Free Power - pedal assisted bike without motor or battery

[Timpo]

Apparently it's getting popular in Japan.
What do you think? https://free-power.jp
I'm a little skeptical about this.

Basically, little rubber donuts are making this rebound effect to assist the pedaling power.

News reporter comparing normal bike & Free Power bike. (in Japanese)

How it works (in Japanese)

 

[ruffruff]

You get out the exact same amount you put in.

But if its increasing efficiency then more of what you put in is going to moving the bike forward.
But you still can't get more out then you put in.

I think what they are doing is getting more effiecency especially at the 6 and 12 position and they are hyping that.

 

[steve marino]

The laws of physics, as ruffruff pointed out, mean that you will just use more energy to use up the rubber deflection in direct proportion to whatever benefits you might gain. Not to mention that rubber hardens over time, so it will turn back into a regular bike drive train before long. Probably at midnight, like Sleeping Beauty's rat drawn coach. Sorry, even freedom isn't free....it's just another word for 'nuthin left to lose >)

 

[Martinet]

Looks like the same principal as the old Shimano Biopace elliptical cranks, which were supposed to climate the "dead zone".

 

[PDXzap]

Looks like the same principal as the old Shimano Biopace elliptical cranks,

I was thinking the same thing. I have elliptical on an old mtb. Don't know that they make much of a difference.

I'm still a bit curious to try it out.

There's no free lunch... but... I'm curious too.

 

[harryS]

Yes, my Trek 830 has an elliptical triple crank. I thought it was warped when watching my feet one day. Then I learned it was made that way on purpose. I tried a round crank, but went back to the original. The Trek was electrified with a 500W hub motor, but I used to ride around half the time w/o power in those days.