Person riding a stationary indoor bike trainer attached to a mountain bike on a tiled floor.

See it. Build it. Power it.

free diy bicycle generator plans

Interested in buying a bicycle generator already built?

Man with glasses and a black t-shirt that says "THE FORCE IS STRONG WITH US" is holding a motor or mechanical part and gesturing with his hand, in front of a monitor and a white wall.

12V Bicycle Generator Emergency Backup Power System

Materials Needed

  1. Solar charger / power station (tips on selecting one)

  2. 300 Watt Belt Drive DC Generator

  3. Adjustable V-belt

  4. Battery charger controller

  5. Aluminum adapter plate

  6. Bike exercise stand

  7. Blocking diode

  8. Terminal blocks and wiring kit

Diagram of an electric bicycle motor and battery system with numbered components.

This set up can be used by small children on small bikes or by adults on full size bikes. See test results info below for benchmarking information. This data was recorded using a WattsVIEW power monitor while charging a 12V Deep Cycle Duracell Battery Power Station during a one-hour charging session. For more information see the FAQ WEBPAGE. If you want to buy a generator stand you don’t have to put together then take a look HERE. This page contains affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you choose to purchase.

Step 1

Installing Generator & Plate

Step 2

Connecting to Blower & Light

Step 3

Installing Charge Controller

Step 4

Installing Blocking Diode

Step 5

Connect to power pack

Step 6

Verify it's working

BENCHMARKING/TEST RESULTS

ASE-300-DC

0 to 40 Volts DC

15 Amps

20 Amps

300 Watts (15V x 20 Amps)


2″ Diameter Pulley

100℃

Air-cooled

Ball Bearing

6 mm

~12″

12 AWG

~8 lbs

4

DC permanent magnet motor being used as a generator.

Varies depending on RPMs (more Info)

Voltage Curve Graph

2800 RPMs

~ 0.35 Ohms

Dynamo Model

Output Voltage Range

Nominal Current Rating

Peak Current Rating

Peak Power Output (Charging 12V Battery)

Drive Type

Peak Operating Temperature

Cooling Method

Shaft Bearing Type

Mounting Bolt Size

Wire Lead Length

Wire Lead Size

Approximate Weight

Number of Poles (Brushes)

Generator Type


Peak to Peak Voltage


Voltage Output Vs. RPM

Rated Operating Speed

Internal Resistance

Graph displaying generator voltage output versus RPM at different current levels, with lines for 0, 5, and 10 amps, showing voltage increases with RPM.

Typical Amp-hours During 1 Hour of Use5 to 10 @12VTypical Power During 1 Hour of Use100 Watt Hours (0.1 KWH)

Electronics graph showing voltage and current over time, indicating power output at a bicycle generator stand.

Volts/Amps

Graph showing measured watts on a bike generator stand, with peaks reaching around 300 watts, labeled '300 WATT BELT DRIVE BICYCLE GENERATOR STAND', with time on the x-axis and amplitude on the y-axis.

Watts

Graph showing the energy output of a 300-watt belt drive bicycle generator stand over time. The purple line indicates calories burned, steady blue line for watt hours, and a small yellow bar for amperage hours of 5.6.

Calories/Watt hours/Amp hours

If you want to charge 12V batteries or a 12V powerpack, you may want this wiring kit which includes:

  • wire

  • terminal blocks

  • thermal fuses

  • mounting screws as shown in the video.

    In order for you to use this wire kit, you will need to get a set of wire strippers and wire crimpers.  Contact for availability.

Do-it-yourself Bike Generator Wiring Kit for Charge Controller

A DIY bike generator wiring kit containing red and black stranded wires, blue fork connectors, yellow butt splices, terminal blocks, a thermal fuse, and screws.

Suggested Tools & Accessories

Multimeter with two AA batteries, red and black probes, and a digital display showing zero volts.
A pair of blue-handled wire cutters.
A pair of black wire cutters with yellow and blue handles labeled VISE-GRIP.
Set of four tire levers in black, packaged on an orange backing card labeled "Tire Levers."
A yellow cable attached to a black device, possibly an electronic or power connector.

Regular style fuse holder for cars

You can easily use a regular 20-amp fuse from AutoZone (or this one) or any other auto store, or you can use a thermal resettable fuse. The video instructions show a thermal fuse being used in Video #3. You can use either option. If you purchase the wiring kit you will receive the resettable fuse for your generator.

A yellow popsicle with a stick

Thermal Fuse

A thermal fuse gets hot when too much current flows through it and then opens up until you stop pedaling. This is called an overcurrent protection device. After 20 to 200 seconds, depending on how hot the ambient conditions are, the thermal fuse will cool down and the pedal power system will be ready to use again. This fuse should never trip, but if it does, it means there is something wrong with your wiring.