This head unit gets you bumping with pedal power.  A clear box mounts to your handle bars, inside is and amp, power conditioning and protection circuitry and power gauges, as well as any of the options listed below. The head unit can be powered by the Pitcher Mounted Power Generator or Electric Fender Blender Pro.

With this Head Unit the rider can power :

-12v devices plugged into a coax outlet

-a built in sound amplifier (just add speakers) that can be easily connected to an iPod or mini-plug microphone.  Uses the same high efficiency digital amplifier as the In-The-Pocket head unit

-optional* 250 Watt on board inverter for powering AC devices (like a PA sound system or laptop) plugged into a standard Edison outlet (aka NEMA-5) ($225)

-optional* 4-channel audio mixer — helps you rap or make presentations w/ microphone jack mounted to the top panel. ($240)

-optional* Envy Green Down Low Glow indicator light,  that can be attached to the bike, drawing the audiences’ attention and illuminating when the system comes to life up or going dim as the system voltage gets low. ($100)

-optional* Pitcher Mounted Power Generator or Electric Fender Blender Pro

-also includes

• voltage and current meters, lets you know how much power is being generated and if enough power is coming in to avoid the devices turning off
• mount for ipod or other audio device
• KlickFix mounting system – secure mounting to your handlebars using this German-engineered system, easy release with one-button and can be reattached to a different bike with an extra bike clip in seconds

-optional battery pack for making tunes while riding without the additional effort of pedal power

*Please note that not all optional accessories will fit into one Soul Cycle Head Unit.  Call Rock the Bike at 1-888-354-BIKE (2453) to discuss which options are best for you.

This kit includes everything except the Xtracycle-compatible donor bike:

• DIT Head Unit
• Fender Blender X
• Generator
• Custom wiring
• Current and voltage meter, to calculate power production
• Instructions
• plus items listed below

We had a blast last night at the Urban School, pedal powering their first dance of 2010. Thanks to Lucy, Lucas, Catherine and all the students and teachers.

As with any Rock The Bike event, we invite people at the event to pedal. The kid in the foreground is pedaling the Choprical Fish, which is powering the lighting at the dance.

Justin’s pedaling the Mundo 1000 during the sound check, one of our two bikes equipped with our Grasshopper generator system.

Despite their abundance of energy for gogo dancing and freaking, the Urban School students were a bit hesitant about joining in the pedal power effort. I felt good that we had shown up with a 6 person crew, including Adam, Masha, Hugh, Justin, and Ally.  But we were doing 90% of the pedaling. Normally, the GP (general public) does more like 40-50% of the pedaling. I tried pulling students in and there were a few cool students who kept pitching. But honestly the freaking on the dance floor was so prolific, that it was obvious that’s where their minds were. So after a while, I stopped walking out into the crowd using a Down Low Glow like an airport landing guide, and just pedaled. I thought back to David Butcher and how he holds it down at festivals, pedaling away on the Prime Mover. I found new time trial position I liked on the Fender Blender Pro, and entered a crank, sprint, lactic acid! cycle. Out of saddle sprint! Lactic acid. Two students get on, both girls. I adjust the seat for one of them and the indicator on our inverter already drops into the red.

“Pedal hard! Go for it. ”

I look around for crew and don’t see any one. The LED is floating in the red, occasionally hitting blinking red. I know I’m going to need to save this party. I hate having to be intense with the pedal power coaching, but I was yelling, “Pedal, Pedal, Pedal!” every time I saw that blinking light. I was trying to get in a hamstring stretch, but I kept having to coach the girls on the bikes. And my communication with the DJ wasn’t to the point where I could make eye contact with him. He was killing it anyway, and I liked the fact that we were driving the PRX hard. Screw the stretch. I tap out with one of the girl and go into another sprint on the FB Pro.

Justin’s back! The other girl taps out and we bring the LED back to orange, and green. It was kind of like that all night. Three electrics would have helped, but really we just needed more from the students. I think some type of introduction would have helped. The students probably didn’t know what the function of the pedal power bikes was, other than to climb all over them and have a blast. No, they knew, but the hormones were too strong. Freaking trumped!

Rock The Bike has left the building.

We only brought one of our PRX speakers this time. The other is in the shop on a pedal power integration project.

See more photos from the night on Flickr.

Youth Speaks’ Brian rocks the mike as Lincoln High athletes power the audio gear (and answer questions while they’re at it).

Big thanks to Lincoln High School and ESLI for inviting Rock The Bike to two days of environmental assemblies and education.

Riding to the event early in the morning, hauling the massive JBL PRX 535 speaker. It happened to be Bike To Work Day.