Pedal Power: Going Off-Grid Can Be Good For Your Health Beth Snyder November 21, 2013 One thing that seems to be making a resurgence lately is the quest to go off-grid. Many of us know that we are too dependent on municipal power sources, and are looking at ways we can wean ourselves away. The reasons are many, and include not wanting to have to pay the sometimes exorbitant prices, not wanting the government to know how much energy we use, wanting to reduce our carbon footprints, and not agreeing with whatever means of generating electricity the local provider uses. Pedal Power will let you make a decent start at taking yourself off the public power lines while at the same time offering you a chance to get in shape. As you probably have already figured out based on the name and picture, Pedal Power uses the energy generated when you pedal what is essentially a stationary bike to power devices around your home. There are two different models in development, and the claim is that they can generate enough electricity to power a laptop for two hours. The two models are known as Big Rig and Pedal Genny: Pedal Genny is a simple version, whereas Big Rig offers a built-in seat and attached work surface as well as a battery to store power for later use. Just being able to use them to generate power would be fabulous, but they can also be used to run machine tools, grind grains, pump water, or churn butter (for those of you who are really into living off the grid). Pedal Power is currently a Kickstarter project, and with about six weeks left, they’ve already exceeded their funding goal. Which does not mean you can’t still get in on it…a pledge of $650.00 US will guarantee you a base model Pedal Genny (without electric generator), while a pledge of $2,000.00 US gets you a base model Big Rig. Here’s a neat thing: If you pledge $950.00 US or more, you get a one-day workshop in Essex, NY, to build your very own Pedal Genny. This thing is really pretty neat as well as being functional. Not only do you get to generate your own power, but all the pedaling simply has to do something for your muscle tone and waistline. Source: Gizmag Share This With The World!
