The Bike Zoo

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Bicycles can be enjoyed in a myriad of ways. Some people use them as tools for practicing sports. Some others see them as day-to-day means of conveyance. The more artistic persons consider them as ways of expressing art, thus decorating bikes according to what they want express.

In the last group, there is a company in Austin (Texas, USA) which appreciate bicycles as supports for incredible animal shape figures. They develop kind of sculptures based on nature with impressive similarity. The Bike Zoo (as they call it) offers outstanding monster bikes which make children and adults smiling and having a good time. They do their show mainly in the USA. Just check this video in order to see what they do: The Bike Zoo video. They act for everybody from art events, parades or schools to universities, festivals and botanical gardens. They performance a magical and interactive environment for people by showing armadillos, butterflies, bats, eagles, mantis, owls you name it. You can book the whole zoo or a la carte on their webpage. They also belong to the Texas Commission on the Arts.

How many bicycles take up a car park?

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Let’s consider a standard car park, just one of the usually seen in every city. Let’s take into account conventional bikes instead of monster or folding bikes. Sum up inverted U bike racks. And finally, let’s think about putting them perpendicular to the direction a car is parked. As a result of all them, the impressive figure of ten bicycles can be parked in the same surface one car needs to be parked, not considering a two or three floors bike rack, and do considering there is enough space to park and lock each bicycle. If you add a nice, colorful frame, you get this picture:

A solar bike

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Riding a bike is considered as environmentally efficient because energy is produced by the pedals movement. If an electric bicycle is used, then part of it is provided by a normally external battery in order to reduce the effort that cyclists make. Going a step further, the solar bikes highlight since the solar light propels them. But how can I build a solar bike?

There are several ways of doing it. For instance, the solar bike based on a bicycle trailer. Here you need:

  • The proper trailer

  • At least one solar panel

  • One external battery

  • One electrical transformer

  • Wires

  • Of course, a bike

  • Gadgets

In a few words, the electrical installation starts with the solar panel which collects energy from the sun and a wire brings it to the battery. The battery stocks up the energy. Next, energy from the battery goes through another wire to the electrical transformer. The electrical transformer allows to use it. At the exit of this gadget the third wire allows electricity to reach the gadgets we want. It is advisable to secure all the elements with bridles or a horizontal surface like the picture. Also, take into account the extra weight of the whole installation.

By the way, if want to know what is the Zima project, check this web: https://www.zimaproject.org/en/home/

Bicycle and weather conditions

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Among the different actors in the pavement, bikers are the most foresighted. Due to the fact of the extreme exposition of an usual bicycle to the environment, the impacts of raining, snowing and winding should be anticipated.

There are places like the Northern European and other countries in which riders are so used to somehow bad weather conditions that they ride without apparently any inconvenient. Interestingly enough, some bikers in sunnier countries wonder how they can do it. The answer is simple: they prepare themselves. If weather forecast predicts rain, they ride with a raincoat (or even an umbrella). Coat, globes and wool hat constitute the basic equipment in winter. It does not even bother themselves when snowing and here it is better to use drought wheels. Its amazing!

A different section is required for wind. Although there is a specific garment to deal with this element know as windbreak jacket, the impact on the biker can be both beneficial or harmful just depending on the wind direction. In the first case, wind blows to your back and hence it helps you riding. On the other hand, if it hits squarely your face, you must make extra effort to move from point A to point B. Under special circumstances like in a hurricane should you not ride your bicycle for safety reasons.