accelerating them. Obviously would need some sort of stand arrangement, since being > 1m up in the air means the rider won't be able to reach the floor.
(one could do a more practical variant of this by simply having a large hump at traffic lights - freewheel up it, instead of braking).
"PhilD" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Thus I was thinking, each time I stop, movement energy is dissipated in the brake blocks. That energy is then... wasted. Wouldn't it be good if that energy could somehow be put back into the muscles for reuse at the next accelerating phase?
If anyone knows of a way to do this (without going down the electric bike route), then you have a customer waiting in the wings.
Hmm. Have a electric regenerative system which instead of charging a battery powers some nice big lamps, which shine on the potato plants growing on the back rack. Then eat the potatoes?
Have a bike where the rider is free to go up and down over quite a large range (would have to be > 1 metre). At lights, the braking mechanism lifts the rider, then when they set off again the rider is allowed to fall, thus accelerating them. Obviously would need some sort of stand arrangement, since being > 1m up in the air means the rider won't be able to reach the floor.
(one could do a more practical variant of this by simply having a large hump at traffic lights - freewheel up it, instead of braking).
How about a large clock spring in the hub? Or a piston arrangement that charges a receiver with air on braking, and works as a pneumatic engine on restarting? :-)
While this advice is excellent, it does mean that the rider can no longer enjoy quite as many PIES, CAKES and pints of BEER.
Trundling along saves about 2-3 minutes on my short, traffic-light infested route. It's quite disgraceful, but the plus point in going fast is the extra food and drink I can consume. Oh, and the nice legs.
Thus I was thinking, each time I stop, movement energy is dissipated in the brake blocks. That energy is then... wasted. Wouldn't it be good if that energy could somehow be put back into the muscles for reuse at the next accelerating phase?
Of course it could be done, and has been, but the equipment would add considerably to the weight of the bike so you use extra energy to pedal it - more than you gain by recycling it.
Modern people don't take enough exercise anyway.
-- Sue ];(🙂
Bicycle helmets are really a bit of a scam. They make most cyclists slightly less safe but there's money in selling them.
"PhilD" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Thus I was thinking, each time I stop, movement energy is dissipated in the brake blocks. That energy is then... wasted. Wouldn't it be good if that energy could somehow be put back into the muscles for reuse at the next accelerating phase?
If anyone knows of a way to do this (without going down the electric bike route), then you have a customer waiting in the wings.
Hmm. Have a electric regenerative system which instead of charging a battery powers some nice big lamps, which shine on the potato plants growing on the back rack. Then eat the potatoes?
Have a bike where the rider is free to go up and down over quite a large range (would have to be > 1 metre). At lights, the braking mechanism lifts the rider, then when they set off again the rider is allowed to fall, thus accelerating them. Obviously would need some sort of stand arrangement, since being > 1m up in the air means the rider won't be able to reach the floor.
(one could do a more practical variant of this by simply having a large hump at traffic lights - freewheel up it, instead of braking).
How about a large clock spring in the hub? Or a piston arrangement that charges a receiver with air on braking, and works as a pneumatic engine on restarting? :-)
How about a flywheel which is spun up under deceleration. With the possible benefit that gyroscopic stability from the spinning flywheel would enable much easier trackstanding at junctions.
In article <[email hidden]> TheMgt <[email hidden]> wrote: <snip>
Quoted message said:
How about a flywheel which is spun up under deceleration. With the possible benefit that gyroscopic stability from the spinning flywheel would enable much easier trackstanding at junctions.
Not so clever if you're turning at the junction :-)
(one could do a more practical variant of this by simply having a large hump at traffic lights - freewheel up it, instead of braking).
London Underground have beaten you to it. Most of the stations are built on humps to allegedly save on brakes when approaching a station and to aid acceleration and save electricity when departing.
Why am I replacing these? Because they are totally worn out. Why are they worn out? Because I use the brakes a lot. Why do I use the brakes? Because, doing mostly town/in traffic riding, I have to slow/stop a lot. Why do I have to stop? Because I speed up.
Thus I was thinking, each time I stop, movement energy is dissipated in the brake blocks. That energy is then... wasted. Wouldn't it be good if that energy could somehow be put back into the muscles for reuse at the next accelerating phase?
If anyone knows of a way to do this (without going down the electric bike route), then you have a customer waiting in the wings.
Quoted message said:
The trick is in the "Why do I have to stop? Because I speed up". If you don't speed up so much then you won't have to slow down so much. Having not done the accelerating you'll have done less work, so your legs will still be up for more.
Quoted message said:
The more you can anticipate slowing down the more you can coast. Not much use if you like to be in a hurry the whole time, of course, but it does work (and is indeed mentioned in the current VeloVision in the Brakes Buyers' Guide).
I'm basically an ancient trundler, but I'm good at forecasting traffic behaviour, so I sometimes annoy much younger faster cyclists in congested traffic by drifting further and further ahead of their strenuous efforts, just because I'm more often in positions where I don't have to stop.
-- Chris Malcolm [email hidden] +44 (0)131 651 3445 DoD #205 IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK [http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]
