My 5 year old can use it, but it more depends on the maturity level of the child. They need to be able to understand they should sit, not stand on the seat, and start out pedaling slowly, then speed up.

For an event, you should always have someone on hand to help each person on and off the bike and remind them to start slowly and then speed up. In a situation where someone is repeatedly using it (like a classroom), it’s fine for people to use it independently once they have proven they know how to operate it safely. The main risks occur when people either stand up while pedaling or attempt to start by pedaling really fast.

Yes. A watt meter can show current watts being put back into the grid. The meter can also be adjusted to show watt hours accumulated.

For an event where people will be walking by, I would suggest a contest where there are prizes for getting past a certain number on the meter, based on age. For example, young kids who get past 75 watts get some sort of prize, and adults who get past 100 watts get a prize. This is relatively easy to achieve, so use discretion on numbers. I would avoid letting older kids and adults attempt to set a record for watts generated, because although the bike is stable, it’s not meant to be used at very high speeds repeatedly. It has a safety shut off , if it goes too fast or the user is generating more than 300 watts. The best option is to give people a prize based on how long they can keep the watts being generated above a certain level. This encourages them to settle into a rhythm.

This article shows a few different ways you can use it.

This is meant for schools, so it’s designed for children in elementary school through high school. If a child cannot sit on the seat and touch both pedals through a full revolution, they are too small. An adult above 250 pounds is too large. It is stable, however people should be supervised and instructed to sit on the seat and start by pedaling slowly until they get the hang of it.