By Neville Hawcock

On a bad day, cycling in London feels like dinosaurs versus mammals. You, the warm-blooded cyclist, may ultimately inherit the earth, but until then you run the grave risk of being squished by a lumbering, petrol-fuelled sauropod. You have the acceleration, the visibility, the manoeuvrability; they have the weight, the momentum, the airbags.

There are good days, of course, when pedalists and petrolheads give way to each other in a haze of goodwill. But they are rare. So it is with some trepidation that I approach BugBugs’ Holborn Viaduct lock-up. My task is to give one of its pedicabs a test-ride; and pedicabs – as their operators prefer to style these latter-day rickshaws – are the SUVs of London’s bike scene: big – maybe too big – and apt to provoke extremes of opinion. (more…)

Tags: bike scene, bikes, Cabs, driver, Drivers, drivers association, fun, London, Main Street, national cycling, NEW YORK, Operators, passenger, Pedicab, Pedicab News, pedicabs, rickshaw, rickshaws, Safety, slow traffic, taxi drivers, test ride, traffic, trike, yellow cab

Q: How do I start a Pedicab business?

A: Many people contact us to inquire about starting a Pedicab business. Go to our Operators page for some tips on how to get started, or contact us for more in-depth information.

Q: How do I order parts?

A: Go to www.wheelgoods.com. If what you need is not listed or you need the shipment expedited or if you have any questions, call us at 303-295-3822.

Q: How long is production time?

A: Main Street Pedicabs are custom made to your specifications. Lead times are often 1-3 weeks, though they can be longer during the spring and summer season.

Q: Are Main Street Pedicabs shipped assembled?

A: Yes, our Pedicabs are shipped fully assembled and ready to roll.

Q: Can I request customizations?

A: Yes, because you’re dealing directly with the manufacturer, customers can order a variety of custom colors and designs. We’ll also build your Pedicab with different components if you prefer something you’re more comfortable with rather than our standard components.

Q: Should I hire a Pedicab Consultant?

A: People often ask us if they should spend the money to hire a Pedicab consultant. One of the great things about starting and operating a Pedicab business is how easy it is to do. We at Main Street have a wealth of resources and have walked dozens of people through the process of getting a Pedicab business off the ground. With these things in mind, we feel it’s an unnecessary expenditure to hire a Pedicab consultant.

Q: What sort of maintenance is required on a Main Street Pedicab?

A: Maintenance for a Main Street Pedicab shouldn’t be an overwhelming, time-consuming task, but should be practiced regularly for a well running Pedicab. By following a systematic maintenance schedule, the Pedicabs will not only run better, but will also be more enjoyable for both the driver and the passengers. For more on how to properly maintain a Main Street, check out our New Pedicab Rider Instructions and our Main Street Pedicab Manual.

Tags: Cabs, contact us, custom, customers, different components, driver, inquire, Main Street, Main Street Pedicabs, Maintenance, maintenance schedule, manufacturer, operator, Operators, passenger, Pedicab, pedicab business, pedicabs, process, Product, season, spring and summer, street pedicabs, systematic maintenance, Uncategorized, unnecessary expenditure

by Gary Koenig, Denver Cycling Examiner

If you’re like me, you’ve invested more than a few idle minutes thinking about being a professional cyclist. What could be better than getting paid to ride all day long? Daydreams are fun, but sober reflection on the shrinking nature of the pro pelotons, both worldwide and domestic, would lead most of us to conclude that cycling for a living is not realistically in our future.

So what if I told you that I could get you a paying cycling job tomorrow? That you would enjoy the consummate cosmopolitan benefits just as other top cycling pros do. And to top it off, even though you’ll be riding 6-8 hours per day, you’ll never have to tackle a hill and headwinds will be as rare as a 12 ounce Ruth’s Chris ribeye. Furthermore, you’ll never have to answer to a surly directeur sportif who doesn’t even speak your language, never have to sacrifice your legs for an ungrateful prima donna team leader and never suffer the ignominy of watching an Italian gregario who has been latched onto your wheel for untold kilometers suddenly bolt by you to win a Grand Tour stage that so rightfully belonged to you.

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Tags: 16th street mall, bicycling, company, Denver, driver, fun, future, Main Street Pedicabs, pedicab driver, pedicab drivers, Pedicab News, pedicabs, professional cyclist, street pedicabs, traffic

DENVER – As more than 50,000 visitors hit the streets of Denver for the Democratic National Convention, there seems to be one color that keeps coming to mind: green.

Convention planners and the city of Denver are making sure this once-in-a-lifetime event is as eco-friendly as possible.

For Casey Bobay, co-owner of Mile High Pedi-cabs, green is creating green and pedal power is paying off.

“We’ve been doing round about 17-hour days during the DNC. We’re the most convenient green-friendly transportation down here right now .Yesterday, I had 42 missed calls in an hour of people wanting rides,” said Bobay.

Kirk Dornbush is from Atlanta. He says it cost $12 to go roughly a mile in a pedi-cab.

“Pedi-cabs are lean, green, convertible machines. They are the only way to go, it’s just awesome. They are quick. The drivers are courteous and it’s a green way to get around the city. I have not taken a fuel-burning cab yet and I will not. The pedi-cabs are the only way to go,” said Dornbush.

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Tags: better business, bike lane, Cabs, city of denver, convention planners, delegates, democratic national convention, Denver, DNC, driver, lifetime event, Pedicab News, traffic, transportation

Denver Business Journal – by Tom Locke Denver Business Journal

In the old fishing villages on the southeast coast of Spain, the streets are narrow, the parking is atrocious and the tourists are plentiful.

But for tourists who are too tired and sweaty to take another step under the hot Spanish sun, there is relief, thanks to a little Broomfield company that is bridging the walker-automobile transportation gap with something called a “pedicab.”

On a recent morning in March, a dozen or so yellow pedicabs lay ready for shipment to Spain in the small warehouse of Main Street Pedicabs Inc., a company that has championed pedicabs for more than a decade under the leadership of its owner and CEO, Steve Meyer. “We’re not only building pedicabs, we’re building a pedicab industry,” Meyer said.

Meyer said he stuck with pedicabs while others might have given up because he and his wife, Ruth Vanderkooi, simply love the business. And that’s even though they make less than they would if they were fully employed somewhere else, he said.

Meyer has a background in urban planning, and sees himself as sort of a champion of an alternative form of transportation that can add excitement and utility to boring cities dominated by automobiles.

So, thanks in part to supplemental income earned by his wife and to real estate development projects on the side, Meyer has persevered in the pedicab business and figures he’s easily the biggest pedicab manufacturer in the United States.

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Tags: apprentice, Cabs, city of denver, college campuses, customers, Denver, denver business journal, Donald, donald trump, driver, Electric, exposure, Houston, Las Vegas, Main Street, Main Street Pedicabs, Manhattan, manhattan rickshaw, manufacturer, market, marketing, NEW YORK, Pedicab, pedicab business, Pedicab News, pedicab operators, pedicabs, steve meyer, street pedicabs, three wheeled vehicles, Transport, transportation, tricycle, trump