Renewable energy is a very hot field right now, pushing fracking aside due to environmental concerns and the falling price of gas. Thanks to constant and consistent improvements in solar panels, hydrogen cells, rechargeable batteries, even geothermal and wind technologies, we’re seeing the approach of ‘grid parity’ by next year even in states like New York (which isn’t typically blessed with a lot of sun). But there’s a completely different source of clean power that you might find more immediately useful, especially if you’re a cyclist with a few gadgets.
The Siva Cycle Atom captures energy while you’re biking- simply attach their little hub to your wheels and you can pop in and out a battery pack. You ride and charge the battery, which you can then use to top up your smartphone, GPS, iPod, Bluetooth speaker or other smaller electronic device via a USB cable. The conversion rate is simple- you’ll need to bike about the same amount of time as it would take to charge from the wall- and the battery has a capacity of 1650mAh, enough to basically fully charge an iPhone 6. And it’s small too- compact enough to fit into a pocket.
Weather resistant to IP-4 standards so you can safely ride in the rain, it’s important to note that the Atom won’t work with disc, drum, or coaster brakes. We installed ours in a few minutes with basic bike tools- you need to take off the wheel but that’s basically it, and there is a handy guide to help. When you’re riding, you may notice a teeny bit of resistance, but we barely noticed it once we got up to even slower speeds. The company claims it’s equivalent to pedaling up a 0.3% grade, and that it can work with panniers, fenders, and most styles of bikes.
Originally a Kickstarter project, we’re thrilled to see it come to such a nice conclusion- a physical product that feels fully-formed and well-designed. The Siva Cycle Atom seemed pretty durable in our tests, and biking in NYC isn’t easy on devices. And it was nice to put our calories to use, getting a little something extra our of our exercise. It doesn’t seem like it’d be much of a target for thieves either- and it’s a fraction of the cost of most bikes anyway. Speaking of which, the Atom is available now, online and in stores for around $130- a very reasonable price tag for a great way to keep your personal electronics useful on the go.