Heated Bicycle Jacket

[ZnsaneRyder]

I want to make a heated bicycle jacket. Are you folks tired of riding in the cold and not staying out long, because it's too cold to be bearable to get anything done?

Do any of you folks already have a heated jacket? If so, tell us more about it and how well it works.

I was looking around online and see there are several styles of heated jackets for sports players and motorcyclists. Most use a Lithium battery and carbon-fiber for the heat elements, and vary between 65-200 watts.

Since I am making my own, and don't know where to get conductive carbon-fiber, I'm planning on using thin copper coil wire (thin #30AWG) and making several coils in the front, and upper arms, and I'll run it from my 12V NiCd bicycle battery, and also have 12V NiCd's inside the jacket so when the batteries get low, the warm batteries themselves will also provide some heat.

Another idea is to scrap a heated blanket and use the heat-elements.

I want to be able to ride the bicycle for hours to find a job or go out of town, but the cold has kept me grounded locally, and I really want to ride FAR, as I intended to use the bicycle for, and handling the cold would be the key thing to making it happen.

 

[bluegoatwoods]

I like the idea. I get the feeling that overall efficiency is a problem with something like that. It might take a lot of battery to get a moderate amount of heat.

but I don't really know.

Still, aren't you in Florida? Couldn't you get along well with typical winter clothes like you find here in the frozen north?

All the same....an automotive battery connected to one of those cheap power inverters would give you 120 volts, ac. connect that to a stripped out electric blanket (like you suggested) and you might have something that works at a good price.

then just charge it up overnight.

 

[Mountainman]

ok -- hey ZR

we all know that you are very good with your hands
yes - you can make most anyTHING if you set your mind to it

but dude -- be careful now
you are going to be wrapping this ELECTRIFIED thing around your body

in case of a mishap -- you have been know to have a few

we don't want you to burn anyTHING off your body -- know what we mean ???

ride that THING and take care of your THINGS

 

[MotorMac]

Cold?

Cold in Florida??? LOL!! its where I go to get warm!!

 

[MotorBicycleRacing]

I want to make a heated bicycle jacket. Are you folks tired of riding in the cold and not staying out long, because it's too cold to be bearable to get anything done?

Do any of you folks already have a heated jacket? If so, tell us more about it and how well it works.
.

I have a 12 volt heated vest that I used on my motorcycle. It was
indispensible, just keeping the core of your body warm was enough to keep you comfortable in very cold conditions at high speed. My feet getting cold
was my only problem area.
My vest is over 20 years old and was made by Widder Lectric

Looks like they went out of business.......
http://www.widder.com/

It probably draws too much for a battery on a bicycle though.

Draw: 33-48 Watts

Heres a review site of some newer models
http://www.motorsports-network.com/ProdTest/electric/widder.htm

 

[ZnsaneRyder]

Thanks for the info Forbisher!

I already have a 55W light +accessories that draws from a 12V 4AH battery and gets me over 45mins, so I imagine with a larger battery, or dual batteries, 2 or 3 hours total time on a ~50W jacket should be obtainable. On and off sparing usage as needed combined with pedaling should stretch it out even longer to make riding more comfortable.

I also just got the nice opportunity to get 2 old 18V Black&Decker NiCd drill batteries, mostly working with just a few shorted cells, but I have some extra cells from R/C car batteries, so I should have another complete 3x12V battery with over 4AH, with 30 good cells, so that's an additional bike battery.

I'm up for the challenge.

 

[MotorMac]

trailer

Good thing you have a trailer to haul all those batteries and to push your bike!
Watch the cops don't pull you over to ask where all the batteries came from!

 

[MotorMac]

electric vest

Anyways heres a good one that a lot of Canadian motorcycle riders like. Its rechargable so you dont need to haul big batteries around in your trailer.. http://cozywinters.com/shop/heated-vest-6722.html

 

[ZnsaneRyder]

Anyways heres a good one that a lot of Canadian motorcycle riders like. Its rechargable so you dont need to haul big batteries around in your trailer.. http://cozywinters.com/shop/heated-vest-6722.html

Thanks, that clears up some ideas.

Specs:

* High Capacity Lithium-Polymer Battery (7.4V 2200mAh)
* 2.5-7 Hours of Heating Time
* Bio-Thermal Carbon Fiber Heating
* Three heating zones - Two Front and One Rear
* 100V ~ 240V AC Home Charger

I already have MORE than 2200mAh with a 12V battery pack, and will have an extra 12V battery pack, and I also have lots of lithium-ion batteries, so I imagine achieving 2.5 - 7 hours is possible. Also, the NiCd battery I use is lightweight, and makes no difference in the ride at all, which is why I chose it over a heavy Lead-Acid battery. Also my homebuilt packs are wrapped in electric tape, and nobody seems to recognize that it's a battery. I have no worries about someone thinking I stole my own batteries with all the wires I have.

I'd like to use a car battery, but it's too big and heavy for my trailer.

Now my brother's new 2.5HP trailer in the works is designed to hold a large car battery, and I imagine you would have heat all day with one of those.

 

[SirJakesus]

http://heartlandamerica.com/browse/...FA-469C-B9EF-380BA2A6A69B&BC=30003001&DL=SCH4


This may be a good starting point. Much less expensive since they don't include any batteries. Ad says the vest uses 8 AA batteries... if this is done in series it would equal 12V... If in series-parallel config it would be 6 volt supplied. Either way I'd be willing to bet you can hook fairly large batteries to this vest. May require a potentiometer or other limit for current/voltage.