Look out, Pedal Pub, here comes City Cycle Tours!
I first learned of City Cycle Tours through an article in Finance and Commerce. While Dave and I haven't personally encountered one on the street yet (the inaugural run in Minneapolis was June 4), the pictures reflect a sleek machine.
Company representative Daniel O'Brien took time to educate me on how City Cycle Tours compares to Pedal Pub.
Now, I am in no way denigrating Pedal Pub, but CCT has some really cool features - from top to bottom.
Being on the short side, my first question was regarding a minimum height requirement (PP's is 5’3", which disqualifies me from pedaling). CCT's vehicle has adjustable seats, and Daniel noted they've had riders ranging from 4'11" to 6'6" who were able to adjust their seats to a comfortable height for pedaling. CCT is equipped with soft, cushioned Schwinn bicycle seats.
Although rental prices are the same between the two companies, with CCT you'll have two staff on board - one to drive and one to assist with refreshments. Speaking of which, Daniel said their vehicle has full suspension and a custom designed chassis that could support laps around a race track. Two advantages - a smooth ride, and your keg of beer won't get foamed up. If you prefer cans, there are two 66 liter coolers under the bar floor (enough space to keep 300 cans cold and out of the way).
In addition to storing beverages under the bar, CCT features space above the riders and purse/bag hooks. There is a lip around the outside edge of the bar plus 12 cup holders to prevent your drinks, cell phones, etc., from flying off.
What if it gets dark before you're done pubbing? No problem - in addition to the headlights and tail lights, there are over 10 LED lights. For music, there's an aftermarket, amp-powered 6 speaker sound system with a CD deck made for a car. It has an iPod hook up - so bring your favorite mix.
Several more features exclusive to CCT are a hand rail and a standing platform under the seats. The platform makes getting on and off much easier, and prevents injury from falling off the vehicle. It also keeps the bar at a normal height - around the chest - when you’re standing between seats; with PP, if your not seated you'll need to stand on the ground, making the bar face level or higher.
I asked Daniel about any unique events they've been involved with so far. He mentioned a recent 3-day Susan G Komen walk in St. Paul during which they gave free rides and raffled off a tour to support that cause. He also mentioned they're currently checking into how CCT can be involved with St. Paul's first Zombie Pub Crawl coming up in October.
Per Daniel, "Feedback so far has been fantastic, we've had nothing but positive feedback about the vehicle and the way we run it. In our short amount of operating time, we've already had people re-book."
Find out more about City Cycle Tours via the following links: Main Website, Features Website, Facebook and Twitter
Monday, July 18, 2011 at 7:30AM
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
