The SBT crew has received some questions about the Beer Bike
in the video we posted on our website (www.stickybottleteam.net). We were asked if it was real. The short answer is yes. Would you like us to expand on that? We thought so…
It seems the best information we can find regarding the
invention of the contraption is that it originated in Amsterdam by unknown
persons. Picture if you will, a group of
buddies--blind drunk in a cloud of Amsterdam’s best herbal fragrance--vowing to
combine their two favorite past times: beer and biking. Voila,
the beer bike is born. It is possible
no one has been credited with the invention because the creators cannot
remember the details of its birth due to a hangover the size of the Rembrandttoren. This genius invention may
just be the best way to get to the Ajax matches.
The Beer Bike phenomenon grew and spread into Germany and other
places. The BierBike Company (do a
google search, you will find them) offers Beer Bike tours in 30 German cities
and recently expanded into Budapest (pictured).
The Beer Bike has even arrived in America with Beer Bikes spotted in
Denver, Santa Monica and Redondo Beach in California, even in Madison,
Wisconsin (hope they serve cheese as well).
The group most likely to rent a Beer Bike is the bachelor party. This has led to some rowdy behavior, not
unexpectedly we assume, after all these bikes are not for the Red Hat
Ladies.
The machines are self-powered bars on wheels. While the rider is bending the elbow to take
a sip, the legs churn in order to keep the machine moving. They are usually steered by the “bartender”
and most often the bikes run without incident.
That is until a Beer Bike adventure went awry in Belgium when the
pedalers all decided at once to jump off the bike which left the bartender to
pilot the incredibly heavy craft alone.
The resulting crash started a small fire.
The Belgium crash and other accidents have led to some
cities banning the Beer Bike. Munich
banned them in August. Dusseldorf
requires that Beer Bikes have a special permit to operate within the city
limits. Cities are complaining that the
large, slow moving machines clog up the small streets. City residents fuss about the often loud,
off-key singing. Nudity was a problem
for a while as it seems the flow of alcohol led to the release of
clothing. Operators claim the kinks have
been worked out and that systems are in place for safety and decorum. For example: riders are required to board
sober and that while on the machine they must remain fully clothed (men are
allowed to go shirtless). The singing
continues however. Sober or loaded, operators claim it is a fun
way to see a city and enjoy a splash.
If you would like to see the Beer Bike video again please visit
www.stickybottleteam.net and
click on videos. While you are there
check out our other video posts and all of our December updates throughout the website! Thanks!
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