I'm not an enginner, but I am a cyclist. I can put down 150-175 watts of power (verified with a power meter on my bike that is very accurate. I bike try to bike 1500-2000 miles a year, so I am used to it and in decent shape.
I can generate 6,000 watts a month. (or 6KWH).(a bit more than an hour, 7 days a week) I have low usage at home, but I still use at least 100 KWH a month. Probably 150-175 now that fall is here. So this would only generate a small part of my electricity needs.
The savings is about 10 cents an hour. I'm not sure that will motivate many people.
Also, there is no such thing as free energy. Energy has to come from somewhere. I get home, and I might eat a steak, and potato, and sometimes even have some ice cream at night, so in my case, I have the energy to burn. I have the luxury of being able to afford my meals, and I can eat what I want (sometimes in excess)
In developing nations, there are people who do not have an unlimited food budget. If they cycle for 1 hour, they need to replace those calories. They are replacing an electricity bill with a food bill.
I enjoy cycling, I look forward to it, and when it rains, I get upset. I would assume that somebody who just finished a 10-12 hour day farming or in a factory, or other tough job does not want to go home and pedal for an hour. I absolutely would to give my family the best life possible. I would even sign up for one of these bikes, but I don't know if its ideal. A solar panel that provides 200 watts of power a day could be provided cheaper, I would think, and it goes further to really improving peoples standard of living.
Also, as for me, I want to be outside, enjoy nature, ride with friends, and maybe even piss off a few motorist. I don't want to ride my bike inside, and .10 cents an hour in savings is not going to convince me. I could see this being cost effective in a gym where it might get a few hours of use a day, but I don't think the electricity generation is worth the extra cost over a standard bike.
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