Google Conference Bike for 7 People (Video of Conan O'Brien Riding It)

 
How would you like to have a conference on a 7-person bike? Well, if that sounds like a dream conference, you might like to look into a job at Google.

google conferencebike

The ConferenceBike it uses actually has its own website (conferencebike.com),.. a rather retro-looking website. As the website states: “It’s no joke: the ConferenceBike is a revolutionary way to bring people together. The ConferenceBike is pedaled by 7 riders sitting in a circle. One person steers while the other 6 pedal (or not) as the bike moves effortlessly along.” Here are a couple clips of the one on Google’s campus:

And, apparently, 300 of these ConferenceBikes are now in use. It took me awhile to realize where I’ve seen one, but the website told me — there’s one used for tours in Berlin. When I saw it there, I thought it might be the only place they existed, but apparently not. It’s also a tour bike in “Baltimore and Minneapolis; a tool for corporate team-building in Amsterdam and San Diego, [and] a way for blind people to bike in Dublin and Florida.”

OK, now, it’s not clear that Google actually uses the bike for conferences — ConferenceBike notes that it is used for transportation on Google’s campus. But Google’s Brendon Harrington, who runs the transportation program there, says: “since they’re facing each other, they can chat with each other, they can share ideas, they can have a team meeting if they’d like.”

And ConferenceBike notes: “The CoBi has been a fixture in Mountain View, CA since 2008, where it is used by Google for more unconventional meetings.”

Here’s another video of Google’s ConferenceBike,.. with Conan O’Brien trying it out!

And here’s one more of the conference bike, in general:

NPR has more info on bike popularity at tech companies. And, of course, ConferenceBike has more on the beast discussed above.

h/t Grist

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