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 happen. 

On the day of the rally, Nio and I transported two of our Modified JBL Loudspeakers and towed one electric Fender Blender Pro to use as the generator. In our newest favorite configuration of our Pedal Powered Stage system, we used the One Bike / One Speaker system, in which the ultracapacitor (storage tank) and protection circuitry are inside one of the speakers. There’s no red box as there usually has been in Rock The Bike’s Pedal Power setups. This makes it fast to set up, and easier to transport.

The first thing Bill did when taking the stage was fist-bump the pedaler. His message on the mic is very inclusive and echoes previous giants of social movements: “We may not beat this challenge, but I so look forward to fighting alongside all of you.

The sound was loud and crisp. Nio and I even had time to sound check properly before the press conference started. The 1-bike system could have handled a crowd 2-3 times larger. 

Check out some of the speeches by McKibben, Avalos, and student organizers:

Drop complete, ready to sprint to ISCOTT. Only problem is I have no lock, and they’re NOT going to let me bring it in.  I called Carolina for backup and she headed to meet me with her lock.

Text from Gabe: “We’re on in like 5 minutes, dude!” Crap! I really don’t want to miss it. We’ve been working on our plan for months to do a Night Venue in the Mission. This is the climactic meeting.

I get to the ISCOTT building before Carolina. I ask a work man cleaning the street to please look after my bike. He says no problem and tells me to put away my wallet. Nice.

I sign in race for the elevator. Susan King from Sunday Streets is there to work out the street closures for the second half of the Sunday Streets season. I ask her to speak for BMF if we haven’t missed our item.

I’m in the room, see Gabe in the back, set down my bag, and we’re called! Gabe and I are introducing ourselves up at the table, making eye contact with the department heads of Fire, Police, MUNI, Health, Parks & Rec, and DPW. Gabe places the map on the overhead projector, someone hands me the laser pointer, and I’m pointing out the various barriers and locations in our proposed Street Closure. Susan King speaks up : “We’ve worked with [Rock The Bike and Bicycle Music Festival] on many events. They’ve come a long way since their rogue days.”

ISCOTT members motion to approve. We’ve got the permit! I make a hasty retreat for the elevator, get to the street and get to my bike just as Carolina rolls up.

Bicycle Music Festival June 22 this year. Be there!

This video shows you the 1 Bike 1 Speaker Pedal Powered Sound System from Rock the Bike

Shake Your Peace rocks the bike at Head Royce

Justin Ancheta Band to debut their new CD “Plant” at Cafe Du Nord in San Francisco April 13. RSVP: http://www.facebook.com/events/325251237585774/?ref=ts&fref=ts

We sell two types of complete Generator Bikes, and also generator wheels to install on your bike,  in three sizes: 24″, 26″, and 700c. We sell two ratings of wheels: Cargo Strength, or NeverGonnaHitThePavement. If you’re only going to use these as generator wheels, you can get away with a lower-quality spec on the rim and spokes. But if you’re planning to ride to and from gigs, and especially if you’re carrying a load on the wheel, you need our Cargo Strength wheels, rebuilt with downhill mountain biking rims and 12 Gauge spokes.

You can put our generator wheels on any bike. We recommend a bike with a wide size range, low stepover height, and gears.

So what kinds of complete generator bikes do we offer?

Cargo Bike Generators: 

Electric Fender Blender Pro:

The widest, most stable generator we sell, and boasting a very wide size range thanks to its innovative bottom bracket design. A single-speed generator, it’s extremely simple to use.

Generator wheels to turn any bike into a generator:

The most affordable way to access our frictionless generator technology. You simply swap the rear wheel of your current bike and throw it on one of our stable trainer stands. Great for custom bikes like El Arbol above, or for low-cost generators. Still extremely quiet and powerful.

Above: Your bike can now be a generator, every bit as powerful and quiet as the ones we use at Rock The Bike events.

Special lightweight or higher/lower voltage generators:
We’ll consult with you to find lighter weight options for bike touring or specific application.

Want your bike to generate power? Now you can, with a hand-built generator wheel from Rock The Bike.  You can also use it to upgrade your Mundo into an electric bike.

“We LOVE the bike blender and use it all over the community!” — Lorraine, Public Health at Shasta County

Shasta County is using a Fender Blender Xtracycle.

Yes! Use this photo to identify which parts you need. Then email us or give us a call at 1-888-354-BIKE so we can get you bike blending again.

Use the video (below) to see how to dissemble and reassemble your blending component.