Traditional bar hopping follows a predictable pattern. A group of 20-somethings embark on a night of adventure with the intention of hitting up a handful of bars as they get drunker and drunker. Intentions aside, it doesn’t usually go as planned and few make it to the last bar on the list. By the third bar, everyone’s tipsy and only a few people want to keep going. By the fourth bar, most people have scattered, hooked up for the night, or have gone home. Anyone who makes it to the sixth bar gets turned away for being too drunk.
Despite the blackouts, some people love the experience. John Santiago of Johnny and the Bootlegs credits a bar hopping adventure for a wild night and the inspiration for at least one song. If bar hopping inspires musical artists, it can’t be all that bad.
As fun as it might sound to some, getting drunk and wandering around in search of another bar isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. The idea of bar hopping – or pub crawling as some call it – is appealing, but the logistics of wandering around as a drunk pedestrian make it unappealing to many. All that’s about to change.
Bar hopping just got an upgrade
Can you imagine hitting the town with a group of friends for a pub crawl without having to stumble around to find your way to the next bar on your list? That’s what Pedal Pub Party Bikes is making possible.
Pedal Pub is exactly what it sounds like – a pub you can peddle. Pedal Pub is a mobile bar driven by human pedaling power that takes up to 16 people on a two-hour excursion to several local bars. The Pedal Pub bike literally looks like a mobile bar with bicycle seats for stools and pedals at each person’s feet.
While the tour guide sits in the driver’s seat steering (wearing a t-shirt that says “beerless leader”), each “tourist” pedals the bike to give it power. Riders have the option of drinking from a tap on board between stops. If it sounds silly, those who have tried it know it’s serious fun.
Pedal pub provides structured tours
Tours are designed ahead of time and people are given about 20-30 minutes at each stop. That’s long enough to have a drink, a chat, and maybe do a little dancing.
If you’ve ever planned your own pub crawl, you know the value of having a theme. It matters where you go. It’s not fun to hit up random bars. Going to the first bar you can find on your phone might put you in the wrong place. It’s more fun to hit up the places you know you’ll enjoy. For example, if you love karaoke, you have to plan your pub crawl on a night when your local bars have a karaoke night.
Pedal Pub plans each tour intentionally and offers a variety of tours to choose from. For instance, one tour might take people to several brewing companies and another might take people to popular sports pubs and a local bar and grill.
Is it a bar, or a bike? Cities aren’t sure
Pedal Pub is so unconventional, some cities don’t know how to classify the business. Is it a bar, or a bike? They’re not sure. In Bloomington, Indiana, for example, Pedal Pub can transport groups on a pub crawl but can’t serve alcohol on the bike. The experience is fun, so customers don’t mind not being able to drink alcohol on the bike.
Private tours are available
Although anyone can grab a seat on a Pedal Pub tour, the company also offers private tours for groups of 8 or more. Pricing is simple: $25 per seat during the week and $30 on the weekend.
Keep an eye out for Pedal Pub in your town
Since Pedal Pub is a relatively new franchise business, keep your eye out. If you’re wandering around downtown and you happen to see a giant keg drive by on a bike that looks like a bar, check it out – your pub crawls will never be the same.
