Today's episode of Talk of the Nation Science Friday offers an excellent discussion of electric bicycles. A caller from Decorah even makes it on the show! Thanks to a Decorah Newspapers reader for the tip!

Data from the Cycle Analyst:

The battery on my Electric Xtracycle is 36 volts (V) and 12 amp hours (Ah). The trouble I was having with the battery was that it had degraded to a point where even on a full charge, I was only able to use 5Ah out of the theoretical 12Ah, meaning I could only travel 8 miles per charge instead of 20. Something had to be done. BMS Replacement

Ever wanted to generate electricity with your bicycle? Maybe even power your laptop computer by riding your bike? That's what I set out to do when I ripped an alternator out of a 1980s Ford Fiesta...

The city of Madison, Wisconsin, has found a way to use solar power to make bicycle commuting a little bit safer and easier: 37 photovoltaic lampposts line a stretch of bike path near the University of Wisconsin. Although the initial expense is likely high, the lights could provide an educational resource and an option where electricity is not easily accessible. Video report here.

Madison Bike Path

This story won't be complete without some audio and video, but you will find a few pics in the gallery of a bike that's a little louder, a little less stable, and from what I hear, won't be needing a bell anymore.

Another electric bicycle showed up to the Iowa Renewable Energy Expo this past weekend, and it turns out the owner is from Decorah: Dale Kittleson. I am unsure of specifics and would like to talk with Dale more, but from our brief encounter, my guess is that he is running the BD36 Ebike Kit from Wilderness Energy on a Specialized Expedition (circa 2003). He mentioned battery power comes from a series of three 12V 12ah sealed Lead Acid batteries and the controller is immediate start (rather than pedal first. Read more for an additional photo.

Specialized Expedition E-Bike

The University of Northern Iowa has assembled a pedal power demonstration station which allows riders to directly compare the energy required to light 60-100 Watt incandescent bulbs with the energy to light 15-30W CFL bulbs. Using a bicycle, a 300 Watt DC permanent magnet motor, a deep cycle battery, and a metered switch box containing several types of light bulbs, the station allows students to quickly discover the increased efficiency of CFLs. Bicycle powered light bulbs

The electric-assist Xtracycle is working great. After four months, the kinks have been worked out, and the bike is now a very practical method of transportation. Modification from the original include: a rear fender (to keep the bottom of the snap deck clean, the top part of a hurdle zip-tied to the freeradical (to keep the battery from bouncing and the fender eyelets from putting holes in the battery),

An electric Xtracycle is a unique form of utility bicycle, which surprisingly, is often mistaken for what it is not -- a typical bike.

Here you will find a quick overview of the bike, and elsewhere on the site you will find a photo gallery, technical ride data, a list of riders, and project updates.

To create my version of the electric Xtracycle, I began with my existing mountain bike. I replaced the rear wheel and hub with an electric one and extended the bicycle frame's length using the ingenious invention called the Xtracycle. Those two simple modifications resulted is a cargo bike that it is able to stealthily carry 200lbs of groceries, camping gear, bikes, bike parts, electricity generation equipment, and passengers up hills and into headwinds.