Development and Background

EricStaller is an American artist living in Amsterdam. For years he has concentrated on unorthodox art in an urban setting. He is the father of the ConferenceBike being the one who years ago had the idea to create a bike where people are sitting in a circle. The arrangement of the seats is the only item that is left of the original construction of the ConferenceBike. Everything has been developed new: the frame geometry, the propulsion concept, steering, and the brake system. Thereby the ergonomics, the comfort, the durability, and the stability have been considerably improved. The task was nothing less than setting-up the bikes for the vigorous daily routine of rentals. Our ConferenceBike satisfied Eric Staller, and so we were able to win him over as a salespartner. When we decided to develop the new ConferenceBike, the wheels started rolling in a basement in Hannover-Anderten. The first bike was built as a garage-born idea. This prototype combined most of the components in the series. The frame was modified to simplify the production, and the rear wheel (originally one motorcycle tire) was replaced by two smaller tires. Furthermore, we found a way to reduce over-sized dimensions and to reduce the weight considerably. All this of course without reducing functionality and safety. At the beginning of February 2002, after having moved to the Existenzgründungszentrum in Hannover (EGZ), the newly formed company Velo.Saliko started the serial production of the ConferenceBike.