What is a coach?
You’ve gone to great lengths to have an interactive Pedal Power activity at your event, and you want the best results. We’ve found that having a “coach” is essential to having a hit. Once you read all the different things a coach does, you’ll want one too. The person who greets your group as they come up to the bike, who answers their questions, who reassures them that they’ll do fine even if they haven’t been on a bike in a long time, who helps them get on and off, who leads the cheering for them — that’s the coach.
Coaches function as the host, making sure the bike works optimally for each rider and that everyone has a fun and uplifting experience with Pedal Power. You can provide your own coach — it’s not difficult to be a good one. Our trained staff is also available if you want to hire the pros (look under Services to see which activities we can provide a crew for). In the end, it doesn’t matter who supplies the coaches, only that you have one for every rider.
The Benefits of Having a Coach
Having a coach instantly makes your Pedal Power activity a warm and lively attraction. It means you have someone stationed at the activity whose only job is to think about the pedalers — their safety, fun, and learning. That kind of undivided attention means that everyone gets the bike adjusted to fit them well — if the seat is too high, the rider will strain to reach the pedals; if it’s too low, the rider does not get a strong experience of their own muscle power.
Read MoreRequest a Purchase Quote
Use the form below to request a purchase, or international shipping, quote from Rock the Bike.
For more information about our products please see the left-hand menu.
Request a Rental Quote
Use the form below to request a quote to rent our Bike Blender, Spin Art, Ice Cream Bike, Recharge Station, or sLEDgehammer.
For more information about our rentals, please go here: https://oldsite.rockthebike.com/pedal-power-rentals/
Bike-It Ben’s No-Bake Energy Bars
Ben Sherratt aka Bike-It Ben from Sustrans at Brighton & Hove has developed a simple recipe for a quick and kid-friendly energy bar. He was so kind to share his recipe for the No-Bake Energy Bars (vegan!) he made with his Year 1 kids at St. Luke’s Solar School. They’re made using his Rock The Bike Fender Blender Universale. Check out the recipe below and give it a try with some of your school kids. Ben mentions this below, so ICYMI, year 1 kids are aged 5 to 6 years old.
Ingredients:
“Here is a pic of our recipe cards for year 1 pupils to work with (aged 5-6) they loved them and ate them all up! We also added cocoa powder to them for a chocolate flavour, again very popular!” -Ben Sherratt Photo by: Ben Sherratt
Instructions (from Ben):
The recipe is really simple.
Ingredients! Photo by: Ben Sherratt
I just blitz the oats in the blender then keeping to one side then I mix the other ingredients together with the coconut oil which has been heated first until it is liquid. Blend it all to a nice paste and then add mixture to the oats to make a stiff paste.
Blending! Photo by: Ben Sherratt
Spread this into a non stick tin which can be boiled or lined with rice paper.
Mixing! Photo by: Ben Sherratt
Pop into a refrigerator overnight, then slice into bars. Variations on the recipe that I have tried have included adding peanut butter, cocoa powder, and desiccated coconut.The kids really love these bars and it works really well as a lesson in schools.
Sustrans introduces kids to sustainable, human-powered alternatives, and they’ve been using Rock The Bike products throughout their organization since 2009. Yeah, we’re proud.
Boilerplate!
“Sustrans makes smarter travel choices possible, desirable and inevitable. We’re a leading UK charity enabling people to travel by foot, bike or public transport for more of the journeys we make every day. It’s time we all began making smarter travel choices. Make your move and support Sustrans today. www.sustrans.org.uk”
Thanks Ben and Sustrans for teaching youth that sustainable alternatives are possible and fun! There is hope for our planet as long as we educate our kids about ways to reduce their fossil fuel and grid dependency.
Let’s hope Hepsie and our aspiring journalist have remained committed to cycling (and cake sales)!
Read MoreThe Anti-Flu Super Smoothie: Water is Life, Food is Medicine.
It’s officially the Fall season and winter is coming. We recently put on a smoothie booth for Kaiser Permanente‘s employee health and wellness fair in Tracy, California at the Eagal Lakes Resort. We were prepared to serve 400 smoothies from 10 AM to 3:00 PM. We set out from the San Francisco Bay Area at 8:00 AM, headed east into the Central California Valley, prepared for a warm October day and lots of curious healthcare workers (and their families!).
Kids can’t wait to jump on our bikes!
The day was beautiful and sunny, just as we had predicted and the crowds were curious, also as predicted. But what we didn’t predict was how quickly we would serve all 400 smoothies–in just three and a half hours! We started serving at 10:00 AM, on the dot, and didn’t stop until we ran out at about 1:30 PM.
For this particular event we chose one recipe and called it our Anti-Flu Super Smoothie, to fit the theme Kaiser had chosen for their event,”Camp Flu-be-gone“. We calculated our quantities for serving 400, 9 oz. cups of tasty, tasty smoothie and were pleasantly surprised that our numbers were pretty spot on. Having found a tasty, easy to replicate recipe, we thought we’d share our success with you, dear reader.
If you are setting up a smoothie booth and want to serve one recipe for 400 smoothies (again, 9 oz. cups), give this recipe a try!
The Anti-Flu Super Smoothie
Qty 400 Smoothies ( 9 oz cups)
What we bought:
- 50 lbs of blueberries (4 cases at 10 lbs and 4 bags at 2.5 lbs)
- 3 lbs of flax seed* (weighed out in the bulk section of our local natural foods grocer)
- 18 jugs of pomegranate juice @ 64 oz each
- 1 case of curly kale (about 24 bunches)
- 400 9 oz cups
- Back up bags of mixed berries (8 oz bags, or whatever was available)
Ingredients for One smoothie jug:
- 16 ounces of pomegranate juice
- 1 Tbsp of flax seed*
- 1 cup of blueberries (frozen)
- 1 stalk of curly kale
How to make it:
In your blender jug, first add 16 ounces of pomegranate juice. Then add a tablespoon of flax seed. Next dump in the frozen berries. And finally, the kale. Imagine that you are layering your smoothie ingredients when you put them in the jug. You want to add the liquids first, then the softest ingredients followed by the progressively harder, denser or more fibrous ingredients. If you are blending kale, carrots or ice, those items should always be added last.
Once everything is in the jug, attach is to blender base, strap it down, and start pedaling. Pedal for at least 60 seconds at a high cadence. Everyone can blend this smoothie but if kids start them, adults should finish them, in order to properly process the kale.
This smoothie is really tasty. The pomegranate juice adds nice “zing” to the flavor profile and the flax seed* contributes exciting texture. There’s no need to add ice to this recipe if your berries are frozen. To keep frozen things frozen, we use a large insulated cooler box.
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*A word on flax seed. Flax seed eaten whole is tasty. However, flax seed is most beneficial for you when it is ground or pulverized. For a more healthful and nutritious smoothie, try pulverizing your flax seeds and then sprinkling some whole seeds on top of a poured smoothie.
Read More
Bike Blender Rentals
We rent our best bike blender, the Fender Blender Pro (High Performance), for $300 per event day. Each comes with a commercial-grade, NSF-rated 48 oz blender pitcher, the same kind in use at smoothie shops. Extra pitchers can be rented for $20, and we recommend extras so you can increase the throughput of the activity. Please see our helpful guide on estimating how many bike blenders and pitchers you’ll need for your event.
You will receive the bike two weekdays before your event, and return it the day after your event. This is to account for any shipping delays and to allow enough time for assembly. If your event falls on a weekend your rental will arrive the Thursday before and ship back the Monday after. If you’d like to receive your bike earlier, or need time to re-pack and ship after — rather than the standard 2 days we provide — an Extra Day can be added for an additional $50 / day per bike.
The Fender Blender Pro will need a 10′ x 10′ space minimum, as well as a table to prepare ingredients. This space will fit one bike, 1 – 2 crew, a table, and some extra space for spectators.
Our bikes are sure to leave an imprint on your event. In August 2017 one past rental customer emailed, “People have not stopped talking about how fun that bike was since we used it in March of 2015. I’d say you all made quite the impression!”
Bay Area Rentals: Pickup v Delivery.
For rentals in the Bay Area, the client is responsible for pickup and return of gear, unless they are paying for delivery/pick-up. There is no charge to pick up a day before your event and return the day after. Our main pickup location is our workshop in Oakland (6323 San Pablo Avenue), but we can also arrange pickup in San Francisco at one of our homes (Mission District or Bernal Heights) for a $75 fee, assuming our staff are in town for your required dates/times. When you pick up your bike we will give you a quick lesson on the bike and help you load your vehicle. For information on what kind of bike rack you’ll need, please see What kind of bike rack should I use?
We encourage you to try bike towing with your rental bike. It’s fun, safe, practical and great for the carbon footprint of your event. Any bicycle with a rear rack can tow the Fender Blender Pro. There is no extra rental charge for the trailer wheels and hitch.
Our delivery fee starts at $150. Delivery includes a overview of the bike and tips for a successful event. For deliveries in San Francisco, Berkeley, and Oakland, we are likely to get it there by bike as shown above, no trucks or loading docks needed! The bike easily fits through most doorways and elevators at your location. Delivery also possible in the greater Bay Area by vehicle. Our delivery radius is about 40 miles before we will only be willing to serve you with a crewed smoothie booth, or offer shipping (see below). Delivery is a special service that requires coordination among our team, and is harder to arrange last minute. Please give us as much advance notice as possible. Availability of delivery services is not guaranteed, but we have also not said no many times!
Out of Town Rentals: Shipping
For out of town rentals, we package and ship the Fender Blender to you, so it arrives the day before your event, then you ship them back the day after your event. Your rental cost will be:
The rental rate of $300 per event day * the number of bikes * the number of event days * any multi-day discount that applies (see below)
+ cost of shipping both ways (usually $150 – $300 per bike in the continental US)
+ a packaging fee of $85/bike (higher if you use a pallet).
+ a distance fee to account for time this rental unit will be away from our shop. Up to $100 per bike for an East Coast address.
If this cost is too great for your budget, we recommend purchasing a FB Universale, which starts at $249 + shipping. Unfortunately, we do not rent the Fender Blender Universale.
Pallet Shipping Option
Ship your rental on a pallet anywhere in the Continental US and receive your Fender Blender Pro ready to blend, no assembly necessary! Contact us today to get an estimate (please provide a destination address). Pallet packaging is $120 for up to 2 bike blenders, or $110 for 2 pallets 3+ bike blenders.
Multi-Day Discounts
Our tier system allows you to save money on an event that lasts 2+ days. Multi-Day Discounts only apply to the cost of rented gear. Discounts are not applicable for packing fees or shipping costs.
To calculate eligibility:
| Event Days | Discount |
| 2 – 3 | 10% |
| 4 – 6 | 18% |
| 7+ | 25% |
Hire Us to Crew Your Smoothie Booth
Rock the Bike can supply experienced crew members who can cover all aspects of this activity. We’ll bring the bike, coach the activity, and ensure higher volumes at your event. The crew fee is $900 / day* for the first crew member and $600 / day* for each additional crew member. We’re fun-loving and outgoing event people. We’ll make sure the smoothies are sweet and tangy, and that everyone gets a chance to pedal.
*Note: Crew fees assume that the time on-site will be 8 hours or less and they do not include the cost of ingredients or cups. We can bring smoothie supplies and serveware for a fee, or you can provide them by using our sample shopping lists for guidance, whether you plan to hand out 100 smoothies in two hours or 500+ smoothies over two days.
Here’s what past clients have to say about Rock the Bike crewing their events:
The smoothie bike was a huge hit and a lot of employees said that they loved you as the facilitator, that you were fun and friendly. Thanks for making our event successful!
–Cost Plus World Market (Health Fair)
I just wanted to say thank you so very much for taking the time to have Rock the Bike come out and support Wente Vineyards this week. We really enjoyed working with you all and look forward to future events.
– Wente Vineyards (Health Fair)
Please go here for more information on hiring Rock the Bike to crew your event.
Custom wheel branding on your rental
We offer full vinyl custom wheel wraps for rentals, and they are quite eye catching. The fee for printing graphics, installation and post-event removal is $450 per bike. Artwork must be received in print ready format. For an additional fee, Rock the Bike can assist with graphic layout, design and include a rendering proof. Costs of graphic design depend on what the client can provide, and what the desired outcome entails; it can range from $300 – 600 accordingly.
Making your own wheel branding art? Art must be received print ready – 300dpi in PDF or TIFF file format — 3 weeks prior to your ship deadline . Download the wheel branding template and see examples here
What comes with my rental?
Rock The Bike sends you the bikes and blenders you ordered, but we do not supply any cups or ingredients for making smoothies. Be prepared to acquire these items before your event! Check our sample shopping lists for guidance on what to get, whether you plan to hand out 100 smoothies in two hours or 500+ smoothies over two days.
Need ideas for bike blending? Check out our recipes here.
How many ingredients should you buy? Check out our helpful guide here. We also have a 100 Smoothies Shopping Lists, as well as a 500+ Smoothies Shopping List.
Rent-To-Own Program
If you fall in love with your Bike Blender, and we think you will, you may purchase it from us! You must let us know immediately (within 1 day of your event’s end date) that you intend to purchase the bike, and the full cost of your rental will go toward the purchase. The remainder must be received within 5 business days. Failure to pay within that time frame will result in late fees ($100/day).
Example Rental Estimate for a one-day event in New York City
| Item | Cost |
| 1 Bike Blender | $300 |
| 1 Additional Pitcher (total of 2) | $20 |
| Packaging Fee | $85 |
| FedEX Ground Round Trip Shipping to NYC | $178 |
| Distance fee ($100/bike) | $100 |
| TOTAL | $683 |
How does the rental process work?
Email us using the below form to see if we can accommodate your event. If so, we’ll get you a Rental Agreement and request payment in full. Bikes are rented on a first come, first served basis. We recommend contacting us as soon as possible to lock in your rental and frame color preferences. Have a credit card handy; we require a card kept one on file to process and ship your rental.
NOTE: You may be subject to shipping and/or processing fees if you change your shipping location after you have already made full payment on your rental.
