What makes a bike ideal for blending and/or Pedal Power?

BLENDING                                                                                                    PEDAL POWER
Fender Blender Universale (rear rack needed)                                             Roll Up generator stand
FBUniversale                           RollUP Generator Stand 26inch bike

The ideal bike for both of these activities will need to have the following features (CLICK TO ENLARGE):

We encourage you to look for the following features in a new or used bike (or your existing bike) when identifying the right bike for your Fender Blender Universale:

  1. Wide size range (long seat post, low top tube or step-through / “ladies”-style frame)
  2. 26″ or 700c wheel size with smooth tires
  3. No rear suspension
  4. Eyelets on frame for rack (see below)
  5. Bright color, nice-looking frame
  6. Working gears

Read on for more specifics.

  • The ideal tire has smooth sides and thick rubber on the sides/edge where the roller contacts, is 26mm (1 inch) or wider, and is rated to 50psi or higher.  Inexpensive hybrid or city tires are a good choice — normally wide, with thick rubber, and fairly smooth. Avoid knobby tires, especially those with knobs along the edge of the tire where the roller touches — they can cause extra noise and vibration when blending. Avoid using old and cracking tires as they can be stiff, giving you less traction on the roller.
  • The ideal bicycle frame has mounting points for a rear rack. This is common on most city bikes, mountain bikes, and touring bikes, but not as common on racing bikes. Look for threaded holes in the frame, two near the center of the rear wheel and two near the rear brakes. If you don’t have these on your frame, you can use P-clamps, available from your local hardware or bicycle shop. From the FB Universale user manual:

 

  • No rear suspension. Rear suspension will likely interfere with the mounting system of the FBU’s rear rack. Front suspension (shock) won’t cause problems, but won’t offer any benefits either.
  • Working gears. Some cruisers and city bikes have only a single speed. This can make it more difficult to get satisfying results from your Fender Blender. The more gears you have, the easier it will be for all your blender riders to find a gear that will allow them to comfortably crank out smoothies.
  • The optional Stationary Stand for the FBU is not compatible with internal geared hubs with control cables that come out of the end of the axle, or newer quick release skewers. If you would like an “older” replacement quick release skewer added to your order at no charge, please add a note to your order.

View the video directions for mounting a bike on our stationary stand:

  • For mounting to 20″ wheeled bikes, lower the rack as much as possible by not using the included vertical adjustment rails, but bolting directly through the rack to the frame. We now carry 20″ stationary stands for bike blending, too.

FBU 20inch bike 72dpi for old website