Events

The cycling community is in a constant state of problem solving to adequately outfit their bicycles. Having power for lights or charging devices, space for traveling packs, and hydration are all necessary for touring, commuting, and traveling cyclists. Our team aims to provide a solution for distributing power throughout the bike using a slip ring within the headset tube. A slip ring is an electromechanical device which transmits power from a rotating object to a stationary one. Team 605 has designed a slip ring specifically for bicycles in order to transmit power. Electric current that is produced by a front wheel generator hub is transmitted by the slip ring and circulated internally throughout the bike frame to power headlights, tail lights, and anything else a cyclist would need power for. For context, cyclists often ride in the dark and some, such as touring cyclists, do not always have access to batteries or chargers. Using the rotational energy of the bike itself to power lights or cell phones would be revolutionary for those traveling on their bikes or those who just need a quick phone charge on their ride to work. According to our bike enthusiast sponsors, avoiding the use of rechargeable batteries on a bike is ideal in these cases as most touring cyclists prefer that their cycling experience is self sufficient.