The first thing that strikes an observer as Jeff Showalter zips by on the streets of Riverside with his electric bicycle is the noise - or lack of it. His passage is as silent as a light breeze.
There are a number of electric-powered bicycles on the market, but what puzzles Showalter is why there aren't more bikes charged like his - by solar power. Taking a Sunbird electric bicycle purchased at a salvage sale, he rewired "the basket case" and installed four solar panels for the charging.
The largest panel was designed to power electric fences and during a sunny day, delivers between 37 to 40 volts at 1.5 amps. Two smaller panels deliver 9 volts each, with a fourth smaller panel delivering 12 volts at 100 mm amps.
Showalter says it takes about three hours to recharge the bike's batteries on a sunny day, giving him a range of about 15 miles. With new batteries, he estimates that could reach 40 miles. The range can also be extended by pedaling.
The conversion is fairly simple for an electric bicycle and can be completed for a couple hundred dollars. Besides the panel, a charge controller is needed to prevent overcharging the battery, as well as rectifying diodes to prevent a reverse flow of electricity.
Because it is legally designated a bicycle, no special license is needed and can be ridden by children.
His next alteration to the Sunbird will be the installation of what is termed regenerative braking - using braking or coasting to turn the electric motor into a generator, which in turn recharges the batteries.
The batteries are a main cost for electric bicycles, costing several hundred dollars to replace. They are usually good for about 350 full recharges and normally last at least 3 ½ years, depending on use.
There are a couple solar-powered bicycles on the market, but they all cost more than a $1,000.
The E-V Sunny Bicycle's wheels are its solar panels, which resemble the spinning rims of SUVs. It is priced at $1,290, but the company also sells conversion kits for bikes at $795.
An E-V Sunny Photo-Optic solar electric bicycle retails at $1,795 and has solar panels mounted on the back much like Showalter's bike.
Stationary solar panels can also be used to recharge electric bicycles, but they wouldn't have the added benefit of recharging batteries while the vehicle is in use.
Showalter said he doesn't understand why more people aren't thinking of solar-powered bicycles, saying if he lived in Iowa City, it would be his first choice of transportation.
Besides now spending money at the pumps, he concluded, using the sun is a way to cut down his carbon footprint - his own contribution to a cleaner environment.