KANSAN.COM / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / WEDNESDAY, JULY 28, 2010 / NEWS / 19
BUSINESS
Drink and ride: new business brings party bike to Lawrence
Pedal Hopper owner Luke Stone test runs his 16-person party bike around town. Patrons ride the bike—the 14th of its kind in the country—around town to bar hop and enjoy the Lawrence scenery.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
BY ALISON CUMBOW alisonc@kansan.com
At $32,000, it's the most expensive bike in Lawrence.
But it's also the biggest.
The new Pedal Hopper seats 16 people. Ten of those people have to pedal, but all of them can experience the newest local transportation for bar crawls, tailgating, or even just a ride through Lawrence's historic hot spots.
Owner Luke Stone said he opened his business last week in Lawrence because the city's culture was perfect for it.
"Lawrence is full of a bunch of fun characters that would like this kind of activity," he said. "It has an eclectic group of all sorts of people."
Lawrence is the fifth town in the country to have a Pedal Hopper. Stone got the idea for the business from a relative who owns six of the bikes in Minneapolis. There are only 14 in the entire country.
"My uncle gave me a brochure last year during dinner at Christmas," he said. "I realized it was the perfect thing for Lawrence, so I proposed the idea of running one here, and all five commissioners said aye."
City Commissioner Robert Chestnut said he appreciated the entrepreneurial spirit of the Pedal Hopper and that anything that created flavor for downtown was a good thing.
"I think it's a great idea," he said.
"I hope he's successful."
Stone had the bike shipped from Holland to New Jersey and then delivered to his house by a semi truck.
He said he already had many routes down, including a historic tour and bar crawls to west Lawrence and downtown, although at the moment he wasn't allowed to ride down Massachusetts Street. He said the city was concerned he would hold up traffic because the bike only goes five miles per hour uphill and 15 miles per hour downhill. Stone said he would look at
**WHAT:** The Pedal Hopper
**PRICE:** about $10 per person
per hour
WHO: Adults 18 and older
DRIVER: A Pedal Hopper employee, known as the "pilot"
DRINKS: Non-alcoholic and no glass
**FOOD:** Bring your own
**MUSIC:** Has a built-in system
and can play personal iPods
and CDs
WEATHER: Ride in the rain or shine
For more information, call 785-856-8687
changing that condition soon.
The Pedal Hopper is rented hourly, and at least four people are needed to ride it. Right now, no alcohol can be consumed while riding the bike. Stone said he would like to be able to offer beer and wine eventually, but that he would wait a year to show the city that he could abide by driving laws and that his business was not solely dependent on alcohol.
Stone said his main market was college students, and he expected the fall and spring semesters to be busy for him.
Though some people might be hesitant to ride a bike during a bar crawl. Stone said it wasn't that bad.
Stone has been taking the bike for a spin often in the past week because that's the best way he can promote it — it's pretty difficult to explain to someone, he said.
"You got a whole team of people helping you pedal," he said. "You can sit and free-wheel and let your friends pedal and wait for them to yell at you."
Andrew Mitchell, a former KU student, has already been on a cruise around Lawrence on the Pedal Hopper.
"I've had literally hundreds of people running after it, asking me for brochures," he said.
He said he and his friends went
wherever they wanted to go and that it was a completely unique experience.
"It was a lot more fun than I was
expecting," he said. "Even though you can't drink on it, it's a good way to get your friends together."
pipelineproductions.com
Fri July 30
RUMBLEJETTS
w/ the F-HOLES
Sat July 31
POT BILLY
w/ Funk-Trek & Reelfoot
Mon Aug 2
GREG LASWELL
w/ Cary Brothers & Harper Blynn
FREE POOL FROM 3-8 DAILY BOTTLENECK 737 New Hampshire thebottlenecklive.com
Verizon Wireless Concert Series Thurs July 29
OLD 97's LUCERO Jonathan Tyler & N.Lights
Fri Aug 6
BETTER THAN EZRA
w/ Stars Go Dim John Henry & the Engine
Thurs Aug 12
SLIGHTLY STOOPID CYPRESS HILL COLLIE BUDDZ
Thurs Aug 19
GEORGE
THOROGOOD
Eddie Shaw
Fri Aug 27
BIG HEAD TODD
& the Monsters
The BoDEANS
Fri Sept 3 PAT GREEN
Sun Sept 5 STS9 w/Ghostland Observatory
Fri Sept 10
GIRL TALK Sat Sept 25 AVETT BROTHERS
Sun Sept 26 DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS
Sun Oct 3
BLUE OCTOBER
KC AT GRINDERS
verizon 417 E. 18th · KC, MO
www.crossroadskc.com