In Budapest, Hungary, the spirit of Christmas has been saved by bicycles. Seriously.
In one neighborhood, Christmas—or at least, the local Christmas tree in the square—was perilously close to being cancelled due to the ongoing energy crisis in the country. Thankfully, bikes came to the rescue. Specifically, bikes that could be pedaled to generate power for the tree’s lights were installed as a fixture in the square, and locals are getting workouts in while maintaining the town’s Christmas spirit.
Someone call Hallmark, stat. Video player poster image The setup is a win-win-win: Exercise and sustainability , with a dose of holiday cheer. “On the one hand, we keep moving in this cold weather. On the other, we can experience how much one needs to pedal to light up a six meter-high Christmas tree decoration,” said Gergely Orsi, the mayor of Budapest’s 2nd district, told Reuters . “For us, it shows an example that sustainability is the future.”
“Every year this square is decorated beautifully. We would have been sad if we did not have them this year, but I think this is an excellent compromise,” a local resident, Nora, told Reuters . She and her son are spending time pedaling away to keep the tree lit—and extra power generated on the bikes is stored in a battery to keep the lights burning when everyone is too tired to pedal.
Watch the full video at the top of the page.
Admittedly, it’s hard for a cycling fan to see this and not think of that […]
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