Ice Cream Bike: Setup and How-To

September 21, 2015

1. Prepare the custard ahead of time. It must be chilled for best results. 2. On the day of your event, pour the custard into the stainless steel canister — up to 1.5 gallons! 3. Close the top using the Country Freezer’s foolproof locking pin. 4. Run the stretchy slip-proof belt from the bike’s drive […]

New audience sizes at Maker Faire, recent rallies mark transition for Pedal Powered Stage

June 3, 2015

Since our earliest moments of Pedal Powered experimentation, I’ve been fascinated by how much sound comes from one pedaler’s efforts. I remember a 12-year-old powering my street performance at a charity bike event for an audience of 30-50 people in the early goings. He was into it! Not too hard, not too easy. Great sound […]

What can I power with Rock The Bike Generators?

March 31, 2015

What can I power with a Generator Pro or Electric Fender Blender Pro? Most common uses: AC Power — Use our Pedal Power Utility Box or create your own 24V Pedal Power system with a battery and inverter. Our Pedal Power Utility Box is a complete system that features: Ultracapacitor (absorbs every last Watt of […]

People’s Climate Rally

January 30, 2015

It was our largest audience size to date by more than double, the previous being the 2013 San Francisco Bicycle Music Festival in Golden Gate Park at about 1000.

Bike Blended Apple Cider

December 22, 2014

What You Need: – 8-10 lbs. fresh apples  (big-flavored, tangy, juicy varieties encouraged. We like Honeycrisp!) – water – two High Performance pitchers – 2 bowls or Cambros, 1 for apple pulp and one for juice. – electric kettle or access to stove and pot – cheesecloth, or paint straining sack – cutting board / knife – cinnamon […]

Chobani Team USA Spin Class video going viral. Here’s our behind the scenes look.

February 22, 2014

  With viewcounts racking up, Chobani’s Team USA Experience is officially going viral. 30 everyday athletes are introduced into a new environment and invited to pedal to power an incredible spin class that unfolds before them with live music, interactive LED art, and a huge hillside projection.  Rock The Bike produced the Pedal Power Spin […]

Brainfood promotes Nutrition and Health with a Bike Blender

January 16, 2014

A look at the workshops the Community MVPs have done with Brainfood‘s very own bike blender. As the President/CEO of Youth Service America said, “The smoothie tasted even better knowing that I contributed to it.” Brainfood is a non-profit youth development organization in Washington, DC. Using food as a tool, Brainfood builds life skills and […]

Highlights from Ecochella at UCLA

January 5, 2014

Ecochella was a student-produced live music event on the UCLA campus that was completely bike-powered thanks to our Pedal Powered Stage. We drove down to LA in a loaned pickup truck, carrying with us a 12-bike system ready for an audience of up to 1000 students.    The size ended up closer to 500, but […]

Holiday Greetings (reprint of newsletter)

December 21, 2013

Bike Blenders growing in popularity and variety.  Above: Wheely Good Smoothies in Baltimore continues to dazzle at farmers markets with their customized Fender Blenders. The newest is their Rainbow Fish (using the Fender Blender Pro as the base).   Bike Blenders continue to be a force for good, both out in the world and in our business. Good […]

3000-person Pedal Powered concert system fits in briefcase. Rock The Bike’s biggest custom build to date.

November 17, 2013

Demolding wave guides. Each of the slots is at a slightly different angle, allowing the 6 tweeters to reach different parts of the crowd.  Photo: Mike Cobb. 1/9/15 Update! The Russian Dolls / BRX system is in use! Check out the photos and blog post about the 9/21/14 People’s Climate Rally in Oakland. ———————- It’s […]

World’s Largest Human Powered Music Festival returns to San Francisco June 22. Be There!

May 30, 2013

We co-produce and Pedal Power this annual community-powered music festival which always falls on the Saturday closest to the Solstice. This year, our 7th, is going to be our best ever. Please say you’ll join us 🙂 Check out this amazing video from last year’s event:

When a bike gets stolen, activate your networks to get lots of eyes looking for you. And then get that bike back.

May 28, 2013

  After a recent Bicycle Music Festival volunteer meeting one of our best cargo bikes, a Mundo 500, was stolen. It was locked to itself. This electric cargo bike was heavy, immobilized and impossible to push. The thieves must have had to lift it into a truck. I realized it the next morning and felt […]

Thanks 350.org and Sup. Avalos’ office for the opportunity to Pedal Power Bill McKibben

May 12, 2013

  When I heard Bill McKibben was going to be in San Francisco to announce a recent success in Supervisor Avalos’s initiative for San Francisco to divest from Oil giants, I jumped at the chance to Pedal Power the speech. Avalos’ office put me in touch with the organizers who were excited to make it […]

A bangin’ Bike To Work Day

May 11, 2013

This morning on Bike To Work Day I was racing to drop off a Bike Blender to UCSF for their Health Fair. In classic fashion I’d double-booked the drop off with a really important meeting, the ISCOTT commission meeting where Bicycle Music Festival was to present our Nighttime street closure plan. I didn’t check the […]

Bike Blending: How many crew? How much ingredients? How many bikes?

January 28, 2013

Here’s a copy of a recent receipt from Trader Joe’s for a Bike Blending event that served 100 people. To serve the most people in the least time, here are the factors to consider: – Ingredients. This is the easiest. Ingredients cost $0.60 per 8 oz smoothie. Scale this to meet your crowd’s needs. – […]

The sLEDgehammer has escaped the tube.

December 17, 2012

Our Pedal Powered lighting challenge, the sLEDgehammer, has escaped the tube.  We’ve both advanced the circuitry and the creativity of this piece of gear, making it even more of a crowd pleaser. The sLEDgehammer is a Pedal Power game where you have to pedal really hard (but not for very long) to win. When you […]

Tech tips for installing a FBU (Fender Blender Universale) on a 20″ Bike for little kids

October 17, 2012

Watch Fossil Fool’s TED Audition.

August 13, 2012

VOTING IS CLOSED! Thanks for reading and watching the video! Friends, customers, and fans: Please support my campaign to speak at the global TED 2013 conference. There is an open voting and comment period happening NOW until the end of August, in which you can watch and review all the amazing auditions that took place […]

Ride to Gaia Fest with Rock the Bike

July 13, 2012

Beginning July 30 from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, we will pedal northward, covering 180-miles in 4-days, arriving in style at Gaia Fest, an awesome music and camping festival at the Black Oak Ranch in Laytonville. For the past 4 years, we have mobilized hundreds to ride 20 miles south from San Francisco […]

The suite next to the metalshop in our Berkeley workshop community is available!

June 9, 2012

      There’s a suite available next door to our metalshop in our Berkeley workshop community, which also includes the East Bay Bike Coalition. “Unit A” has good light from its large glass doors and skylights, concrete floor, high ceilings in most of the space, lots of built in storage, a sink, gas heater […]