You're probably already familiar with the saying, 'Don't reinvent the wheel.' It's an idiom that reminds us not to waste time trying to improve something that's already been done successfully. Humans have used wheels for around 4,000 years, so it's a fair comment, but it's not to say that the wheel hasn't benefitted from technological advances, and the humble stationary bike is no exception. Historians hotly debate the origins of the first exercise bike. Early iterations can be traced back to the late 18th century, and we know that in 1912, there were static bikes on the Titanic. Later came foldable exercise bikes for the home and then bikes offering basic metrics like heart rate and calorie burn. Static cycling changed again in the late 1980s when indoor cycling bikes were introduced to studios. These were designed with heavier flywheels to help replicate the feel of road racing. Technology has made a notable mark on these indoor fitness bikes. Riders can now access data and receive feedback on their performance or calculate functional threshold power or FTP. They can also follow live-stream classes on integrated screens, smartphones, and tablets and use digital resistance. Now, riders at home and in the gym can also generate clean electricity. ⚡You can preorder our electricity-generating home bike for £100⚡ 🔋How Does a Power-Generating Exercise Bike Work? When you start pedalling on a bike, your legs apply force to the pedals. These pedals are connected to a set of rotating arms called a crankset. They spin in a circular motion and drive a chain or belt connected to a gear attached to the bike's flywheel. The gear system lets the rider or instructor set the resistance, making it easier or harder to pedal, while the flywheel (a weighted disc often at the front of the bike) turns. The flywheel is important because it smooths out the pedalling action even at high speeds and stores the rotational energy generated by the rider. The flywheel spins and then turns a component inside the generator, generating electricity. Once the electricity has been captured, it can then be stored. This will depend on the type of bike you have or the type of installation. The electricity-generating RE:GEN homebike uses an Ohm portable battery unit. This locks onto the bike's frame and charges during the workout. Once the workout is over, it can be unlocked from the frame and used to power electronic devices like phones, laptops, tablets, etc. Gyms without a permanent cycling studio might also choose the Ohm system if they only have a few indoor fitness bikes. However, gyms can also use an energy storage system (ESS). This central battery system requires an electrical installation but will allow the gym to capture far more clean power and use it to power their studio. The RE:GEN for gyms stores the power inside an Energy Storage System or ESS, allowing the gym to draw upon the energy when needed. Other bikes may use a micro-inverter to push the power into the building straight after it has been generated. One advantage of an ESS is that gyms can generate power, store it and then use it at peak energy times, reducing their reliance on the grid. 🔋 What are Power-Generating Exercise Bikes Used For? There are lots of uses for stationary bikes that generate electricity. One of the most compelling arguments for using human power is in the fitness industry. Movement produces usable mechanical energy, so stationary bikes, treadmills, rowing machines and ellipticals can be adapted to capture and convert it efficiently. Unfortunately, most gyms use equipment without systems to convert mechanical motion into electricity, so the energy is lost as heat or used only to drive the machine (as with a flywheel). Gyms have the advantage because they have multiple pieces of equipment capable of generating and storing mechanical energy. In the case of power-generating exercise bikes, they may also run regular classes. This is where generating electricity through cycling can have a significant and positive impact. Indoor cycling classes are challenging. They are highly effective high-intensity workouts led by instructors who will encourage riders to ride at higher speeds and with high resistance levels. This is ideal for power generation. The combined consistent effort of a class during a 40-minute session can capture enough electricity to help the studio offset its energy usage. The second, third and fourth classes will do the same after this. The energy captured, converted and stored soon adds up. What's great about this process is that the class and the mechanical energy generation were happening anyway. Riding an indoor bike with a generator that links to an ESS doesn't impact the rider or their expectations. No behaviour change is required, and the rider isn't inconvenienced. This isn't always the case with sustainability (hello, plastic drink bottles with the lid attached). The rider gets the workout they signed up for, and the gym gets the clean energy they've generated. Here's the first class at STORM Cycle Studio in Berlin 👇 For example, a class of 40 riders can expect to generate around 3.7 kWh per session. We can put this into a gym perspective: an average treadmill will use around 0.9 kWh per hour, so a single class could power four treadmills for one hour. Storm Cycle in Berlin uses their electricity-generating RE:GEN bikes to help power their indoor cycling studio. Offices can also benefit from power-generating bikes. Workplace wellness is a big concern of many companies, and bikes that generate power can help encourage employees to exercise during the working day (which has been shown to improve physical health and focus, productivity and reduce stress). It also helps companies become more sustainable. It’s why we designed and developed the ECO:POD for the workplace. Live events can also be a great way to showcase and use electricity-generating equipment in either an educational or competitive manner. We've taken our bikes to several events with our Power Tower, which creates a head-to-head environment where riders can compete to see who can generate the most clean energy. 🔋How Much Power Can You Generate on a Power-Generating Exercise Bike? There's a frustratingly vague answer to this: it depends. A professional athlete can generate more power for longer than a semi-professional, average or beginner. It also depends on the cyclist's riding style, weight, gender, and the amount of resistance applied. You must also factor in how efficiently the electricity-generating bike captures clean power. One thing that the RE:GEN does is that its patented technology captures power at high efficiencies, which means more clean energy stored. Of course, we've already mentioned how gyms have an advantage, given they'll have multiple bikes in a studio with riders ready to put the effort and intensity in. There will also often be several classes daily, so the energy generation quickly adds up. Therefore, it may be clearer if we explain the power individuals generate on a single bike. If you're looking to buy an electricity-generating bike for the home, this may be helpful in understanding what you could power. It's important to note that the power a rider generates (wattage) is different from the amount that can be stored (watt-hours). Power generated is how quickly the cyclist produces energy at any one time. Energy stored is the total amount of energy accumulated over time. For example, a cyclist generating 100 watts of power would charge a 90 Wh battery in about 1 hour. A cyclist generating 200 watts could charge the same battery in about 30 minutes. The RE:GEN has patented technology inside its generator that makes energy capture, conversion, and storage more efficient. So, a 30-minute ride stores enough clean energy to charge a smartphone 11 times. Compare this to Storm Cycle in Berlin, which runs several high-intensity classes each day, generating enough clean energy to help power their air conditioning, lighting and sound system. 🔋What to Look for in an Energy-Generating Bike It will depend on whether you're installing power-generating equipment in a gym or at home. Gyms will need to think about how they want to store the combined power generation of their members. Usually, this will be in an energy storage system (ESS), which acts as a central battery system, allowing gyms to draw on the power as necessary. This can be helpful if your classes are held during off-peak periods. You can store the power until the individual energy unit prices are higher (the morning or evening, for example). You may also choose to push the power straight back into the building, but this can depend on the country you live in. For gyms without an indoor cycling studio, offices, or home users, then you'll be looking for a simpler storage system. We use the Ohm—a portable battery unit that locks onto the bike's frame. This portable power bank will change personal devices like phones and laptops. You'll also have to consider build quality and warranty, just as with non-power-generating equipment. 🔋How Do You Buy a Power-Generating Bike for Homes and Gyms? There's no end of choice when you're buying a standard stationary or fitness bike. The market is much smaller when it comes to power-generating equipment. For energy-generating home bikes, you're looking at the RE:GEN or building your own setup. Energym's RE:GEN is a smart bike, so it's more than just its electricity-generation. It has digital resistance and FTP meter. It's Zwift-compatible and comes with an Ohm battery to store your energy generation. You can buy the RE:GEN on our website, or via Sweatband.com. Gyms have a slightly wider range of choice, but it will depend on the type of energy storage system you want to install. We’d love to chat with you about your gym or studio if you’re interested in hearing more about our technology. Visit energym.io and use our contact form and one of our team will get back to you. 🔋What's the Future of Power-Generating Exercise Equipment and Bikes? There's a great amount of potential for power-generating fitness bikes, especially as interest in sustainability grows and technology advances. Fitness bikes already generate energy, what the RE:GEN does is capture and convert that power into electricity. This is good news for riders. It means they don't have to be interested in clean power generation to generate electricity for a gym. Being able to integrate the technology into a process that's already happening is what can make this feel seamless, especially to the rider. They can just turn up, have a fantastic class and go home. While the gym gets the benefit of the clean energy they’ve generated on-site. It means gyms don't have to operate on altruism alone. They don't have to invest money and time just because, environmentally, it's the right thing to do (although some gyms will). Gym owners can choose to offset their energy bills rather than doing something solely for environmental sustainability. This can make it far more palatable to stakeholders. It doesn't have to be just a bike that generates electricity. Generating electricity by cycling is an efficient way to do it, but there's also the potential to put the power-generating technology inside other forms of equipment. Rowing machines for example would be a great option. You could even do it with strength training equipment. 🚴 You can preorder our electricity-generating home bike for a £100 deposit. 💪 Gym owners! You can find out more about our commercial bike and installation options and speak to our team on our 'for gyms' page. 😌 Looking to introduce exercise and sustainability into your office? Find out more about the ECO:POD. 🙌 Running a live event? Find out how we you can unlock the human power challenge