The idea of modding my bike and making it electric excites me every time I think about it. I even wanted to buy one of those kits on from China a few weeks ago.
Then, my wife reminded me that biking is not about going fast and sweatless, but rather about pedaling and enjoying the sports. I can hardly wait till she sees this… the “Fast-Forward Powered Pedals”
Stephen Britt, a UK inventor, has designed a device that replaces your old bicycle pedal with an aggregate made of an electric motor, some lithium-polymer batteries, a controller and a gearbox. Oh, and sensors…
All these should help you ride the bike, because when the sensors feel harder push on the pedal, the motor kicks in and provides a little electric boost. That may be helpful when climbing hills or accelerating hardly.
I like Britt’s electric pedals kit because it doesn’t replace “the joy” of pedaling that helps you lose fat, and because it’s so easily-embeddable into any bike of any kind, so developing it for the masses would be easier. And a lot cheaper than those bulky batteries that e-bike kits require you to carry around.
The prototype of Fast-Forward Powered Pedals you see in the picture, also awarded a £50,000 prize at Barclays Bank’s “Take One Step” contest, looks kinda ugly. This money should help him further develop his idea into a nicer-looking production version, though. It should turn your bike into a real hybrid.
