How Loud is the Blender?
We blended ice and water (the loudest thing you can blend) and found the following measurements:
At 2 feet, it peaked at 85db for the first few seconds and fell to 75-80 for the rest of the time.
At 5 ft, it peaked at 77 for the first few seconds and fell to 70-73.
At 7 feet, it peaked at 73 db for the first few seconds and fell to 65-70.
At 10 ft, it peaked at 71.
Db are logarithmic like the Richter scale. 85 is 10 times louder than 75.
You can reduce your noise leak to other booths significantly with some type of barrier like a dividing panel, at ear level.
We can’t say what the noise levels will be when people cheer for each other. Hope this helps!
Read MoreBike Blended Apple Cider
What You Need:
– Staff of two (1 bike coach and 1 food handler)
Instructions:
1. Core the apples and cut them into wedges. Fill the blender pitcher with wedges.
2. Add up to an inch of water at the bottom of the pitcher. The water is necessary to help the wedges move, and reduce in size at the beginning.
3. Blend, blend, blend! You’re done when all the ingredients are circulating in a vortex, but don’t worry you can’t over-blend it.
Coach, please note: It’s likely that the blade of the blender pitcher will jam at the beginning. You may have to grab the wheel and move it back and forth to help the blade reposition and be ready to power through the apples. You may also want to whack the the side of the pitcher to shake apples down into the forming vortex. Adding more water can make this whacking step unnecessary. If you do the whacking step, do it with two hands where one hand stabilizes the pitcher while the other gives it a whack. That way the pitcher won’t go flying!
4. Dump the whole contents into the cheesecloth and then squeeze! Clean hands or gloves are essential for this step and this is why the coach can’t be the chef/food prep person.
If you stop here you have pedal powered apple juice, continue on to make apple cider.
5. Add a stick or 3 of cinnamon and some cloves (to taste), and heat until warm and steaming. Take notes on how long it takes to heat the juice in your electric kettle or stove top and then don’t overheat (and risk scalding your guests). For the nearly quart of juice that’s likely to result from one pitcher full of apple wedges, you probably only have to heat it for 3 minutes or so.
Blueberry Beach Cruiser Smoothie Recipe
This simple 4-ingredient recipe is perfect for busy events!
Ingredients:
Frozen Blueberries
1 Banana
Yogurt (organic is best)
Vanilla Soy Milk (organic is best)
Prep It In Your Pitcher:
1. Peel your banana and place in the bottom of your blender pitcher
2. Add 1 cup yogurt
3. Scoop in 3 cups of frozen blueberries
4. Pour in 2 cups vanilla soy milk.
5. Cover with the lid and pop onto your bike blender! Blend until smooth (roughly 15 sec – 1 minute, depending on how hard you pedal.)
This recipe yields 32 oz, which can be serves in 8 small samples (4oz), 3 – 4 9oz samples, or 2 16 oz beverages.
Read MoreSmoothie Bike encourages exercise, healthy eating
Finding a unique way to involve the community in active and healthy living can sometimes be a challenge.
Nancy Randolph, manager at Manitowoc County Human Services, rides the Smoothie Bike at a recent farmers market. (Photo: Submitted by Lindsay Brookshier )
This is the challenge that Broken Spokes manager Colin Knab and the community-based initiative, Healthiest Manitowoc County, are tackling with their newly created Smoothie Bike. Taking its cue from similar bikes that have been sweeping the nation, this locally owned business and community initiative is bringing the Rock the Bike movement to Manitowoc.
“It’s just seeing biking in different ways and what biking can do,” said Knab. “It’s all about getting into the culture of biking, it’s just one step to move forward into that.”
Using an exerciser trainer model, the Smoothie Bike depends entirely on its rider to power the blender. To mix the drink faster, the rider will have to pedal faster because the bike only operates at one speed. But the bike has the capability to make more than just smoothies. The bike can create dips, pesto, milk shakes and even soups.
The philosophy behind the bike ties into the goals that many organizations within the community, such as Healthiest Manitowoc County and Broken Spokes, have been working on for years. Specifically, they have been supporting initiatives to increase the consumption of locally grown fruits and vegetables and being active 60 minutes a day.
“The Smoothie Bike is a creative tool for the Activity and Nutrition Coalition to expose, engage and educate youth, parents and community members about the importance of fruit and vegetable consumption,” said Cath Pape, Healthiest Manitowoc County grant coordinator. “We can’t afford to ignore our poor health. Two out of three Wisconsinites are overweight and at risk for heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Our local food movement understands that investing in a strong food system is right for health, business and budget. The bike is a fun, friendly reminder that we have better health when we make better choices about where we live, learn, work and play.”
For members of the community that experienced the Smoothie Bike, creating something delicious using locally grown food and the power of their own body made the bike an exciting concept.
“I love the ‘Fender Blender’ bike and am amazed at how quickly it becomes the center of attention when someone is pedaling it. I think that using the bike to bring focus to the Healthiest Manitowoc County initiative is a fantastic way to market the ‘buy local and eat fresh’ approach.” said Nancy Randolph, manager at Manitowoc County Human Services who gave the bike a spin at its showcase at the Manitowoc Farmers Market.
The bike’s success at the Farmers Market is a promising sign of how the community is pedaling its way to a healthy lifestyle through the enjoyment of locally grown food.
This article was posted on July 15, 2014 by HTR NEWS, and written by Lindsay Brookshier. For the full article please go to: http://www.htrnews.com/story/life/2014/07/15/smoothie-bike-encourages-exercise-healthy-eating/12709149/
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