We live in the Blue Ridge mountains about 20 miles from the engineer’s regular job. Right out of our driveway is a long, steep hill to the top of Preston Forest where you can see for miles and travel next to the Jefferson National Forest. While this makes for a beautiful start to the commute, it doesn’t give you a chance to warm up if you like to ride a bike. The engineer decided a little assist was in order. Not satisfied to just buy something off the market, he proceeded to build his own vehicle-from the ground up.
Using SolidWorks to design the bike frame and Ackerman steering model, he joined the chromoly with a tig-welder into a fully-functioning recumbent. Modifying a motor controller and battery system to give an electrical motor assist up the steep hills and out of the busy intersections, the engineer can now commute to work in style. The Human-Electric (H-E) Recumbent is equipped with a coffee cup holder for the caffeine, two saddle bags for his laptop and lunch and LED lights and flags for visibility.
Check out this video on the fabrication and completion of this cool way to commute. Human Electric Recumbent Video