Steer
Move across the boardwalk to line up with fish and avoid obstacles. The bicycle leans naturally into each turn.
Inspired by the AI benchmark
Pelican Riding a Bicycle: A Free 3D Browser Game
Pelican Ride turns the well-known AI benchmark prompt “Generate an SVG of a pelican riding a bicycle” into a playable 3D game. Guide an American white pelican along a seaside boardwalk, collect fish, avoid obstacles and unlock new accessories as you progress.
- Free to play
- No download
- Desktop and mobile
- No account required
How to Play
Each run ends when the pelican loses all 3 hearts. Speed increases with distance, and the scene moves gradually from sunset into night. The chase camera gives the clearest view of the road ahead; side, close-up, head-on and orbit views are also available.
Collect Fish
Ride through a fish to catch it in the pelican's throat pouch. Every catch adds to your score.
Avoid Obstacles
Crabs move sideways and surfboards block part of the boardwalk. Each collision costs 1 heart.
Use the Bell
A shadow on the boards signals a diving gull. Ring the bell in time to scare it away and protect your catch.
Controls
| Action | Keyboard | Touch Screen |
|---|---|---|
| Steer left or right | ← → or A D | Drag the steering slider, or enable tilt steering |
| Sprint | ↑ or W | Hold the sprint button |
| Slow down | ↓ or S | Release the sprint button |
| Ring the bell | Space or B | Bell button |
| Change camera | C | Camera buttons at the top of the screen |
| Pause and accessories | Esc or P | Pause button |
Scoring and Rewards
Points from every run are added to a lifetime total, and reaching set totals unlocks new hats and scarves for the pelican. Progress is saved locally in your browser; no account is needed. A different browser or device starts from zero.
Collectibles
Sardine
The most common catch. 1 point.
Mackerel
Larger and less common. 3 points.
Golden fish
Rare. 10 points, plus a 7-second magnet that draws nearby fish into the pouch.
Obstacles
Crabs
Move sideways across the boardwalk. A collision costs 1 heart.
Surfboards
Block one side of the boardwalk. A collision costs 1 heart.
Seagulls
Dive for your catch. Ring the bell during the dive to earn 5 bonus points; otherwise the gull takes up to 5 fish.
Heat
Sprinting raises the pelican's body heat. When the heat bar is full, the pelican slows down and cools off by gular fluttering, a rapid vibration of the throat pouch that real pelicans use to shed heat.
Unlockable Accessories
Hats
- Straw Boater Included
- Bucket Hat 40 fish
- Sailor Cap 120 fish
- Captain's Hat 250 fish
- Top Hat 500 fish
- Crown 1000 fish
Scarves
- Red Knit Included
- Navy Stripes 60 fish
- Rainbow 200 fish
- Gold 400 fish
What Is the Pelican Riding a Bicycle Benchmark?
Developer Simon Willison gives new AI language models the same prompt: “Generate an SVG of a pelican riding a bicycle.” By September 2026 his blog had more than 140 posts under the pelican-riding-a-bicycle tag, and the prompt has become a running test across the AI community.
The prompt is deliberately difficult. A pelican has short legs, a very large bill and wings instead of hands, so a convincing result needs both a plausible bicycle frame and a believable bird positioned on it.
Pelican Ride interprets the prompt in three dimensions. The pelican's legs use two-bone inverse kinematics so its webbed feet stay on the pedals, its wings hold the handlebars, and the chain is animated link by link at the standard half-inch pitch.
“Pelicans can't ride bicycles. They're the wrong shape!”
Generate an SVG of a pelican riding a bicycle
Facts: The Pelican and the Bicycle
American White Pelican
- Wingspan
- 2.4 to 3 m
- Bill length
- 26 to 39 cm (males longer)
- Weight
- Usually 5 to 9 kg (3.5 to 13.6 kg overall)
- Breeding look
- A flattened horn grows on the upper bill and is shed after the eggs are laid
- Voice
- Adults grunt at the colony but are generally silent elsewhere
- Keeping cool
- Gular flutter: rippling the throat pouch with the bill open
Beach Cruiser
- Tires
- 26 × 2.125 in balloon tires with whitewalls
- Drivetrain
- 44-tooth chainring, 18-tooth cog
- Hub
- 3-speed internal hub: 0.75, 1, 1.33
- Gear inches
- 47.7, 63.6, 84.7
- Chain
- 1/2 in pitch, animated link by link
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Pelican Riding a bicycle benchmark?
It is an informal AI test started by Simon Willison: ask a language model to “Generate an SVG of a pelican riding a bicycle” and compare the drawings. The subject is awkward to draw, so the results show quickly how well a model handles shapes and structure.
How can I generate an SVG image of a pelican riding a bicycle?
Give an AI model the prompt “Generate an SVG of a pelican riding a bicycle”, save the code it returns as a .svg file and open it in a browser. This site takes a different route: the pelican and bike are a live 3D scene built with three.js.
Is the pelican bike game free?
Yes. Pelican Ride is free to play, with no account, advertising or installation required.
Does it work on phones?
Yes. On touch screens, a steering slider, a sprint button and a bell button appear at the bottom of the screen, and optional tilt steering is available. The game supports both portrait and landscape orientation. Tilt steering uses the angle you are holding the phone at when you switch it on as its centre.
Can a pelican really ride a bicycle?
No. A pelican's legs are far too short to reach bicycle pedals, which is part of what makes the benchmark challenging. The pelican in this game is drawn with longer legs than a real bird.
Where is my progress saved?
Progress is stored in your browser's local storage on this device. Clearing the site's data resets your fish total and accessories.
Ready to Ride?
Free to play in your browser on desktop and mobile. No download or account required.