By Dan Werner

“Hey, Rickshaw Willie,” someone calls out as Tim Wilhelm drives his Pedicab down Main Street in Akron, Ohio. It’s a common occurrence these days, as Wilhelm, aka “Rickshaw Willie,” has become somewhat of a local celebrity.

“Everybody has to have their picture taken with Rickshaw Willie,” Wilhelm says. “People are hugging me all the time, and kids will run out to the edge of the curb to high-five me as I drive down the road. Even some local business owners came up to me while I was eating dinner and told my wife that I had become a downtown Akron icon.”

But it was only about a year ago when the 54-year-old Wilhelm found himself depressed and at a crossroads in his life. A truck driver for 31 years, Wilhelm became the victim of a sagging economy when the trucking company he works for merged with another and then decided to take him out of his truck and onto the loading dock.

“It was about the lowest point I had ever been in my life,” he says. “I didn’t know if I’d pull out of the depression, but I’m not a quitter, so I kept thinking about what I could do.”

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Tags: bicycle, Cabs, Colorado, community, dan werner, downtown, driver, fun, Main Street, Main Street Pedicabs, manufacturer, Ohio, parade route, Pedicab, pedicab business, Pedicab News, pedicabs, pub crawl, rickshaw, street pedicabs, traffic

Sean Robinson and his dog, Cooper, have embarked on a one-year, 10,000-mile trek around the United States. And the two best friends will be making the journey in a Main Street Pedal Pickup.

Sean and Cooper began their adventure in New York City in October and are currently somewhere between South Carolina and Georgia.

After struggling with his old, heavy, three-speed rickshaw, Sean contacted Main Street Pedicabs to see if the pedicab manufacturer could provide him with a better, lighter vehicle.

“It was a no-brainer,” says Dan Werner, Director of Sales and Marketing at Main Street. “Our 21-speed pedal pickup not only provides Sean with a lighter, safer ride, but it also gives Cooper a safe spot in the truck bed.”

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Tags: best friends, bikes, dan werner, downtown, journey, Main Street, Main Street Pedicabs, manufacturer, pedal pickup, Pedicab, Pedicab News, pedicabs, rickshaw, trek

By Rachel Kipp, The News Journal

NEWARK, Del. — Downtowns, particularly college towns, make room — and rules — for new pedicabs.

Pedicabs, adult-size tricycles with room in the back for passengers, have gone from the occasional tourist attraction to a more prominent means of public transportation, prompting a race by cities to beef up safety ordinances amid backlash from automobile cab operators.

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Tags: dan werner, downtown, Environmentally, Main Street, Main Street Pedicabs, manufacturer, nightlife, Pedicab, pedicab business, pedicab driver, pedicab drivers, Pedicab News, pedicab service, pedicabs, street pedicabs, taxi cab, tricycle

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

Past Speaker: Startup Junkie Underground

SPEAKER: Steve Meyer – Founder and CEO Mainstreet Pedicab
DATE: August 20 & 22, 2007
TOPIC: Peddling Your Way to Success – The Mainstreet Pedicab Story

Pedicabs are human-powered taxis seen in many of the major cities around the world. They work well for not only transporting people, but also for the delivery of food and merchandise.

In a world that is becoming overwhelmed with too many cars, pedicabs offer a green and sometimes romantic alternative. While they work best over short distances ranging from 2 to 10 blocks, they are fully capable of traversing much greater distances.

Steve Meyer didn’t invent the pedicab, but he is in the process of perfecting the marketplace for it. With multiple income streams and a loyal following, the pedicab industry is breaking into new territory.

Here is what it took for Steve Meyer to become one of the leading figures in the pedicab industry, and how Donald Trump had a hand in his success.

Speaker: Steve Meyer is the Founder and CEO of Mainstreet Pedicab in Broomfield and has worked most of his professional life self-employed, interspersed with periods of employment.

He attended the University of Colorado from 1972 trough 1979 getting both a BA in Environmental Biology and an MA in Economics. He spent more than a year of this time traveling in S. America, Asia, Europe and Africa.

For many years, Meyer worked in the real estate industry doing economic and market research for real estate developers. His interest in the redevelopment of downtown areas and his experiences in Asia were key factors in his development of Main Street Pedicabs. Main Street was founded in 1992 and is the largest manufacturer of this type of vehicle in N. America.

Tags: America, Colorado, DaVinci, davinci institute, donald trump, Main Street, Main Street Pedicabs, manufacturer, multiple income streams, Press Releases, professional life, SPEAKER, Speaker Steve Meyer, steve meyer, Steve Meyer - Founder, Story, success speaker, taxis, Transport, university of colorado, Your Way

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