A stationary bike generator might be used to transform the energy resulted from the movement of the pedals into usable electricity. Several devices can be plugged into the 12v DC output or with an inverter the power can be transformed to 120v AC.

Convert an Existing Bicycle to a Stationary Generator

  1. Choose the bicycle to be used. It would be best to have several gears to maintain you in the most efficient power zone. A bicycle fine for generating power, but not as good to ride on the roads, can be found at some garage sale rather cheaply.
  2. Select a proper training stand, which should not obstruct the pedaling process and should lift up the rear tire off the floor.
  3. Test fit your 12v DC generator behind the rear wheel. As soon as you have decided where the motor will go, use plywood to make a mount to hold the motor in place against the tire. Keep in mind that different sized motors will need different stands and mounts.
  4. Fix a voltmeter to the motor to measure the amount of produced power and then just connect it with your electrical devices. Now, just power your devices straight from the bike or charge different batteries for a later use.

Convert a Stationary Bike to a Generator

  1. Take apart the front end of the stationary bike and take away the mechanism providing resistance. In the case of a wind bike, it is a series of blades acting like a fan to slow pedaling. Normally, you should remain with a directly driven rotating gear and thus, when pedaling no resistance should be encountered.
  2. Connect the shaft of the generator (or motor) to the gear system of the stationary bike. You should mount the generator in the empty place from where you previously removed the resistance mechanism. The generator has to be strongly fastened into place to prevent moving under the rotational force created while it is in use.
  3. Conduct the wiring from the generator motor to the power outlet or to the battery bank, ensuring no wiring obstructs the physical movement of the pedals when in use. Change the bike’s speedometer with a voltmeter to be able to measure power output. This is how you can actually see how useful your effort was during your workout and how much power was produced.