Pedal Power!

Nearly 98% of the energy used to pedal a bike is directly transformed to forward motion of the bike. The 2% loss is due to friction of all the components. Many sources suggest the road bike is the most efficient human powered machine we have, (for some perspective, the combustion engine uses only about 20% of the potential energy created by burning fossil fuels, losing most of it in heat and friction.
Due to inginuity and invention, we are starting to see some very creative ways to make pedal power work for us. For example, in Ashland Oregon, our local Heartsong Chai has fashioned a bicycle powered spice grinder for their chai hut to use in their production. This simple contraption probably saves huge alone on replacing an industrial sized grinder that would have been shipped from somewhere likely out of state, (which is another place where some energy spending can be cut out). But there is only inventors with higher aspirations for pedal power, such as the creators of the aquaduct (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U-mvfjyiao). The aquaduct is a bike that can filter and hold water while you ride. Many people in 3rd world countries have to walk extremely far for their water and can only return with as much as they can carry. With this bike, they may not have to travel nearly as far because they can filter their water instead of finding a cleaner source, and they can bring much more than could be carried comfortably.

By Stuart Trivers