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 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