El Arbol, the Bike Tree, is a unique bike that looks like a large green tree on wheels (with two people pedaling on the structure.) The bike was made by Rock the Bike, a group which originates in Berkeley, CA and is comprised of bike users and advocates who create unique bikes and events in order to get people in touch with issues of climate change. The goal of the project is to spread “the spirit of the bike to others.” The group aims to inspire others to want to ride bikes by organizing, entertaining, inspiring, and inventing new ways to get others excited about books.
The tree is made of a hollow and see-through trunk, has lighting and speakers. At events, the bike is setup and hooked up to a fleet of other bicycles that together create power for the Bike Pedal Powered stage, a concert event where individuals ride the bike to power up the sound system. El Arbol provides the sound, with its 2500-Watt double-stack main speaker that is inside of the trunk, and aerialists can hang off the top branch and perform at shows.
The Bike Tree took over 4 years to make, and can be seen both at events, as well as being ridden in the street. The bike is a top/bottom tandem bike, which can be ridden on the street while pumping out music, and also has “roots” that can be used to swing out a lower speeds, to make it into a stable four wheeled structure. Images of the bike being built over time can be seen on the project can be seen online
What has 2-4 wheels, is tan or green, and makes loud sounds? El Arbol – the Bike Tree!
Image Source:
Rock the Bike
Links:
El Arbol – Construction Process Images