The Soul Cycle

Paul Freedman's all about cranking -- the beats, that is. His $6,000 ride, The Soul Cycle, took two years to make and includes a custom-built fiberglass subwoofer and speaker cabinet, front-mounted controls with knobs for volume, track cues and lighting, a rechargeable 14.4-volt lithium battery, a mixer, a wireless mike and a passenger seat for those who want to rock the mic while Freedman pedals through San Francisco's Mission District. Freedman, who sells Soul Cycles, is working on a version that can host off-the-grid parties by powering all the components through pedaling. "I continuously get myself into situations where my dream or ambition is a few steps beyond my skill level," Freedman laughs. "Then I try to get my smart friends to bail me out."