"Best of the Web" - Washington Post |
ConferenceBike Tours
The ConferenceBike, or "CoBi," is both a mode of transportation and a conversation piece: As you ride around on a seven-person, pedal-powered vehicle that looks like a group-therapy session on wheels, you'll enjoy the sights and become a sightseeing object yourself. (If you cringe at having strangers point their cameras at you, stick with a walking tour or the Gray Line bus.)On a recent trip to Germany, I tried ConferenceBike tours in two cities: Dresden and Munich. Both experiences were fun--even for someone who normally prefers walking to bicycling--and it was easy to see how why ConferenceBikes are popular for sightseeing tours, bachelor and birthday parties, and even corporate team-building exercises. How the ConferenceBike worksVelo.Saliko, the German manufacturer of the ConferenceBike, describes the tour experience as "seven people sitting in a circle around a table and riding a bike." The vehicle (which costs as much as a small car) has a welded steel frame, four automotive-style wheels, and seven comfortable bicycle seats arranged around a circular handlebar. The driver sits in the back, facing forward and operating the steering wheel and brake lever, while the six passengers (who face the center from different directions) have nothing to worry about except pedaling. The ConferenceBike has only one gear and no coaster brakes, so a passenger who gets tired of pedaling can simply freewheel or take his feet off the pedals. (As Velo.Saliko puts it, the ConferenceBike is "not meant for racing but for fun moments in community," so don't feel guilty if you take it easy on downhill stretches.) How to book a tourConferenceBike tours are geared to small groups, so the easiest way to arrange a tour is to get several people together (up to a maximum of six, or seven if you're doing the driving). If you're traveling alone, it won't hurt to contact the local tour operator when you're in Munich or Dresden, just in case other solo travelers are also looking for a tour. General ConferenceBike links
Eric Staller's
Conference Bike ConferenceBike tour operators
ConferenceBikes Dresden
Pedalhelden (Munich) Back to: Dresden Index or Munich Index About the author: Durant Imboden is a professional travel writer, book author, and editor who focuses on European cities and transportation. After 4-1/2 years of covering European travel topics for About.com, Durant and Cheryl Imboden co-founded Europe for Visitors (now including Germany for Visitors) in 2001. The site has earned "Best of the Web" honors from Forbes and The Washington Post. For more information, see About Europe for Visitors, press clippings, and reader testimonials. |
| Germany for Visitors - Home | | Europe for Visitors - Home | | About us | | Press clippings | | Testimonials | Copyright © 1996-2024 Durant and Cheryl Imboden. All rights reserved. |