Siva Cycle Atom - Human-Powered Generator | |||||||||||
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Product Description
When the Siva Cycle Atom says it wants some manpower, it wants some mother F'ing manpower. (Note: It will also accept elbow [knee?] grease from ladies.) An efficient, rechargeable block of pooled current, the Atom mounts... [Read more]
Top Reviews
Very short life spanby Dale L (2 out of 5 stars)
August 31, 2015
Purchased this and it worked for a little while. I took a quick 18 mile trip around town right after I got it and I loved it. It kept my phone charged while the screen and location services where turned on with no problem. Fast forward a couple of weeks later and on the Great Allegheny Passage... Halfway through the second day this thing was making terrible grinding and clunking noises, and the resistance had VERY noticeably increased. Not good while pedaling uphill to the Eastern Continental Divide with a full load of camping gear, etc. Once I took it off the bike (which admittedly this thing is very easy to install and remove), I no longer felt like I was trying to pull a house up the hill. The GAP trail is very well maintained and smooth, so it was not getting beat up under rough conditions.
I have returned this item, and will not be replacing it. While I really like the concept of what this thing is and can do, it seems like it is not rugged enough for real world usage. I had less that 75 miles on the item before the problems started. I am giving it two stars only because I do like the idea of it, but not the implementation.
Good option to charge your phone while riding
by Mark A. Ellis (4 out of 5 stars)
September 23, 2015
The Silva Atom does exactly what it says....it does a great job of charging my iPhone while riding my bike. I can use my Endomondo app and listen to my music at the same time and my iPhone stays charged even on longer rides. I did not attempt to install it myself as I don't like to mess with the brakes on my bike. A local bike shop charged me around $25 to install. It does make some noise at higher speeds.
Seized up completely after less than 100 miles
by Thom Roberts (1 out of 5 stars)
July 6, 2016
Product completely seized up 40 miles into the first day of a 3 day 180 mile ride. It was used for about 40 miles prior to this as well, so approximately 80 miles total.
When it seized up, it necessitated immediately stopping and removing the device, as it was just pressing against the rear spokes but not turning with the wheel, causing a huge drag.
Tried to seek a replacement but they took too long to reply and I missed the window to get a return from Amazon without realizing it so at this point I'm stuck with a $130 paperweight and no charger for my bike.
So, the product completely seized after 80 miles, is 100% useless now and I seem to be stuck with it.
I'd look for an alternate charger if I were you.
Excellent product - Well worth the money
by Thom MacDonald (5 out of 5 stars)
June 28, 2015
Installed in 5 minutes and it began charging my phone as soon as I started to ride! Excellent product - Well worth the money!
Five Stars
by Amazon Customer (5 out of 5 stars)
October 19, 2016
Gave to my son and he really likes it.
Didn't Work For Us
by Courtenay C Brinckerhoff (1 out of 5 stars)
July 7, 2015
We have to return this product because it would not work on any of our bikes.
Cost effective, simple power solution for urban biking/touring
by Daniel J. Lenaghan (3 out of 5 stars)
June 7, 2015
For what it is, which is: easily installed, highly adaptable to a wide variety of bikes, and cost effective, the Siva Atom is quite good. I'm knocking two stars because of the resistance, which is noticeable (it's like knocking a tooth or two off your rear cog: not a game changer, but definitely a cost for the power it creates, especially if you're riding fixed in a hilly area like Seoul), and for the sound it makes when it's turning, which is rather annoying and only increases with speed, contrary to what some others have experienced. However, the Siva Atom means you can have a pretty much pop-on-pop-off dynamo that's already balanced for USB devices (and all my lights are USB rechargeable), and even against hub dynamos are a similar price point like some of Shimano's hubs, you don't have to build a whole wheel around the hub, so even a comparably priced product is definitely going to be pricier in the end, and it's not like you can swap around a rear tire as easily as you can move the Atom from one bike to another. However, in the future, I would consider going for a hub dynamo for quieter use and less resistance.
Awesome Product, Battery Glitch, Great Customer Service
by Yurij Lojko (4 out of 5 stars)
May 19, 2015
Was super excited to finally put one of these on my bike after hearing so much about them via Kickstarter, etc. Got it during Boston's Snowmageddon and rode it every day (yeah, I'm one of those dudes who commutes every day of the year no matter what) through the awful weather for over a month. One day the battery stopped charging so I contacted Dave over at Siva Cycle and he sent me a brand new battery free of charge. Everything's been working fine ever since (2 months later). My favorite is going up to my friends after I get off my bike and asking them if their phones need a charge. You should see the look they give me when I tell them I powered the battery from my bike ride...
--Does add resistance to pedaling, but it's negligible
--Takes a lot of riding to charge the removable battery pack, but that's understandable
--Doesn't charge my 2001 candybar Motorola phone, but charges any other phone/speaker/light I've tried
and the battery packs detach easily to quickly extend your battery life
by Lynne Ober (5 out of 5 stars)
April 27, 2015
Is a cycling trip in your future? If yes, then the Siva Atom is definitely for you. The Atom is a lightweight, highly efficient bicycle generator and rechargeable battery pack designed to power virtually any of your electronic or mobile devices via USB. The Atom generator mounts on most standard bicycle frames in minutes, and the battery packs detach easily to quickly extend your battery life. I bought this for my husband and he was able to easily install it --- I am always leery of things I have to install, but this one came with all the right parts and they easily fit together.
The Atom charges electronics using the energy you create as you pedal. You're powering a generator that can charge a mobile USB device like a smartphone, GPS, and more. It's lightweight, splash resistant, and the battery pack detaches easily for on-demand power. It weights only 1.3 pounds.
If you plan a day long, weekend or longer cycling trip, this little device will keep your devices charged and ready to go.
Just get an external spare battery. Really wanted to like it...
by Sam (3 out of 5 stars)
June 8, 2016
For what it is, it does charge up its attached battery. I really digged the idea enough to follow Siva from its inception. I've received it, used it about ten rides, put it away, and pulled it out hoping that my initial impressions and disappointment was unwarranted. Now with more thorough testing, I can confidently write this review not recommending it to anyone.
1) It has significant drag. Another reviewer noted it's probably in the region of knocking off a tooth or two on your rear cog; I would place it more in the region of 3~5 teeth. I found that I couldn't get to my 11 cog without pushing out a LOT more power than I usually do. To give you a frame of reference, I am a stickler for smooth turning wheels, so my wheels are exceptionally true. Bearings are re-packed and overhauled every three months or so. A casual flip of the wrist on the wheel will keep it turning for a good 30~ seconds, if not more. With these installed, the wheel will come to a complete stop in about ten seconds, maximum. It feels like riding into a moderate headwind, constantly. This is me riding on a lightweight road bike, however. If you're riding on a heavier bike, the speed penalty might not be as noticeable (when I put this on my touring frame, the resistance seemed much less noticeable, but then the bike overall is rather heavy) I don't know if I have a defective copy, but the electric whine the generator creates only increases with speed. If you're riding a road bike at speeds of 20kmh+ on a regular basis, it's going to be annoying. Honestly, takes away much of the joy of riding.
And that could be acceptable, if...
2) The battery actually charged devices at a reasonable speed. The 800mA output is ridiculously slow. The slow device chargers that you might have frustration with charging your phone generally do so at 1A. The faster chargers generally put out 2A. It's so ridiculous to the point certain phones actually can't be charged at all while it's on and being used. If you're fine with leaving your phone off for 20 min while you're at a cafe, and only getting a 10~15% charge boost, then this would be ideal. Even if you left the damn thing overnight, the meager capacity of 1650mAh is quite small as well, considering that large phone batteries these days run 2500mAh~3700mAh. It's a lesson in frustration. I've resorted to just keeping a 10,000 mAh external battery pack in my saddle bag in a waterproof container at all times. Charge it once, forget about it. I went on a week-long tour where I just took 2 10,000 mAh battery packs (total came to ~$40 USD) and charged them up when I ate at a restaurant of when I wasn't camping.
and lastly...
3) No customer service?
The extender USB hub never worked. Dead on arrival. Which would've been fine, except they made the port on the top recessed enough that a regular USB charger can't fit in. I contacted Siva Cycles, and have not received a reply in a week. When I was placing my additional order last year, they took TWO WEEKS to reply to an inquiry about the very issue.
Misc: If you're using your phone to record GPS data (such as GPS) and have data network attached with push notifications on, you know how fast your phone battery will drain. In my experience, on a Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy S7, and iPhone 6S, a 2A external battery pack will just about keep your phone hovering around the same percentage. In other words, a 800mA output isn't going to charge your phone; it'll only slow down the drain.
If you're actually in the middle of NOWHERE, then MAYBE I'd recommend this. If you're planning to be in the middle of nowhere, away from all electric sockets, however, I might suggest a solar panel setup or a dynamo hub instead. What the Siva outperforms in weight savings it takes back in resistance.
Overall: It's not going to save the environment. I thought I would enjoy it enough to eventually offset the cost -- now it sits off my bike, useless. The 1650mAh external battery may seem some use, but the build is quite flimsy.
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Details were last updated on Oct 2, 2024 18:26 +08.
