Pedal Powered Presentations at Schools
This photo was snapped [in fall of 2013] at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Elementary school in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. That’s the Principal and EcoTeacher riding the bikes in front of the students at the start of the presentation.
1 Bike / 1 Speaker used for 500 activists at 350.org’s Global Power Shift summit in Istanbul
When we heard 350.org was gathering 500 climate justice activists in Istanbul for the Global Power Shift conference in June, we offered to loan them our latest and simplest yet Pedal Power system, “One Bike / One Speaker” . Since several of the organizers were coming from the Bay Area, we reduced our smallest system to two boxes, both within airline regulations for checked baggage, bringing the shipping cost to 0. We met up with two of the organizers to hand off the two boxes, one at a BART station and one at our shop. 350.org would have to supply a bike in Istanbul and swap the rear wheel for the lightweight generator wheel we provided. We supplied detailed setup info to ensure the system would get good use. Next: wait for update.
Update from Kevin a few days into GPS: “Hey! Just saying it’s rocking. We did a 500 person plenary outside which was great, and its become a staple for our daily announcements. Next up, the Open Mic…”
The photos show that this One Bike system was able to amplify music and speech for the entire conference.
Thanks 350.org and Sup. Avalos’ office for the opportunity to Pedal Power Bill McKibben
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. We used our newest Pedal Powered Stage system for small events, called One Bike / One Speaker, in which the ultracapacitor (storage tank) and protection circuitry are inside one of the speakers. There’s no red customized toolbox 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.
I love that in the AP’s entire article about divestment, the only mention of bicycling is in the lead photo. Rock The Bike!
Read MoreOne Bike One Speaker Video
This video shows you the 1 Bike 1 Speaker Pedal Powered Sound System from Rock the Bike
Read MoreOne Bike / One Speaker
With a compatible mixer (in use here and as shown in video in upper right) you can get multiple musicians amplified with no additional power.
– Perfect for public speaking events like a town hall meeting, green event, or press conference. Also a huge hit at a large outdoor environmental day like a tree planting or park cleanup.
– Includes a high quality Pro Sound speaker designed for large outdoor events. Capable of sending music out to a large area.
– Easy setup. Only two connections you need to make to fully set up One Bike / One Speaker. Can take as little as 1 minute.
– A microphone or MP3 player can plug straight in to this speaker with no mixer! No complex controls, just a single volume knob. System can also be upgraded to include a 2, 4, or 6 channel mixer also powered by the bike.
– Everything you need can be carried / towed on one bike, meaning you can further reduce the carbon footprint of your event by biking there.
– Includes everything you need: one of our exclusive, highly efficient Modified JBL PRX loudspeakers, a complete generator or generator wheel, handlebar Pedalometer, and Pedal Power cable. The bike plugs directly into the speaker! (You supply all the audio gear.)
– Can also power a second speaker for stereo sound. Second speaker is a ‘slave’ to the primary speaker.
– Easy/Moderate exertion level. You’ll have enough breath to give a speech while you pedal. For dance music, the effort level goes up a little.
– System includes a small Ultracapacitor that holds up to 3 minutes worth of audio power.
– Recommended crowd size: Up to 500 for speech and up to 200 people for dance music.
Above: The included 3-level Pedalometer shows you how hard to pedal. If the blue lights are on, there will be a 1-3 minute buffer before audio cuts.
The view from outside.
Rentable: yes
Status: Made to Order, Build time is 4 weeks.
Cost: $3,025 and up depending on speaker, generator options.
Are there sponsorships and grants available for my Nonprofit?
Bike Blending in action at Longfellow Elementary’s Spring Carnival
Our Nonprofit Discount Program grants awards of 10% off your purchase and 15-20% off the rental of Rock the Bike gear to a limited number of nonprofit or educational applicants per quarter and has a simple application process.
