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It is a good idea. So good, in fact, that someone has already thought of it and made it a reality. A Japanese company called Sanyo offers bicycles that exactly fit your description. $1,200 a bike. They sell about 10,000 each year. You power a lithium ion battery when you brake and when you go down hills. The stored energy can be used to make going up hills easier. Our idea was essentially to make money off the stored energy, since energy companies like ComEd would pay for the extra electricity. The problem is that even if a bike were to generate 1 kWh of electricity, which is a lot, you wouldn't get much money. The typical power company offers a kWh for about 14 cents. To generate 1kWh you would need about 4 hours of continuous downhill braking. Needless to say, we dropped this idea. But hey, you learn from your mistakes. I've moved onto something else. You're free to run with it though.
I thought of a similar idea to this where the energy gathered while pedalling is somehow gathered as well. My thinking is that that energy is going towards propelling the bicycle, however, there are idle moments when gravity takes over the man power (such as when going down hill). I am not sure how the technology would work. I am more interested in the city networks that can be created if these bikes were made public. Interesting idea guys. Keep at it!
It is a good idea. So good, in fact, that someone has already thought of it and made it a reality. A Japanese company called Sanyo offers bicycles that exactly fit your description. $1,200 a bike. They sell about 10,000 each year. You power a lithium ion battery when you brake and when you go down hills. The stored energy can be used to make going up hills easier. Our idea was essentially to make money off the stored energy, since energy companies like ComEd would pay for the extra electricity. The problem is that even if a bike were to generate 1 kWh of electricity, which is a lot, you wouldn't get much money. The typical power company offers a kWh for about 14 cents. To generate 1kWh you would need about 4 hours of continuous downhill braking. Needless to say, we dropped this idea. But hey, you learn from your mistakes. I've moved onto something else. You're free to run with it though.
I thought of a similar idea to this where the energy gathered while pedalling is somehow gathered as well. My thinking is that that energy is going towards propelling the bicycle, however, there are idle moments when gravity takes over the man power (such as when going down hill). I am not sure how the technology would work. I am more interested in the city networks that can be created if these bikes were made public. Interesting idea guys. Keep at it!