“There’s something about human power that people are drawn to, but it’s hard to fit into the current economic system.”

onto the pavement, a rare instance where something hires local high school kids, teaches them how to use unimpeachably cool also enhances safety. tools, and pays them to build Down Low Glow kits,

The Soul Cycle Head Unit, based on the hacker fav- Soul Cycle Head Units, the B3 Mini (Byerley’s latest orite T-Amp amplifier and a Rolls Mini Mixer, hooks up bike blender), and other homegrown products in runs to your own speakers to play music and other inputs. of 50– 100. To help the bottom line, Rock the Bike also As Freedman explains, “I start with fantasy projects, sells other people’s products that they like, including and learn from those how to scale back for products.” Incredibell bells and Brooks leather saddles.

Through Xtracycle’s nonprofit spinoff Worldbike, Last year, local musician Gabe Dominguez visited Freedman met Nate “The Juice Pedaler” Byerley, Rock the Bike to see if they could build a human-another biketrepreneur with complementary experi- powered PA system for an all-bike concert tour he ence in sustainable party technology. After moving was planning with his band, Shake Your Peace. to Berkeley in 2001, Byerley envisioned selling some Freedman and Byerley combined their expertise to sort of food off the back of a bike. He determined produce exactly what Dominguez wanted: a 200-watt that tacos were unworkable, then read about a bike- system on the back of a bike with a heavy-duty stand powered blender in Humboldt. Intrigued, he built one for stationary mode and enough capacitor power to himself, running the blender off of a friction wheel on smooth over pedaling pauses of up to 15 seconds. the rear tire, and securing the pitcher with a wooden Shake Your Peace relied on the system during their collar on the back platform of an Xtracycle. Holding 700-mile bike tour of Utah in May, and invited audi-the pitcher tight proved difficult, but Byerley discov- ence members to pedal-power each song. Audiences ered the perfect part to replace the wood collar: an jumped at the chance to help, and the only mishap offset closet flange, a common toilet tank compo- came when a large male volunteer wearing a pink nent made from ABS plastic. unitard pedaled too vigorously and fried a capacitor.

With the new part, the Byerley Bicycle Blender Freedman and Byerley have more human-power was ready to take on the road. During the summer ideas to pursue: a bigger concert PA system powered of 2005, Byerley showed it off at ecology and music by multiple pedalers. A bike with integrated, plug-in festivals throughout the West Coast and demoed it power-generation capacity. A line of premium bicycles on MTV, selling numerous blenders and many more where all the power used to cut, weld, and finish the $5 human-powered smoothies. Byerley has been frame comes from pedaling. As Byerley explains, selling his bicycle blenders ever since. “There’s something about human power that people

Byerley’s ingenuity isn’t limited to pedal power. are drawn to, but it’s hard to fit into the current Soon after his wife, Kaety, gave birth to their daughter, economic system. We’re trying to stretch that in Davis, this past January, Byerley built a baby bike every direction and find out where the niches exist.” seat. Kaety was skeptical until she saw what he had (Meanwhile, Byerley’s friend Mike Taggett is working created: a secure platform over the front wheel with on energy-producing exercise equipment.) a rear-facing infant car seat that keeps Davis in con- Through all their inspiration and perspiration, stant eye contact with Byerley. The three of them Rock the Bike leads regular cruiser rides around the now ride (carefully) together, even on nighttime Bay Area, and their website ( rockthebike.com) lists cruiser rides. “Like with dolphins,” Byerley explains, and promotes rides in other locations. Nighttime “the baby rides in the middle of the pack.” cruiser rides are payback time for all the hard work

Freedman and Byerley joined forces in 2004 as — and not just because they show off the merch. As Rock the Bike, a company dedicated to their various Freedman explains, “It takes a long time to build one products and projects. They moved into a space in of these bikes, but then you’re out on a ride and you Tinker’s Workshop in Berkeley, a facility that already get some kids dancing on a pier or freestyling to the housed Worldbike and the Bicycle-Friendly Berkeley music, and it’s totally worth it.”

Coalition (BFBC). Following the example of the workspace’s community-oriented owner More photos at makezine.com/11/paul_freedman Nick Bertoni — a Vietnam vet, peace activist, and ex-Exploratorium exhibit builder — Rock the Bike Paul Spinrad is projects editor of MAKE.

78 Make: Volume 11