Interning at Rock The Bike’s Berkeley, CA workshop has been an exciting and challenging learning experience. RTB is a fast growing sustainable company with a diverse product line to manage so there is no such thing as a dull day with repetitive tasks. I worked closely with their team of engineers to refine their existing product line. I had a hand in the prototyping/testing, CAD revisions, and assembly of the Mundo cargo bikes. I worked with their fabricator Gian Bongiorno building Fender Blender Pros. As the human-powered intern, I worked extensively troubleshooting and building The Biker Bar.
I had a blast running pedal-powered performances on the weekend at The Makers Faire, Bicycle Music Festival, and the San Francisco Marathon to name a few. I loved brainstorming with RTB engineers on how to make a design better, then stepping into the workshop and physically building my design. On the technical end, I helped spec generators and gearboxes, learned electrical principles, analyzed forces placed on a design, and used CAD. On the physical end, I performed metalworking, woodworking, electrical work, bicycle maintenance, and operated sound equipment. Working with the RTB team was a very worthwhile and personable experience. If you’re looking for a jam-packed insight into bike culture I would highly recommend applying for an internship with RTB!