Bikes, Bikes and Twikes at the Eco-mile in Berlin
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 06. 3.07
Bikes, bikes and more bikes! The organized, controlled and insured parking areas (image, left) quickly filled up, resulting in some fairly creative parking solutions (image, right). Without a doubt, the highlight of this year's festival was the variety of human powered vehicles: cruisers, low-riders, tandems, recumbents, punker bikes, english country gentleman bikes, clown bikes. I only wish the fantastic imagination on display could be captured and conveyed. But since a picture speaks a thousand words, I suggest a short browse throught the photo album with reviews, over the fold. Don't miss the solar powered canoe bike trailer at the end!
The Mobiky is in the same class as the Frog: it is built for storing not for riding. But if most of your commute is on a train and you need to just cover that last kilometer to your destination, the Mobiky should be on your list of options. Mobiky does have a three-speed gearing which helps to get it moving, but lacks the suspension which the Riese and Müller Frog offers, making riding in the cobblestoned paths of Berlin a bit rough. Still makes you smile though, and what is that worth?
The association of Friends of the Earth were showing a clever new trailer which clips on or off a bike with the touch of a finger and which, once unclipped, functions perfectly as a shopping cart. Berliners can contact the Friends of the Earth between now and Fall 2007 for a four-week loan of these trailers so you can try before you buy.
The Friends of the Earth had a course set up on the eco-mile for testing options to shop-by-bike. As you can see in this pic, some folks just can't resist pushing a vehicle to its limit.
And finally, winning the TreeHugger prize for "what more can you do with a bicycle?": The solar powered canoe bicycle trailer. Collecting energy by solar panel during the bike trip, the canoe's electric motor is ready to go on arrival. Yes, this canoe is being towed by the red bike in the photo.
See you next year in Berlin!
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