Rock the Bike’s Response to COVID-19

Apr 21, 2020Posted by in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Rock the Bike’s Response to COVID-19

We’ve reduced the use of our shop by 80% during shelter-in-place. 50% of us are working only from home, and the rest of us have scheduled our use of the shop so we can work one person per room.

We’re following CDC and OSHA guidelines and have never been so tidy.

Procedures and protocols include:

  • washing hands upon arrival and frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
  • wiping down tools, keyboards, mice, phones and frequently touched surfaces with 70% IPA , before and after shifts
  • encouraging glove use to avoid touching of the face, eyes, etc. 
  • practicing 6-foot physical distancing
  • wearing face covers/masks
  • increasing our daily, weekly, and monthly sanitation procedures

We know that you want to plan your future event, but are unsure of when that will be. We’ve updated our event and rental policy in case you need to make any adjustments.

Event and Rental Policy
If the event/rental is being canceled:
25% cancellation fee – with at least 1 week’s notice
50% cancellation fee – with less than a week’s notice  
If the event/rental is being rescheduled:
0% rescheduling fee – with at least 1 week’s notice
10% rescheduling fee – with less than a week’s notice

We’ve increased our satisfaction guarantee period from 3 months to 4 months on all products by Rock the Bike. Let us know if you are not satisfied and we’ll make it right.

Current Turnaround Times:
Online orders = 1 week to ship
Custom orders = 3–5 weeks to ship
Let us know if you have a deadline!

We can be reached at customerservice@rockthebike.com or call us at 1-888-354-2453 M-F 9 am-5 pm PST.

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How Rock the Bike is helping during COVID: PPE Projects

Apr 17, 2020Posted by in Blog | Comments Off on How Rock the Bike is helping during COVID: PPE Projects

How Rock the Bike is helping during COVID: PPE Projects

We would like to express gratitude to our customers and partners who’ve helped us build enough stability to keep our team together through this crisis so far. We are grateful for the health of our team and their families. We are thankful for the clear skies and the hope that climate change can be tackled with the same force of collective action that we’re aiming at a virus. And, when that happens, we are hopeful it will lift everyone up, not leave people behind.


Rock The Bike is helping out during this time with our unique engineering and 3-D printing skills!

What we’re doing to help 

  • We’re contributing to 2 open-source PPE projects to serve healthcare workers. Our 3D printers have been running headbands for face shields, and our engineer Leif has been sending these on to Maker Nexus in Sunnyvale to complete and distribute to healthcare workers.
Leif testing out the piece that our 3D printing team created.
A doctor and family member of the Rock the Bike team in New York testing out the face shield with a headband that we created.
  • Through a family connection, we responded to a request from Contra Costa’s county hospital for a large cleanable intubation box. This project came from research in Taiwan. We innovated a new feature (stackable design) and turned around two samples within a week. It’s now in evaluation and we’re standing by to refine or make more as needed.
Here is an example of the equipment we are designing and printing for the hospitals who need help keeping their doctors safe during intubation procedures.
Here is an example of what these boxes look like in action.

Thank you for staying connected with us during this difficult time! We look forward to continuing to bring you bike-powered fun in the future and in your home!!

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How to Assemble Your Fender Blender Pro

Jan 24, 2020Posted by in Fender Blender Bike Blenders from Rock the Bike, Fender Blender Pro, Fender Blender Pro FAQ, Fender Blender Pro Features, Pedal Power Rentals, Rentable | Comments Off on How to Assemble Your Fender Blender Pro

Learn how to assemble your Fender Blender Pro with crewmember Maisha from the Rock The Bike events team.

For best results have your owner’s manual in addition to this video.

Packaging: 0:13

Crossbeam: 0:53

Rear Legs: 1:45

Pedals: 2:48

Wheel & Chain: 3:27

Seat Post: 5:11

Stem & Handlebars: 5:58

Blender Base: 7:03

Transportation: 7:50

Blending: 8:03

Anyone can do it! Get ready to blend by following our best tips.

Still having trouble? Contact us for more help. 888-354-2453

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What kind of seat post clamp/lever do I need?

Oct 9, 2018Posted by in Uncategorized | Comments Off on What kind of seat post clamp/lever do I need?

What kind of seat post clamp/lever do I need?

Are you looking to get a replacement seat post clamp/lever? We have an older style and new style. Help us determine which style you have so we make sure to send the compatible part.

Please let us know in the NOTES section of your order.

 

In order to figure out which style is compatible with your bike, you will need to look at the area beneath the clamp on the frame.

Does it have a screw hole?

                   

YES screw hole = newer style


 

                    

NO screw hole = older style

 

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What can I power with the Off the Wall generator?

Aug 15, 2018Posted by in FAQ, Music, Off the Wall, One Bike One Speaker, Pedal Power Education Kit Universale, Uncategorized | Comments Off on What can I power with the Off the Wall generator?

What can I power with the Off the Wall generator?

Finally, we have a bike generator that allows customers to simply plug in regular devices with no intermediate box or circuit. You pedal, the device turns on. Direct, immediate, simple.

But not all devices are compatible.  The Off the Wall Generator will only power devices that have a switching power supply.

How do I tell if my device has a switching power supply? If you look at the back it will read “INPUT: 100 – 240V” on the back of the device, as seen below. If the device reads anything differently it will not be compatible.

 


 

Once you’ve figured out if your device is compatible with the Off the Wall Generator. Here are some next steps to follow:

1. Once you’re set up and ready to pedal, DON’T plug in any device that is irreplaceable. A perfect example would be a vintage guitar amplifier. Why risk it? 

2. DO plug-in devices with a Switching Power supply. You will know if your device has a Switching Power supply if you see “Input 100-240V” written on the power supply. Examples include most newer chargers and power cords for laptops, cell phones, tablets, and many other devices.

3. Pedal Power should be an attended activity. We do not recommend leaving your Off The Wall unattended for several reasons. 1) People could plug in the wrong kind of devices, ruining them and possibly risking electrical fire. 2) Any time people get on and off a bike there’s a chance your help will be needed to make that safe and easy. 3) Any time a bike is unattended there’s a higher chance people will get on and pedal really fast, which can cause damage to some devices. See #5 below.

4. Gearing matters. DO choose a bike with gears. Do put the bike in a medium-hard gear, probably not the hardest gear on the bike. If your bike has 3 speeds in the front, you probably want to be in the middle group,  and then choose the hardest or 2nd hardest gear in the back. Once you determine what the best gear is for pedaling, DO NOT let your pedalers change the gear. You may want to tape the shifter or use the limit screws of the derailleur to lock the gear. You will know you need to be in a harder gear if your device turns off even when you are consistently pedaling. You will know you need to be in an easier gear if it feels too hard! You will know you are in the right gear IF, when you plug in a 60 Watt device, such as a laptop computer, pedaling feels like biking around town. You can use a watt meter of voltage tester (see below) to help with this test. Keep in mind a laptop that is fully charged already will consume no power. Best to allow your laptop to drop to 50% charge or lower before trying the test.

5. This product has no over-voltage protection. Some devices can be damaged by pedaling really fast, and this is more likely to happen if the bike is in too hard of a gear. In our experience, pedaling too fast is not something you will ever do by accident. It only happens when a pedaler gets on and wants to see what happens when they pedal like crazy. So as long as you don’t allow that to happen you will not have to worry.

6.DO use a watt meter or voltage tester rated for more than 240v or more. The a watt meter is a power measuring device intended for homeowners. We sell one and you can also buy it at hardware stores. When set to Voltage mode, it helps you set your gear. Voltage range should be around 120-200. When set to Wattage mode it shows you exactly how much power you are providing. Highly educational!

 

Given all these warnings, you may be wondering what an ideal usage is. Here are some examples:

  • Charging a laptop. All recently made laptops have Switching Power Supplies. This is a 50-60W effort, perfect for learning about how much effort it takes to power up this common item. Great for getting a workout and using your energy.
  • Powering a USB hub that charges 10 cell phones (or iPads, etc). We have a USB brick available for $75.
  • Doing a lightbulb comparison station (LED vs. Incandescent). For maximum effect we recommend using 2 60W incandescent lightbulbs vs. 2 equivalent LED lightbulbs. Use 2 power strips or switched sockets to go between the two modes. If you use too few incandescent bulbs they will burn out by being overpowered.  Some LED and Fluorescent bulbs have circuitry that is not compatible and will burn out.
  • Loudspeakers. Many newer powered speakers have a switching power supply. You can look at the writing near the plug to know for sure. Use the volume and a watt meter to demonstrate that louder music requires more power. Feel the difference in your legs. Careful blasting people with loud music!

 

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