Speed and heart rate governed hybrid

Considering the boosted bikes topic:

OK, here's the deal: No one likes being passed, and having cyclists going anywhere from 4-24 MPH is
a real pain amongst cyclists, drivers (trying to figure out what kind of cyclist they are
approaching) and path walkers who don't like having people use them as slalom poles.

Make a computer controlled electric boost system that you can plug your heart rate monitor into. It
would stop adding boost at 20 MPH regardless of boost mode.

You would have off and electric scooter manual throttle, along with "add a boost" where you set the
maximum power it can deliver. Exercise mode would give you up to full throttle if your heart rate
was in your selected target zone. You could select warning beeps to tell you when you got towards
the bottom of your target zone.

Imagine a line of ten cyclists, all going the same speed, and all getting their selected
workout (or not).

Now imagine instead of heavy batteries, they have 100 watt range fuel cell battery power packs,
which you can pop out and use to power your trolling motor, camp site, etc.

Hey its a dream, but its a more realistic dream than driving your 100,000 watt SUV to the gym.

 

> Hey its a dream, but its a more realistic dream than driving your 100,000 watt SUV to the gym.
>
>
>
>

So where is the motivation to work at 70% of your max as opposed to 50% if you aren't dropping back,
or pulling away?

 

Bob Stuart (I think) suggested a pendulum switch so the motor only kicked in on upgrades.

It's a valid and workable system. Two mercury switches set to reciprocal angles to switch motor
on and off , a relay to lock the motor on - (the 'downhill' switch drops the relay out) a
microswitch on the brakes (maybe two?) that will also kill the relay lock. And of course $1000 of
motor and battery.

I like the idea. If I get to the totally decrepit (as opposed to the current decrepit) I'll consider
it - maybe in conjunction with a push trailer to hold the battery.

Paul W - MR Swift Trike

 

On Thu, 20 Mar 2003 23:13:13 +1100, "Paul Worden" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Bob Stuart (I think) suggested a pendulum switch so the motor only kicked in on upgrades.
>
>It's a valid and workable system. Two mercury switches set to reciprocal angles to switch motor
>on and off , a relay to lock the motor on - (the 'downhill' switch drops the relay out) a
>microswitch on the brakes (maybe two?) that will also kill the relay lock. And of course $1000 of
>motor and battery.

Interesting idea. I'd use an acceleration sensor rather than a pendulum switch. Something like the
Analog Devices single chip two-axis acceleration sensor, perhaps. In either case the sensor cannot
distinguish between a rapid acceleration and a slope, but I guess you want the motor in both cases
so it's not a problem. Or you can calculate the true acceleration from a speed sensor and compare it
to the accelerometer reading.

Another method is to use a torque sensor to measure the rider's power output and activate the motor
above a set threshold. Electric assist bikes in Japan use torque sensor and speed readings to
control speed, so it shouldn't be too hard to cannibalize one for the necessary parts.

Ken Kobayashi [email protected] http://solarwww.mtk.nao.ac.jp/kobayashi/personal/

 

MLB <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> So where is the motivation to work at 70% of your max as opposed to 50% if you aren't dropping
> back, or pulling away?

Well, you could go with the In-law plan... put your ex behind with a cattle prod. <g