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My Solar Charged Bike
Due to an accidental fall on a snow covered sidewalk with the result
of a back injury and balance problems I found that I was no longer able to walk any great distances. A two wheel
bike was also out of the question I soon found as too dangerous for me, as I had trouble getting on and off of it. This
left only one alternative, beside using my Van all the time, and that was to have a 3 wheeled bike.
I knew that to pedal something like that for me was out of the question
also, so it had to be motorized, which meant it needed batteries and a charging unit as I was going for an electric system.
Now I'm the type of guy that's always thinking. I needed a place
where I could plug this bike in, to recharge the batteries which was hard for me to do, as I had to move into an apartment
building.
I decided that I was going to see if I could get that big yellow
ball up in the sky to do the job of charging my batteries for me. I had a good electrical and mechanical background
and decided to go for it.
I had a solar panel and bought another one, and used them as the
roof on my trike. I installed brake and turn indicators and after a considerable amount of work and expense, it
was all set to go.
The Sun keeps the batteries charged up for me and I
am able to get out and see nature, to a limited extent at least.
I've made this bike into a semi-recumbant and it looks great and is very enjoyable
to ride.
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(FOUR YEARS LATER)
My new "GREEN MACHINE"
(Under Construction)
After deciding that I needed a different trike for the colder seasons instead of my open Solar Trike, I decided
that I was going to enclose my CycleChair trike that was sitting idle in my shop most of the time, for this purpose.
This was a commercially made Seniors Trike that I had obtained at a reasonable price and was no longer being manufactured.
I decided to use pine lumber for the framework and mahogany plywood for the shell as a means to keep the weight
down.
I've painted it grey on the inside and green on the exterior to co-incide with peoples thoughts of GREEN being
the way to go for saving the enviroment. It is powered with a 24 volt DC motor, which gets it's charge from two
12 volt batteries in series, which I will be charging up by means of the solar panel which will be the roof of the trike.
In this way, it will be completely free of any polluting source and run quietly.
Windows are covered with lexan plastic and the windshield with unbreakable glass.
Windshield wiper? (possibly)
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| This is what the original Cycle Chair Trike looked like when I purchased it. |
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| In this picture the solar panel and outer covering has mostly been applied. |
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| Here, I'm installing a small storage trunk. |
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| Now it's ready to have the windows installed. |
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| The Green Machine. I've added another smaller solar panel for looks and to gain more solar charging |
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| Rear View |
Mobility Scooter
In 2009 I bought a Mobility Scooter that I could put in my Van and use at any place that required a lot of walking to
get around, such as at the big box stores in different malls.
I'm thinking of adding two small solar panels and additional batteries so that I can extend the driving
range of this unit.
By doing this, I can have a lady friend use this unit as I use my larger solar charged trike as we travel
together on different bike trails in the area.
A PREVIOUS PROJECT FOR CANADA'S 1967 CENTENIAL YEAR
| 1967 CENTENIAL YEAR |
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This is a replica of a 1903 Curved Dash Oldsmobile that I built for
the 1967 Centenial Parades. As I only had 3 sons, one of them had to dress up as a girl for the Bride and Groom
going off on their honeymoon.
The vehicle was powered by a small gas engine and had a gas pedal and a foot brake.
The kerosene lamps were made of various tin cans and mason jar covers and actually worked.
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