Visitors try-out a Mark II bicycle generator made by staff of the Electronics Department at the University of Essex during a Science Week event in March 2007, Hollytrees Museum, Colchester, UK.
An exercise bike uses a belt drive to a 12V DC permanent magnet motor, which works equally well as a generator. A 300W 12V DC to 240V AC inverter powers 40 watts of compact flourescent lamps, 120 watts of filament lamps and a portable TV. Running all of these at the same time is quite hard work!