Hidden electric motor in Tour de France bicycle

Garp

Garp

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This is a good story about hidden motors in racing pushbikes! I'm not surprised by the cheating, the exciting thing for me is the thought of an undetectable set up built into a bike.
With batteries getting better and motors getting smaller, it might be possible to make something very interesting that doesn't attract attention.
Ped-Assist would make you look like Lance Armstrong, lol.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/italian-judge-opens-investigation-into-motorised-bikes

Here's another article.

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5767833,00.html

One more...

http://scienceblogs.com/dotphysics/2010/06/energy_in_a_hidden_battery.php
 

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That Gruber assist electric drive has me thinking.

Take a frame with a large oval cross-section down tube from the stem, and slide a 2 cylinder swash-plate drive direct powered propane fueled engine down in it. I've seen one of those which was (external dimensions) about 1.5 inch by 2.5 inch in cross-section, and only about 10 inches long. The machinist who built it claimed it produced approximately 1 hp.

The major issue would be heat dispersion, but that can be addressed in several ways.

Voila - hidden engine, and range is limited only by fuel availability. If you used an over sized top tube, with a bayonet fitting valve structure, you could carry a reasonable amount of fuel equally invisibly..
 
LOVE that Gruber motor! its so on the down low that not even a real bike mechanic couldn't tell without a very close inspection.True innovation!...I salute those guys at Gruber. The price? Fugetaboutit!... new innovative tech always costs more at first, in time the cost per unit always comes down. Look how much the price of Li-po batteries has come down.
Only 200w? Give them a little time, i'm sure more powerful motors are in the works.
Now... lets see, my old Trek 23"alum. 4500 frame has a 29.5" seat post tube.....
the down tube is nice and fat... bet i could squeeze a stack of extra cells in there, or stash a nice fat 36v12 ah li-po in a tailrack bag, thats it!
I WANT ONE!
 
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