Pedal power comes to JavaOne

Sun Microsystems' annual Java developer conference is coming round again next week, and it's being held in San Francisco, as usual. This year, the company is keen that coders attending JavaOne 2006 have less impact on their surroundings than in previous years. Specifically, they want them to get on their bikes.

The conference coincides with the San Francisco Bike Coalition's Bike to Work Week, and Sun has decided to support the effort by encouraging attendees to cycle to the Moscone Center, where JavaOne takes place. A Bike Valet service will operate at the front of the centre, so that conference-goers won't need to park their bikes themselves.

As an added incentive, developers who use a bike or public transport to get to JavaOne will be entered in a draw for lots of cycling kit, including messenger bags and a jersey signed by Lance Armstrong. On May 18, the coalition will be further encouraging people to cycle by having refreshment stations dotted throughout the city, handing out drinks and goodie bags.

The cycling option may not be suitable for all attendees, though. U.K. developers heading for the conference may find that taking a bike on the 5,000-mile transatlantic flight negates any environmental savings they make by not using a car while in San Francisco.

Jonathan Bennett reports for Builder UK in London.