Something I happened across today: MIT team creates shock that recharges your car
Basically it's a shock that generates electricity from the energy it absorbs rather than just converting it into heat. They're talking about using it on large vehicles, but is there any reason you couldn't have a miniaturised version on bike shocks or forks, to recharge your GPS or power your (smirk) electrically operated gears?
Their version works by forcing the oil through a turbine instead of the normal valving; could you put a teeny tiny turbine in the leg of a fork? Or going in another direction, generate power through induction from a coil wound around a shock shaft or somesuch?
The article says one of their shocks on a normal road can generate up to 1kW; given the gnarly terrain a mountain bike can be ridden on it might be sufficient to power a few odds and ends.
Just thinking out loud, thought it was an interesting idea... 
Phil
