Does My Bike Induce Electricity?

An anonymous reader asks: "I have a steel frame road bicycle and recently began riding on a path that parallels high-tension power lines for several miles. My question is: Does my bike induce an electric current by passing through the electric fields from the power lines? I normally ride the section at about 18 miles per hour, estimate the distance to the lines at about 75-100 feet, and think they're 200KV lines."

Comments

combusting hay

[bryanthompson]

Last year my physics teacher told me a story about a guy who was stacking hay bales under power lines. These weren't super-powerful powerlines, just regular ones alongside the road. Anyhow, the guy had a nice stack going when he was blown off his tractor by some mini lightning caused by the hay powerlines.
The way he explained it, the hay on the ground built up a charge and it was just a matter of time before it discharged with the power lines. When he was stacking, he must have gotten the charged hay too close or something, and it shocked him.
I suppose it's possible you're getting a little stray charge, but as long as you're not wearing a suit made of hay...

Yes

[LarryRiedel]

It is also compressed in the direction of motion, warps time, and emits graviton pulses.

Hey Taco

[tsa]

Time to post that 'Evil bit' article again!

Re:Hey Taco

[the_other_one]

Do not set the evil bit when the stupidity bit can be set.

Dull glow?

[GeckoX]

Do you notice a dull glow radiating from your body when all the lights are off?

Aha!

[TheSHAD0W]

Eureka!

Now we know why they run power lines alongside every road -- so they can soak up the free energy caused by cars driving alongside them!

Are you sure?

[shaka999]

"the transmission line it creates a magnetic field perpendicular to the wire"

The electric field from a charge will be perpendicular to the charge. The magnetic field follows the old "right-hand rule" and circles the current. This would still imply that the field is going throught the frame of the bike but....