Bicycle Pedal Power with Ed Begley, Jr.

Learn how to generate power with a bicycle, just like actor and environmentalist Ed Begley, Jr. does.

January/February 2007
By Heidi Hunt 
Article Tools
Print
Comments
RSS
Bookmark and Share

You might have noticed the new Sunday evening program on HGTV, titled Living with Ed. The show stars Ed Begley, Jr., actor and passionate environmentalist, whose home in Studio City, Calif. is a model of renewable energy production, recycling and sustainable living.

RELATED CONTENT

Begley explained how he produces energy with a bicycle each morning to make his breakfast toast. Just 10 minutes of pedaling generates enough power, stored in the batteries for his solar power system, to run the toaster.

To learn more about how to use a bicycle to make your own home power, read Cycle Power Part I: How to Build a Working Stationary Bicycle, Cycle Power Part II: How to Use a Stationary Bicycle to Generate Electricity or Cycle Power Part III: How to Use a Stationary Bicycle to Power Your Workshop from the Mother Earth News archive.

Begley is certainly not the only person who’s using pedal power in their homes. Mother Earth News contributor John Gulland, for example, has posted an excellent Web page about the pedal-powered generator he built. Gulland’s article about pedal power is scheduled for late 2007 in Mother Earth News.

If you want to learn more about all kinds of ways to slash your energy bills, we highly recommend The Home Energy Diet by Paul Scheckel.

Bookmark and Share
RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print

Comments

  • cary lundgren 3/8/2007 12:00:00 AM

    Here is what I think would be a great idea to go along with some
    of those who are producing 12vdc power! Having more sticks in the
    fire than I can capitalize on I would like to see someone else make
    use of this idea. If I am correct one could use a 12 volt trolling
    motor to generate power along with pedaling. Finding a suitable air
    type prop to replace the original one intended for water. It would
    be easy to tinker with because trolling motors have real nice
    mounting brackets, so you could position it in different spots to
    find out the location of your best wind. I am unsure of the type
    magnets used in them, but with a little electronics help it could
    be fashioned to work either way! The amount of windspeed might not
    be too far off, but some motors have different speeds! A tail fin
    could also be attached to swivel the prop into the wind If this can
    be helpful to someone great, its only an idea the rest is up to
    you! It would be nice to find out it helps!ThanksCary
    lundgrencplosd@gmail.com

  • LobsterPond.com 3/8/2007 12:00:00 AM

    My hubby made a new word "Begley-ist" meaning power tight wad. .
    . to which he has been inspired by Ed to accomplish. He's working
    on welding a 4 wheel peddle-bike (he saw one on
    lighteningfootbikes.com), planting no mow grass for the lawn (from
    NoMowGrass.com), changed all the light bulbs and is converting tvs
    to lcds. He bought a can opener that turns cans into storage
    containers. We put up a wind generator 3 years ago and are working
    on the greywater filtration system later this spring. . . and you
    got sticks in the fire?

  • Greg Glass 1/22/2007 12:00:00 AM

    Ed Begley's Jr. uses a bicycle generator made by Currie
    Technologies from their iZip line. His bicycle is an iZip Electric
    Hybrid and the generator creates 12v DC that then goes into his
    inverter, creating AC that is stored in his battery array. For more
    info, check out www.izipusa.com.

  • Greg Glass 1/22/2007 12:00:00 AM

    Ed Begley uses a bike / bike generator system made by Currie
    Technologies. The bike is an iZip hybrid electric, paired with an
    iZip stationary power generator. The generator produces 12V DC
    which then goes into Ed's inverter, creating AC that is stored in
    his solar battery array. When he demonstrates the system (like at
    this weekend's Sundance Film Festival Project Greenhouse event), he
    simply generates 12V DC and helps people charge their cell phones
    by riding the bike! For more info, go to www.izipusa.com.

  • LobsterPond.com 1/12/2007 12:00:00 AM

    What an Inspiration! I can't wait to see what's next!. . and how
    the rain collection system works to water that in-need indeed
    garden. I'm sure he won't get into straw-bale building but all the
    stuff to get "America Going Green" could use- Self-watering garden
    pots, NoMow Grass, a few nice laying hens in the yard or how about
    a solar power whole house attic fan instead of ac?Oh - and my hubby
    wants an EV ASAP!Thanks ED!

Add Your Comment

Please note that there is currently a problem with the comments function and your comment may or may not post successfully. We are working to correct the problem and thank you for your patience. 

You can use this comment form to enter your personal experiences or additional information and resources that you'd like to share with Mother Earth News readers. Your helpful advice will be posted on this page.  E-mail addresses are never displayed on comments, but they are required to confirm your comments.

Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br> tags.

New to Mother Earth News?
Sign up to share comments.
Asterisks(*) indicate required fields.
Name*
Your name appears next to your comment.

E-mail Address*
This will be your login ID.

City State Zip Code

Password*


Confirm Password*

Comments
1500 character limit (Offensive materials and/or spam will be removed, no HTML allowed)
Please Note: Your sign-up must be verified via e-mail before your comment is published.
FEATURED ARTICLES
MOST POPULAR


Subscribe Today - Pay Now & Save 66% Off the Cover Price

First Name: *
 Last Name: *
Address: *
 City: *
State/Province: *
 Zip/Postal Code:*
Country:
 Email:*
(* indicates a required item)
Canadian subs: 1 year, (includes postage & GST). Foreign subs: 1 year, . U.S. funds.
Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Non US and Canadian Subscribers - Click Here

Lighten the Strain on the Earth and Your Budget

Mother Earth News is the guide to living — as one reader stated — “with little money and abundant happiness.” Every issue is an invaluable guide to leading a more sustainable life, covering ideas from fighting rising energy costs and protecting the environment to avoiding unnecessary spending on processed food. You’ll find tips for slashing heating bills; growing fresh, natural produce at home; and more. Mother Earth News helps you cut costs without sacrificing modern luxuries.

At Mother Earth News, we are dedicated to conserving our planet’s natural resources while helping you conserve your financial resources. That’s why we want you to save money and trees by subscribing through our Earth-Friendly automatic renewal savings plan. By paying with a credit card, you save an additional $4.95 and get 6 issues of Mother Earth News for only $10.00 (USA only).

You may also use the Bill Me option and pay $14.95 for 6 issues.