Those who rule should ride

When those in positions of power and responsibility use bikes to get about, they send a powerful message to those who see the car as king. No chauffeur-driven limos for the Danish Crown Prince and Princess when they do the daily school run from the Amalienborg Palace. Like 40,000 other Copenhageners, they choose to use a cargo bike. It’s a mark of humility that we believe should be the inspiration for other leaders.

Cycling is the great leveller – a means of transport as serene as it is practical and an entirely appropriate way for those in power to travel. For example, having made virtue of the fact he has used buses, Pope Francis could cement his image as the ‘people’s pontiff’ by using a pedal-powered Popemobile.

The idea prompted us to imagine an entirely carbon-neutral, pedal-powered Popemobile with an impressive specification. In contrast to the previous 5-litre V8 petrol-engined Popemobile, the pedal-powered version is silent and has zero emissions.

Pedal-powered Popemobile specifications

• 8 mm bullet-proof Plexiglass windows
• Solar panels on roof power air conditioning and trickle charge main battery
• Operational speed 6 mph with emergency power train boost (top speed 38 mph)
• Low-voltage spotlights in floor and roof compartment to illuminate His Holiness
• Blast-proof body panels constructed from lightweight titanium and ceramic composite
• Built-in oxygen supply

The pedal-powered Popemobile has an operating speed no different from the pontiff’s Mercedes; 6 mph allows crowds the best opportunity of catching a glimpse of His Holiness. In an emergency, a powerful 1.5 kW electric motor whisks the pedal-powered Popemobile away from trouble at almost 40 mph.

Previous gas-guzzling Popemobiles were based on a Mercedes ML430 V8, GMS Sierra 6.0 V8, Mercedes G-Glass 5-litre V8, Leyland Motors 24-ton lorry and a Mercedes 600 Pullman Landaulet 6.3 V8 among others.

Protection for you and your bike

ETA Cycle Insurance never devalues your bike, doesn’t charge extra for things like third party liability, personal accident or friends and family cover, and has a sympathetic policy on storage in sheds and garages.