Be careful – they will take your money, a lot of it, and deliver a bike, but it will not be solar powered in any sense that you or I recognise. And it will not go faster or longer than you can go under your own power.
Solar powered bikes have intruiged inventors for decades now, but have you ever wondered why there are none on the market?
Its the battery stupid
Bikes are incredibly ergonomic. You push the pedals, this turns the gears and the power from your legs is amplified many times over into the speed of the wheels. The main thing that slows you down (apart from your own weight of course)? The weight of the bike. And solar powered bikes tend to be a lot heavier. They have to carry a battery, heavy, and a motor, not quite so heavy but not very aerodynamic either.
There are different laws for powered vehicles in some states, and this expensive piece of kit becomes a target for crime, not something you want to lock to the nearest lamp-post – but these are not the main problem. The fact is the energy you use cycling a solar bike is very similar to cycling a normal bike, because the assistance you get from the motor is counteracted by the extra weight of the battery.
HAve a look at their video if you do not believe this article – https://www.newsolarbike.com/?utm_source=OTG_Advertorial_Bikes_Sep25&utm_medium=OTG_Advertorial_Bikes_Sep25&utm_campaign=OTG_Advertorial_Bikes_Sep25
the video shows two of the biggest lard-asses you have ever seen discussing a perfectly normal bike which has had a huge battery and a tiny motor bolted onto it.
I do feel sorry for the folks that part with the $2799 that Solution from Science are demanding for this heap of scrap. It might just possibly help them up a steep hill – once – before it needs recharging. But for half that price you can buy a top of the range carbon fibre bike – strong and lightweight, with a high-tech gear system, that will allow you to fly along the road. And if you have to get off and walk up the very steepest hills, you can cheer yourself up in the knowledge that you are not pushing along a 40lb passenger – your battery – at the same time.
You can buy the incredibly lightweight Vilano Forza Aluminum and carbon road Bike for just $900 including accessories, or for just $500 the Diamondback 2012 Podium 1 Road Bike, which weighs in at about 22lbs and has superb reviews -price including a special offer discount on Amazon (use the promo code: THULE999).
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3 Responses
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Not to defend “solar – powered bikes, ” but it’s obvious you’ve never ridden a decent electric-assist bike if you think that you would expend the same amount of energy as riding a normal bike. You expend far, FAR less and can hit the 20mph limit without breaking a sweat, even uphill. And yes, that’s compared to my 15lb carbon Trek road bike.
I use a solar light in my home. I use two of them actually – one for the garden and it lights up my garden pond on night beautifully – and one on my porch which makes me feel safe and secure. This – https://green-energy-at-home.com/wp/tsss-16-led-outdoor-solar-security-light, site gives you a review of the best lights available.