A very special bike will make its debut at the upcoming New West Grand Prix.
The bike, which can power a blender and make smoothies and milkshakes, was made by students at New Westminster Secondary School and is expected to become a talking point for the community about alternative modes of transportation.
Commissioned by the City of New Westminster’s transportation department, NWSS trades teacher Dan Lee asked Grade 12 student Anton Babiy if he’d be interested in taking on the project – he was.
“I’ve been building stuff since a really small age,” Babiy told the Record. “I just like making something myself instead of store-bought, and the satisfaction you get when it actually works in the end, I really enjoy that.”
With the help of Shawn Lichtmann, Grade 9, Babiy went to work crafting the one-wheeled stationary bike. The finished product is a hodgepodge of parts masterfully pieced together. The seat and seat post are from an exercise bike, so it’s extra adjustable; the handlebars are your classic cruiser-style; the wheel is the rear wheel of an old bike; and the frame was built by Babiy and Lichtmann in the school’s metal shop.
“I didn’t have the drawing,” Babiy recalled. “I just started with the essential parts and just built around that.”
As for the blender part of the bike, Babiy and Lichtmann disassembled a blender and screwed the motor to the frame. He wrapped the moving piece in an old tire tube and when someone pedals, the tire spins the motor, operating the blender. The result is one tasty smoothie. Plus no metal parts are rubbing on the tire, so the bike and motor should last a long time.
“Because I’m using ready-made parts, it’s really smooth in operation,” Babiy added.
It took the team about a month and a half to complete the project – just in time for the New West Grand Prix, where the City of New Westminster will unveil the bike. After that, folks can expect to see the blender bike at events around the city.
“I’m pretty impressed. We had an idea, we saw some pictures of different designs, but he basically designed it on the go, without any plans and built. And when you see it, it’s extremely well done. I couldn’t have done it,” Lee told the Record.
“It’s just like plugging it (a blender) in. It’s just about the same, maybe better.”
(Lee runs the bike club at NWSS, which meets after school. The club was founded by two students, Toby Feltham and Martin Oswanski, who graduated last year.)
